Wood Sits, Waits and Learns : Once the Star of the Show at Cal State Fullerton, 76er Rookie Rides Bench Now

Whenever he stepped onto a basketball court, Leon Wood knew that people were watching him. He’s the kind of player you never wanted to let out of your sight because you were afraid you’d miss something.

In three years at Cal State Fullerton, Wood delighted college fans wherever he played. He was almost always good for at least one truly spectacular play, besides about 24 points, and brought a lot of people into a lot of gyms who might not have been there otherwise.

After college, he admitted that he had only two goals in life: to play for the United States in the Olympics, and then to play professionally for as long as he could run, jump and shoot.

His career reached a pinnacle when he became a key player on the gold-medal winning U.S. team, silencing critics who had said he wasn’t disciplined enough to play for Coach Bob Knight.

After that, the game that had always been his entire life, began providing a most handsome living. He had been drafted in the first round by the Philadelphia 76ers-- the 10th player selected--and eventually signed a four-year contract for more than $1 million.

Wood enjoyed his success in his own good-natured way. He bought a modest new sports car, rented an apartment in Philadelphia and is searching for a house in the Los Angeles area for his mother.

If it all sounds too pat, too good to be true, rest assured that all is not perfect for Wood.

It’s not that there’s anything else he’d rather be doing, or that he’s discovered that wealth is not all it is cracked up to be. The money is very nice, he admits, but those ovations and the sighs of admiration used to be special, too.

Now, Wood does most of his sweating in practice and before games. In empty, eerily silent arenas, he pumps in 20-foot jump shots, reverse-pivots around imaginary defenders and tries to remember what the cheers sounded like.

Wood has played an average of three minutes a game this season for the 76ers, having made appearances in fewer than half their games. He’s the No. 5 guard, behind starters Maurice Cheeks and Andrew Toney and reserves Clint Richardson and Sedale Threatt.

When he gets into games, it’s usually during garbage time, the closing minutes when the outcome has already been determined and everybody on the floor is concentrating on improving his statistics.

For a player who thrives on pressure, it’s a weird environment. Not that his statistics couldn’t use a boost. He’s averaging just 3.4 points a game and shooting 42%.

Anybody who saw him play in college would be surprised. After all, here’s a player who found ways to beat all kinds of specially designed double- and triple-team defenses and who scored in bunches when an opposing coach was foolish or frustrated enough to try a man-to-man for a few minutes.

Now, however, he’s forced to watch those NBA man-to-man defenses and drool. So he waits and works out when the opportunity presents itself.

“The kid’s something else,” Philadelphia broadcaster Neil Funk said. “I get to an arena early to set up and there’s Leon, all by himself, shooting. Sometimes the lights aren’t even on yet.”

If you’re waiting for a quote from Wood to the effect that “All I need is a chance,” be prepared to sit tight for a few years. James Bond would betray the Queen before Leon Wood would whine. It’s just not part of his nature.

“I’m happy, really happy,” Wood said, sporting the wide smile that has endeared him to fans and players--both teammates and opponents. “Sure, it was frustrating for a while, but now I’ve learned to accept my role better.”

Richardson came back slowly from an off-season kidney operation and Wood played quite a bit in the first 11 games this year. The 76ers got off to an 8-3 start and both Wood and Coach Billy Cunningham seemed happy with his play.

“I have been extremely pleased with Leon’s progress,” Cunningham said, noting that Richardson’s return to form had more to do with Wood’s decreased playing time than the rookie’s play. “He’s improved a great deal already and I’m sure he’s going to be a factor in the NBA down the road a bit.”

Wood went one 10-game stretch without so much as sitting in front of the scorer’s bench to check in. He didn’t complain, but the man who usually makes Mr. Rogers look like a pessimist was down.

Threatt, Wood’s roommate, knew the feeling. He had gone 17 straight games without playing last season, his rookie season year.

“It was killing me inside and he read that,” Wood said.

Threatt said: “It’s really tough being a rookie. I told him the only thing I could think of. ‘Keep working hard. You just got to wait your turn around here.’ ”

Similar advice from Cunningham and players Julius Erving and Moses Malone eventually had a soothing effect.

“This is the way I look at it now,” Wood said. “It’s like I’m a hot quarterback drafted by Miami or San Francisco. Sitting behind (Dan) Marino or (Joe) Montana is no disgrace. Cheeks and Toney are two of the best guards in the league.

“Now, if the game’s over and I didn’t play, I’m disappointed. But not frustrated.”

Wood, clearly a basketball junkie, has been playing a minimum of four hours a day since he was 7. He is experienced in every facet of the game. But the waiting game, that’s a new one. He averaged less than a minute of rest per game at Fullerton.

Maybe if he had been drafted by a team not quite so steeped in talent, he’d be pushing for a scoring title. When people talked about NBA rookies, they often mentioned Michael Jordan and Leon Wood in the same breath.

“Of course I’ve thought about that,” Wood said. “But honestly, I think this is the best situation for me. In the pros, winning and being happy is everything. This team is like a family. All 12 of us get along great. But that’s a lot more likely to happen if you’re winning.

“I’m sure now that I’d rather be here than playing a lot for a terrible team. I might get to play more, but I’d also be sitting at home watching the Sixers and the Celtics and the Lakers in the playoffs.”

Wood may have convinced himself that he’s satisfied, but can three minutes a game allow him to reach his potential?

“There’s nothing like on-the-court experience,” Cunningham admitted. “Some players would never progress without it. But Leon’s an exception. He loves this game so much. He never stops learning. His attitude and work habits make him different. That’s the major reason we all feel the way we feel about his future.”

Wood’s dedication to the work ethic has gotten him in trouble with some of his teammates on occasion. The only time he does complain is when he believes Cunningham has conducted a short or easy practice.

“Sometimes I’m reduced to begging,” Wood said. “I’ll say, ‘Damn, Coach, when are we gonna go hard?’ And sometimes in practice the day after a game, when some of the guys are sore and kinda going half speed, I’ll still be really getting into them.

“Andrew (Toney) will come up and say, ‘Come on, Leon, give us a break.’ ”

But this California Woodie has only one gear--overdrive. He burns as many calories on the bench as some of those masters of the pro glide use on the court.

“I’m not the type to sit there, watch the game and then get dressed and go home,” Wood said. “I get to the arena an hour and a half before every game and work up a real sweat. Then I become the biggest cheerleader on the team. I try to get everyone going during timeouts and I cheer for everybody, even the guy who’s playing instead of me.

“I’m trying to learn all the time, too. I sit next to (assistant coach Matt) Guokas or Cheeks or Doc (Erving) if they’re not in the game and talk about what to do in certain situations.

“And after we win, I feel I can celebrate too because I know I contributed. Even if I didn’t play, I sure as hell pushed these guys in practice.”

When his time comes, Wood will not let the opportunity slip away. It may be tonight, when the 76ers play the Clippers at the Sports Arena, or next year sometime. Whenever, he’ll be ready.

Some guys play basketball to stay in shape for basketball. If they miss a week or two, it takes a month or two to regain peak form. Wood plays plenty of basketball-- he still can’t pass up a pick-up game--but he also swims, runs, rides a bike and lifts weights.

Last year, a couple of writers were returning to their motel rooms in Las Cruces, N.M., around midnight, bemoaning the lack of nightlife and a freezing wind. Then one noticed someone doing pushups on a second-story balcony above the parking lot.

Guess who?

“I still do pushups and at least 600 sit-ups a day,” Wood said, casually. “And I never miss a practice, whether it’s optional or not, even if I’m the only one there.

“I was talking to (the Knicks’) Bernard King and he told me, ‘Hang in there, work hard and greatness will come.’ ”