Though the shift towards analytics has fans looking beyond the box scores more than ever, players who don’t put up big points, rebounds or assist totals often go overlooked in comparison to their counterparts.
This was the case for former New Jersey Nets forward Trenton Hassell, who during his prime was one of the key members of a Minnesota Timberwolves team that also featured Kevin Garnett, Latrell Sprewell and Sam Cassell.
It wasn’t always this way for Hassell however, as he was a prolific scorer as he was growing up in Clarksville, Tennessee. Paired with future NBA All-Star Shawn Marion, Hassell was able to take his game up a notch whenever he was called upon.
As Hassell tells Nothin’ But Nets, the time he spent with Marion was very valuable to his career in the long run.
“It was fun having a teammate like Shawn because we pushed constantly and it made for some great practices against each other and it helped motivate us both to become better players,” Hassell said.
At the conclusion of their high school days, Hassell was the more highly regarded player of the two. As Marion headed off to Indiana to play for Vincennes University, Hassell was able to stay at home and attend Division 1 Austin Peay State University.
While the allure of playing near home can be a strong one, it can also add some pressure to an already big transition. Luckily, that wasn’t the case for Hassell, who felt comfortable playing in front of his home fans on a nightly basis.
“By playing basketball and football as a kid in Clarksville, I was used to what was expected of me and didn’t feel any added pressure once I made the jump to college basketball.”
After redshirting his freshman year, Hassell was able to stand out immediately. He led the team in scoring during his redshirt freshman season and went on to do the same in the following two years, all while guiding the team to 22 wins during his redshirt junior year.
“I played with and against Coach Loos’ son Brad while I was in school, so I knew him already going into it and I knew the system that he was looking to run. I played against older guys in rec centers every day too, so it made the transition a lot easier for me.”
Coming off of a season in which he poured in over 21 points per game, Hassell began to entertain the possibility of leaving school one year early to enter the NBA Draft.
“It was a tough decision for me, but I didn’t know how much I would be able to improve my game if I would have stayed in school. I had already graduated too, so that made it a little easier to for me to leave.”
Coming from a small school, the pre-draft process was a bit of a whirlwind for Hassell. Teams were calling left and right to bring him in for workouts and to sit him down for interviews, but even with all the interest league-wide there was a sense of uncertainty as far as where he would end up on draft day.
“I really didn’t know where I was going to end up and ultimately I was going to be happy if I got picked at any point. “
The first round came and went without Hassell hearing his name called, but as the board moved over the second round his phone finally rang. With the first pick in the second round of the draft, the Chicago Bulls selected Hassell.
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“I was shocked when the Bulls picked me because I didn’t work out for them at all. I only had an interview with them, so it was definitely a huge surprise when they called my name.”
Joining a Bulls team that was firmly entrenched in a post-Jordan rut, Hassell was given the chance to amass loads of playing time, an opportunity that would benefit him later in his career.
“I didn’t really ever feel overwhelmed by starting and that’s probably due to the veteran presence on that we had on the team. I had great veterans like Charles Oakley and Pete Myers to help me through the process.”
One of the key moments during his rookie year came around two months into the season. The Memphis Grizzlies were in their inaugural season at that point, the first time that major professional basketball had been in the state since the Memphis Tams had played in the ABA.
The NBA’s return to the Tennessee allowed Hassell to play in front of his home crowd, something that he wouldn’t have been able to dream of while he was growing up.
“It was great to be able to play so close to home as a pro. I had a lot of people came from Clarksville to watch me play, which wouldn’t have been possible even just a year before.”
Though he was able to start more than half of the games during his first two years in the league, the Bulls chose to waive Hassell; a move which served as his introduction to the business side of the game.
“It hurt to be waived, but I expected it after they had brought in both Scottie Pippen and Kendall Gill on the wing. At that point, I knew it was probably just a matter of time.”
He didn’t have to wait long to find a new opportunity, as the Minnesota Timberwolves came calling relatively early on in the process. It was a chance for Hassell to play big minutes, but was also his first time playing for a winning team.
After being bounced out of the first round of the playoffs the year prior at the hands of the Los Angeles Lakers, the Timberwolves were in need of a player with Hassell’s tenacity on the defensive end. He ended up being just what they needed and they reached the Western Conference Finals.
“The playoffs were something that I had never experienced before and it was the atmosphere in the Western Conference Finals was crazy. There was so much excitement and energy at every game.”
Though the team had done well, there was a change made the following season. Flip Saunders was let go and Kevin McHale was brought in for a half-season, only to be replaced with Dwane Casey the following year.
“I think a big part of what held us back were some of the injuries that occurred over the years, but a lot of it had to do with the growing tension between the players and management. As far as the coaching change, I was a fan of both coaches and thought that they were each great in their own respects. I think Flip was an offensive genius, while Casey was more of a great defensive coach.”
The team had continued to falter and in what wound up being Hassell’s last year with the Timberwolves, they fired Casey mid-season and brought in Randy Wittman. In the following offseason, he was traded to the Dallas Mavericks for Greg Buckner.
It was a change of pace for Hassell, but one that was ultimately welcomed given the instability within the Timberwolves organization. He looked forward to carving out a role with the Mavericks, but after just 37 games with the team he was once again traded, this time to the New Jersey Nets.
“When I heard the news that I was going to be going to Dallas, I was glad to be going to a great veteran playoff team but I wasn’t all that happy when the move to New Jersey was announced. I really wasn’t a fan of all of the movement going on in terms of my career. I’m a country boy at heart and I don’t like change all that much, so it impacted me quite a bit.”
In joining the Nets, he was placed on a team that was in the midst of a rebuilding process. By his second full season in New Jersey, the team had traded former stars like Jason Kidd, Vince Carter and Richard Jefferson and the roster that was left was mostly young, undeveloped talent.
It was a tough experience for everyone involved, but it allowed Hassell to take on the role of being a veteran mentor.
“I was one of the more experienced players on the team, so I tried to talk to the young guys when things weren’t going the way that they wanted. I tried to teach them what to expect both on and off of the court.”
For all of his and his teammates efforts, they were not able to come out victorious all that often. The team approached levels of infamy, but a 5-7 stretch to finish the season prevented them from breaking the all-time record for losses in a season.
“I wasn’t playing all that much and the team was losing all the time. It was definitely the worst year of my career. It was a tough portion, but I think the highlight of my time in New Jersey was getting through the season without breaking the record for worst season of all-time.”
At just 30-years old, Hassell had played his last game in the NBA. His interest in the game still remained, but the right opportunity never ended up presenting itself.
“I think that there were a few factors involved, but the main one’s were that I hadn’t played much in the previous two seasons, I was getting a little bit older and I was a defensive-minded player, so teams could have probably found younger players around the league to fill that role.”
With his passion for the game still in tact, Hassell was presented with the opportunity to pass his knowledge of the game on to the next generation of basketball players.
“I had an ex-teammate in college that coached girl’s basketball and he reached out to me and asked to help him start an AAU program. I did that and I really enjoy it. I teach them to work hard, believe in themselves, never back down and to make sure that they study the game.”
Now leading the Clarksville SOL AAU program in his hometown of Clarksville, Hassell is able to instill into his players the value of doing all of the little things right. He knows better than anyone, the game extends far beyond the box score.
Quick Questions
Why did you wear #44?
I was a big Derrick Colman fan when he was at Syracuse and he wore #44.
Who was your favorite player growing up?
Michael Jordan and Kevin Garnett.
What was your favorite restaurant in New Jersey/New York?
I probably ate at Chili’s after every game (laughs).
Who was the toughest player that you had to defend?
Probably Kobe because he never stopped coming and even what seemed like a bad shot was a good shot for him.
Who makes up your all-time starting lineup?
PG: Magic Johnson
SG: Michael Jordan
SF: Larry Bird
PF: Kevin Garnett
C: Shaquille O’Neal
What is the key to playing good defense? What made you such an effective defender?
What’s important is knowing what your opponent’s weakness is on the court. I was good because I studied film and knew what players wanted to do, so I just took that away the best that I could.