Former Florida State basketball stars return for impromptu reunion ... 'It's cool being back'
One text message turned into a whole reunion for the Florida State men’s basketball team.
Terance Mann, Scottie Barnes, Trent Forrest, Phil Cofer, RaiQuan Gray and Dwayne Bacon were among the former Seminoles back in Tallahassee this weekend for a chance to reunite and play some pick-up games inside the FSU Basketball Training Center.
“It just kind of happened randomly,” said Forrest, the former Florida State point guard who now plays for the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks. “Just one day somebody was like they were coming to Tallahassee, then we were all like, ‘We might as well just all come up.’ It was really just an out-of-the-blue thing that just kind of happened. …
“It’s been a while since we’ve all been back together in the same place.”
Soon after they walked inside the practice facility, every player was asked to reflect on why they chose Florida State to play college basketball, and there was a common theme from each. They all seemed to talk about the relationships inside the program and their appreciation for head coach Leonard Hamilton.
“When I came on my visit, I felt like it was a family environment,” Los Angles Clippers guard Terance Mann said. “Everyone was loving, caring. And just all the guys really cared about who you are off the court, and that just stuck with me the whole way. So that’s just a testament to Coach Ham and the program.”
“I mean, Coach Ham is the man,” Forrest said. “We all think highly of Coach Ham. He is who he is. We appreciate him for all he did for us and what he’s still doing here.”
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Scottie Barnes, who earned 2021-22 NBA Rookie of the Year honors with the Toronto Raptors, said all of his Florida State memories started rushing back when he got to the facility.
“The coaches were amazing, and they had a great development program as well,” Barnes said of his decision to become a Seminole. “Being back at school, like damn, it’s crazy. It’s been a long time since I’ve been back here, just seeing my old teammates and being able to enjoy them.”
The informal reunion quickly led to a pickup game between the alumni.
The game was competitive but fun, with an assortment of highlight-reel plays, dunks, alley-oops and 3-point shots from way out deep.
“We just picked up where we left off,” Gray said.
Not surprisingly, Scottie Barnes stole the show with this dunk.
“It’s cool being back,” Mann said. “Just to be able to have all my guys that I played with, all the guys that helped me get here … it’s cool to have everyone back. Family environment.”
“It’s a lot of fun. We don’t always get time to get back together,” said former walk-on guard Justin Lindner, who now is an assistant basketball coach at Southern California Academy in Los Angeles and made the cross-country tip to see his old teammates. “We see our friends [that] we don’t get the chance to see that often. … It’s special.”
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