Anne Stein

Keith Bogans
Shooting Guard, Orlando Magic
Age: 27

Currently averaging nearly 30 minutes a game in the playoffs vs. Detroit, the 6’5”, 215-pound Bogans is in his fifth pro season and his second stop with Orlando. After a stellar high school career, he attended the University of Kentucky and finished as the fourth leading scorer (1,923 points) in the history of UK.

What’s been the favorite moment of your career so far? Getting drafted. I always wanted to play in the NBA. I was at home in Alexandria, Va., with my mom, grandmother and close family watching the draft. I didn’t go in the first round so I walked away from the television. I didn’t want to watch anymore — then my mom came out and told me I got drafted by Milwaukee then traded to Orlando. (Bogans was the 43^rd overall pick in the 2003 NBA draft.)

What’s been the toughest moment of your career? Sitting on the bench and not playing when I first got to the NBA. I came from Kentucky, where I was playing every game and was the go-to guy every night, and going to the NBA where I wasn’t playing at all — that was the toughest. I just worked hard in practice and kept working. I never let the outside voices get to my head. I just kept working.

If you weren’t playing basketball what would you be doing instead? I have no clue. My whole life has been consumed with basketball. I haven’t thought about it. I haven’t been in that situation.

Who’s an athlete in another sport you admire? A friend of mine, Brian Westbrook, kind of went through the same thing I went through and now he’s one of the best players in the NFL. (Westbrook plays for the Philadelphia Eagles. He and Bogans went to high school together in Maryland.)

What’s your favorite movie? “Scarface.”

What’s your favorite book? “Rich Dad, Poor Dad.” There’s another one by (former NBA player) Lawrence Funderburke that’s really good too, called “Hook Me Up, Playa.” There’s a lot to relate to — he played in the NBA and he knows what’s going on. (The title refers to the huge number of requests for favors that pro athletes are inundated with. The book’s about educating young athletes on the realities of life as a pro athlete, and encouraging them to broaden their career horizons to include possibilities that may be just as lucrative and possibly even more rewarding, according to Funderburke’s Web site.)

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