Utah Jazz 7'5" 300 lb. Center

It’s amazing. The Utah Jazz gave us the biggest man fracture in his foot and came back for only four games. in the NBA with 7-5 295 pound Center Mark Eaton. Now After that season”, remembered Al, “My coach was fired so I we have another big man. AI Bannister is 7-5 300 pounds! followed one of the assistants to Arkansas State. It didn’t Imagine putting those two guys on the court at the same work out very well.” It was a discouraging time. “An time.

Arkansas State Coach told me I couldn’t play in the NBA,”

Al was a free agent last year and the Utah Jazz picked stated Al. “He made me feel like I was not a good player but him up. He began the BFS program and was doing very it made me more determined. I knew I could do it. I just quit well in pre-season basketball when it happened. Al tore listening to the negative and focused on what I wanted to the lateral miniscus cartelege in his knee. Ths injury has achieve.” kept him out the entire season. Al has undergone Al majored in Sports Management with the physical extensive treatment and therapy for five months.

The Utah Jazz kept Al on injured reserve status and have paid him his guaranteed salary. The Jazz were willing to do this because Al is a good player with surprising agility and grace for a man so huge. Al plans to play in the Summer Basketball League and make the Jazz team next October. Al grew up in Horwich Bolton England where he participated Swimming. He started Crickett at age 11 and Basketball at thirteen. His high school had an enrollment of 2000 students and at the tender age of fourteen Al was already six foot nine. As a 6-11 fifteen year old, al began playing for England in international games.

By the time he was seventeen, Al tipped the scales at 215 pounds with his present 7-5 height. In the 1992 Olympics, he will play for Great Britain’s basketball team. Al was eligible for college when he was sixteen and dreamed about playing in America. He signed with Oklahoma State just before his 18th birthday and broke into the Big-8 with a bang. Al led the conference in blocked shots and made the All-Freshman Big-8 team. The next year was a tough one. Al suffered a stress education department. He's just 10 hours short of a degree did she let out a shriek when Al came around the corner. and plans to finish as soon as possible. After his career in The little boy just grinned.

professional basketball, Al wants to do something related to sports.

Al has worked hard to make himself the best possible player that he can be. During this past year he has never At Oklahoma State, Al lifted weights but not in high missed a workout and always puts out. Al has lost a lot of school or at Arkansas State. “If you didn’t lift at Oklahoma body fat and is now under 10% but he’s still maintained his State, you ran five miles,” laughed Al. “If I coached high bodyweight. His strength and conditioning will be at an all school basketball all my players would do the total BFS program or they wouldn't play.” and ready to make his mark in the NBA. It couldn’t happen As far as peer pressure, Al remarked “I never even saw time high come next October.

Al Bannister will be primed toa nicer giant. or heard of drugs until I came to America. I was totally shocked over here.

I wasn’t tempted. I just didn’t understand it and also I was scared of drugs. As far as I’m concerned, there's just no excuse for it.” Al does a lot of BFS Upper Limit things. Once Bonnie, our BFS executive secretary, asked Al to help present the David and Goliath story to little kids at her church. Well, Al dressed up in a great costume complete with sword and helmet. He took his part serious as he jumped out from behind a wall and roared out his lines. The kids didn’t move and their eyes were huge. Afterwards, one little boy exclaimed, Mommy, MommyI sawa unbelieving mother said, “Sure Jimmy, sure you did.” Boy “If | Were A H.S. Basketball Coach, My Team Would Do the BFS Program.

If You Don’t Lift, You Don’t Play” BFS Coach Rick Anderson has worked with the Jazz players for nearly 10 years.

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From BFS Magazine — Summer 1991. Part of the BFS Magazine Archive (1980–2014).