Omari Spellman got a chance to redeem himself after a rookie season to forget, mired with problems with his weight and fitness. An offseason trade to the Golden State Warriors gave him the chance for a fresh start after seeing his time with the Atlanta Hawks had already passed.
The 6-foot-8 Spellman was as heavy as 310 pounds at one point last season but slimmed all the way down to his playing weight of 245 pounds. A chance he likely wouldn't have gotten in Atlanta.
“Because I know my chance in Atlanta had already come and gone,” Spellman told Anthony Slater of The Athletic. “Sometimes when you’re stuck in an organization where your chance is already passed, that’s like some of the hardest sh*t ever.
As crazy as it sounds, I’m blessed to have been traded. Because what was about to happen in Atlanta, some people don’t come back from that. My life could’ve taken a completely different turn. I could’ve been in Atlanta, not playing, feeling all these down things and my life could’ve taken a complete f***ing nosedive.”
Teams hardly ever give up on a first-round pick after one season, but Spelly knew he was on his way out, as weight issues often suggest a lack of discipline for the player in question. Spellman's issues getting right were impacting his confidence, greatly — and he had to remind himself that he was worth another shot.
“I had to remind myself, give myself a constant reminder that, nah, bro, you are tough,” said Spellman. “You do do tough sh*t. You’ve been tough since you were young. Just go be yourself.
That sh*t was a hard realization. People don’t realize that. When you’re in a low place, the fight to get back up is not easy. To mentally change my perception of myself. You start to see yourself the way people tell you that you are.So I was like: ‘I’m a slob. I’m f***ing fat. I’m f***ing useless in the league.' Then you have to consciously decide that I’m going to shift that mentality. I’m none of those things. I work hard. I play hard. I leave it all out there. I’m a great teammate. You have to view yourself like that. It’s not a cocky thing. That’s who you are.”
Spellman has already crossed to the 300-pound realm once, but he was given a quick and swift ultimatum by president Bob Myers before he signed up to play with the Warriors during a meeting.
“He literally told me: ‘Yo, bro, you have to be under 280 (pounds) or you’re not going to play.'
And, like … I was like, man, this is how far you fell. That’s how far you’ve fallen. Like, 280 is the caveat. You have to be 280. Bro, that’s heavy as f***.”
Spellman has quickly earned the trust of coach Steve Kerr and his teammates, averaging a healthy 7.9 points and 5.8 rebounds while playing in all 20 games this season. It's sure to say he's showing he belongs in the league after a rude awakening.
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