The Nets draft night trade that sent Mason Plumlee to Portland for the rights to Rondae Hollis-Jefferson has the potential to be one of those rare deals that both sides won. Plumlee is having a terrific year in Portland and the Nets and their fans are thrilled with RHJ and his potential.
So, it will be good to see "Plums" Friday night in Brooklyn and the seven-footer from Indiana will be happy to return, in part because he'll be able to renew ties with old teammates ... and
Geigel asks the players to do two things: cut the engine and roll down the window so he can talk to them. Most players had no problems doing that. (Of course, one, a former point guard on the team saw himself as too good for all that camaraderie). Plumlee, though, went further.
As Jason Quick of Comcast Sports Net NW writes Friday...
"When he first came to Brooklyn, it didn’t take long, man,’’ Geigel said. "Mason clicked with us like right away. Just a down-to-Earth kid.’’
Soon, Geigel knew the Plumlee family, from his mother down to his friends. And soon, Plumlee was getting flooded with critiques and advice.
The two became pals and not Plumlee got involved with Geigel's charity -– the Marcy Back 2 School Games – at Marcy Homes not far from Barclays, the same project the produced Jay-Z. Plumlee donated 10 tickets to every Nets home game that allowed kids from Geigel’s neighborhood to attend games and met with the kids.
Plumlee is gone now but Geigel is still moving those cars and team buses to event level at Barclays.
“Mason has ‘it’ … We used to go around and say Mason was like President Clinton – he has the black tendencies,’’ Geigel says. “He has the moves like a brother. You watch his ball playin’ and he’s got the brother swag. A black guy in a white body.’’