Chasing the NBA dream

The life of a player in the American Basketball Association lies far from the glitz and glamour of the NBA.

When fans attend a Buffalo Rapids game, they are there to see the simpler world of sports, a world in which players are on the court for the love of the game. Here, there are no mega-contracts, no million-dollar endorsement deals.

Forward Mark Bortz went to the Rapids following a four-year career at UB. After being released from Belgium's Scarlet Vilvoorde due to a back injury, Bortz is grateful to just get back on the court.

"Playing here, it offers me an opportunity to get back out on the court," Bortz said. "I don't know if I'd be playing basketball right now if it wasn't for the Rapids. My goal right now is to get back out on the court, sharpen my skills, and continue to improve on a daily basis."

Though he is comfortable with the Rapids and is grateful for the opportunity to be playing basketball again, the ABA is a step in the direction towards the ultimate goal of the NBA, according to Bortz.

"There's a lot of guys here who are veterans of the game who have been places I haven't been and have been at levels I haven't been," Bortz said. "My goal is to learn whatever I can from the people around me and do whatever I can with that to get to the next level."

Besides learning from his teammates, Bortz is taking time outside of team practices to improve his game. Other players, however, have day jobs to supplement the minimal salary a player makes in the ABA. The league's salary cap is $125,000, which figures out to be an average of less than $10,000 per player on the Rapids' 13-man roster.

"I personally don't have a side job right now, but there are a lot of guys in the minor leagues who do have jobs," Bortz said. "With the Buffalo Rapids, there are several guys that work during the day and then we practice at night. The fact that I don't have a job offers me the opportunity to really work on my game and some things I need to do personally during the day."

One Rapids player who has been around the block a couple of times is Modie Cox, an alumnus of UB and player and assistant coach for the Buffalo Rapids. Cox, who has a day job as a substitute teacher, never imagined that he would still be making ends meet as a basketball player nearly 10 years after his final game as a Bull.

"I had no idea when I was at UB that I would be doing this," Cox said. "I majored in sociology and urban planning and started teaching along the way. I think I wanted to be in the FBI, originally."

After a long season for the Rapids in which the team suffered through ownership and venue changes, Cox believes that the season was a success because the team did not fold under the pressure.

"I think this season was a success because we made it through," Cox said.

Cox said the ABA needs to keep closer tabs on its teams' owners if it is going to become a legitimate league.

"I think the ABA needs to have its owners be held accountable and stick with the team throughout the season," he said.

Tim Winn, the team's point guard who doubles as an assistant coach, also believes that the team's success lies in being able to finish the season.

"This season was a success because a lot of people didn't think we'd be sitting here," Winn said.

While Winn and Cox play the role of veteran leaders, players like forward Kevin Ross hope playing with the Rapids is a steppingstone to something better, possibly a shot at the NBA. However, Ross is aware that he may not get that opportunity.

"If it doesn't happen, I won't be mad," Ross said.

Though he is far away from his ultimate goal of making an NBA roster, Bortz believes he has something to offer in the game of basketball.

"Basketball right now, I think, is my greatest tool, my greatest ability to earn money, and it's my greatest love," Bortz said. "When you find what you really want to do, what you love to do, then you have to stick with it. So I'm going to stick with this."