North Carolina’s Reid Is Trying to Enjoy Books and Basketball

As it is for most families, this past Christmas was a time for the Herman Reid family of Virginia Beach, Va., to reminisce, remembering the days when little Herman would run the streets with his buddies, making mischief, only to have his father come out and put a stop to the foolishness and point him back toward his schoolwork.

Of course, little Herman is now J.R. Reid, a 6-foot-9, 260-pound Olympian and All-American at North Carolina, but Dad and the books still cast the bigger shadow. Right now, when father and son talk basketball, the discussion rarely goes beyond how to improve his outside shot or attain optimum defensive positioning and never focuses on the prospect of J.R. leaving school early to enter the National Basketball Assn.

“In our family, we push education. We don’t talk about pro ball,” Herman Reid said. “As parents, you want your son to stay in school for 4 years. Right now, if we have anything to do with it, he will. His family isn’t rich but he’s got nice things. We want him to enjoy college.”

At the moment, with his son’s junior season limited to just 6 games thus far because of injury, it looks as if the elder Reid will get his wish.

“If the pros were looking at me as one of the top three players, I guess I’d think about it after the season, but right now I’m in no rush to leave,” J.R. Reid said. “I’m still learning about basketball, still learning the Carolina system.”

Declaring early eligibility and turning pro definitely isn’t part of the Carolina system. In the school’s long and successful history, only three players have gone pro before the end of their senior year: Bob McAdoo, James Worthy and Michael Jordan.

Worthy and Jordan met what seems to be Coach Dean Smith’s criterion for departing early: the offer of exceptional money that goes along with being one of the first three players selected in the draft. Worthy was taken by the Lakers with the first overall pick in the 1982 draft. The Chicago Bulls selected Jordan with the third choice 2 years later.

There is no consensus choice for top pick in the 1989 draft. Reid has been mentioned prominently, along with such seniors as Danny Ferry of Duke, Stacey King of Oklahoma and Pervis Ellison of Louisville.

And while Patrick Ewing and Danny Manning were automatic No. 1 picks in recent seasons, the order in which anyone is chosen this time around will be more dependent on the pre-draft lottery and then the needs of the individual teams involved.

Right now, however, Reid is just trying to enjoy the game again, something that hasn’t been easy since last summer. After the disappointment of the U.S. team’s bronze-medal performance at the Seoul Olympics, Reid returned home, only to suffer a preseason injury, fracturing the fifth metatarsal bone in his left foot.

Back in action for less than a month, Reid has played sparingly in six games, averaging 13 points and four rebounds in just over 20 minutes per game.

But more playing time for Reid likely will set off a chain reaction: better numbers, with more wins and exposure for the Tar Heels. Should the team win the NCAA championship in this, one of the most wide-open of seasons, there would then be even more queries about the NBA.

Today, Reid says he only wants to concentrate on total recovery from his injury and making North Carolina a better team. Still, given what’s potentially at stake, it’s hard not to look ahead.

“He doesn’t talk about it too much,” said teammate Jeff Lebo. “I know he wants to concentrate on this year. But if I were in his position, knowing that I could be making a lot of money, it would have to go through my mind. It’s hard to pass up, but then again you only go through college one time.”

It’s not that Herman Reid is against professional sports. The father played football with the Baltimore Colts, retiring when he discovered his wife Jean was pregnant with J.R.

“He said he knew it was time to get a real job then,” J.R. Reid said. That job turned out to be in education. Today, Herman Reid teaches health and physical education in Virginia Beach, while Jean teaches fourth grade.

“These young guys grow up and decide that they can make their own decisions, and if J.R. did that I guess we’d have to live with it, but we’re looking forward to him being at Carolina for his senior year,” said Herman Reid. “If you get a degree, there are people pulling for you, people who say that if he had sense enough to graduate then he’s got sense enough to work for my firm.

“Nothing in life is promised to you but death, but some guys don’t prepare for life after sports. Just look at the statistics of guys after they’re through with their careers; they’re homeless, or out trying to take any job somewhere.”

J.R. Reid cites Ralph Sampson and Ewing as examples of players who played out their eligibility and still made good financially, but it’s obvious the most compelling factor in any decision will be his father. Marveling at what he calls his parental guidance, J.R. Reid admits that, “I can’t recall the last time I did anything without his consent.

“I remember when it was time to pick a college. Maryland was the first place I visited and when I got back I wanted to go there. My mom said to wait, and sure enough I decided that Carolina would be better for me. People forget that about college athletes. I’m only 20 years old. I’m young, still learning about life. I’ve watched others and learned and benefited from their mistakes. The NBA’s been there a long time, I’m sure it’ll be there without me for another year.”