That’s the ncaa’s fault, even if he had learning disabilities, he passed the SAT and they could let him play. NCAA’s evil action can be viewed as discrimination against people with disabilities today and should be sued for millions of dollars.
I played against Shea in the 13-U national AAU tournament in 1992 in Kingsport Tennessee. He played for a team called PTI I believe. Manchild is a great nickname. Even back then at 13 years old you knew he was different. He was everything this video says he was. Had an NBA body already at that age. He was slam dunking and won the MVP of the tournament. Jason Terry and Chris Carraway (Duke) were also in that tournament. Played pickup vs Chris Carraway. He was also head and shoulders better than most but still not at Cotton’s level at that stage of their careers. Happy that he has found his way through. We’re not always going to find success in our first career or in what other people think we will. Though he’s been through dark times he’s found a purpose and a path. “The path of the righteous one is like the bright light that gets brighter and brighter until the day is firmly established.” - proverbs 4:18.
Overrated. 6-5 is short unless you're a PG or SG in the NBA. He was playing PF. he'd be undersized in the NBA by a mile. He also couldn't shoot. Fact is he went undrafted because he just wasnt that good.
@@chadjackson4786 Agrees but the crap he went through most likely derailed his chances to develop as a different type of player. Not saying this wasn't mostly his fault, just saying.
I remember this dude when we went to that nationals in Tennessee but I first heard of him in the Nationals before that in Yakamah Washington. He was more talked about than Kobe Bryant! Facts !!!
He's my little brother in Christ! He's just as amazing off the court as was on the court. This video brought tears to my eyes because I know what it is firsthand to see a child get screwed over by the system! One thing I know for sure is my brother is at peace with God and himself! God's got you Brother Schea, you're still great in His eyes! Love you man!
Don Sullivan I live in Michigan and I remember reading about Schea in my street& smiths and telling my friends this guy is gonna be special...you know what, I was right.
@@brianaazaa9965 he's and amazing brother. We attend church and bible study together. I love him and his mom! Just two wonderful people. I love seeing them walk in church!
Great call on doing this! I was in the East coast in high school hearing about this guy when there was no internet. I always wondered what happened to him but never bothered to look it up.
rash b I heard about them in Slam magazines. Shea, Ed O'Bannon, Ronnie Fields, Shammgod.. Jermaine Oneal, KG and Kobe but Iverson was the biggest name.
He missed most of his junior year and his entire senior year in HS. No way was an NBA team going to draft him. He should have humbled himself and stayed at Alabama for at least two years and see what his prospects were then.
I read about him when I was a junior in high school. It was in the Sports Illustrated. A year later we meet in the Boston Shootout and I had to guard him. It's true, much respect.
Man this dude was an absolute legend back in the early to mid 90's. I had the pleasure of seeing some really good athletes in various sports during my HS days (91-94) here in Southern California. From football to baseball and of course basketball there was just some dudes that you heard of that you just had to watch. Even til this day when I think of certain sports the same names pop up just from having watch them play during high school. These are the ones that stick out for me (that I saw in person). Football - For me it was no doubt Reuben Droughns from Anaheim HS. Dude was just a monster of a running back good lord. Watching him just run everyone over was such a treat. Kind of reminded me of Bo Jackson in Tecmo Bowl lol. Baseball - Jaret Wright, the pitcher from Katella HS. I was 5'10 and 120 pounds and this godzilla was 6'2 220 throwing 95mph. It was unreal and I was quickly introduced to what a real fastball was. Mark Kotsay of Santa Fey/CSUN, this dude wasn't very big but would hit massive homers with that beautiful swing. There was just nobody better around that time. Basketball - Schea Cotton. Without a doubt in my mind the most dominant athlete in his sport, period. I had heard about him from a buddy so we went to watch him while he was at Mater Dei (some tournament in Anaheim) and good lord I was in awe. Sky high dunks and just a god among insects running the courts. I heard all the stories about why he never made it, but this is the one cat that should have been in the NBA without a doubt.
However, his brother James Cotton went to Long Beach State out of St. John Bosco. His brother got drafted by Seattle Supersonics out of Long Beach State. Wished he could have played with his brother at Long Beach State so he could have played in the league. His film Manchild is a documentary people should support
Ahhh yes the great Schea Cotton!!! Yes this guy was amazing!!! I remember this guy's dunks my 7-8th grades . He went to Mater Dei then St. John Bosco. Dude was windmilling from the dots,sick!
I know the Cotton family personally, I grew up with Schea and James, went to school with Schea since kindergarten, he was always a different type of blessed when it came to basketball from day1. By the 5th grade he was dunkin with ease, and he had deadly range. Our Junior high all-star basketball team only had 6 players on the roster me, cheese, Hodges, Tiere, Schae and a lil whiteboy forgot his name, but we went undefeated the whole entire tournament with every game being a blowout, honestly I believe Schea was the best player on the planet, we were seventh graders and he was unmistakably the clear dominating factor on every basketball court including the pick-up games with talented grown men, he was better than Garnett, Pierce, and B.Davis, he owned them with very little effort on his behalf, he was so damn good on the court he rarely had to bring his "A-Game" bcuz his "not even really trying that hard" game was leaps and bounds ahead of any human he came across, no matter the city or state, no cap
The fact that he never needed his A game was possibly his downfall. That and he was more of a PF in an SG body. I think if he had made it to 6-7, 6-8 he could have gone straight to the NBA as a Larry Johnson type player.
He was a Beast! We played against each other in the Irvine Valley Tournament in California! We Both had 35 points Adrian (Spanky) Parks Allan Hancock College! I Happy for you my dude!!
Saw him play in the CIF championship against Nogales. I entered not knowing who he was & thought Nogales & its 2 stars Shemario Richard & William Porter would dominate. I left the gm remembering Schea cotton to this day!!!
Ernest Killum from Lynwood High School in California. Class of '90. All the popular players that never made it already have documentaries i.e. Ben Wilson, Hank Gathers, Len Bias, etc. Stick with the guys that were legends in there cities that had NBA talent that most people don't know about. Good job
I was 6'3 and could barley play inside in high school in the 80's . In collage and pro you just move to guard . Could he not play the point he would have made it .
I went to ABCD back in the mid to late 90's where Kobe, Odom, and Cotton were there. No internet only by word or Streets and Smith was the way you would hear about these guys. I was there I witness Schea kill every top player there in that week of time. I don't know about Lebron before Lebron but, he had EVERYTHING. What I mean by everything, he had a jumper, mid and 3 pt, hops, the size, body, aggressive, could handle the ball, moved his feet on D, and beyond athletic!!!!! Sucks to see what happened to him, always wondered how he would be on that NBA level. But in all honesty he was LEGIT!!!!
I remember Shea Cotten, he was the biggest basketball player in the country in high school. I hate that the NCAA ruined his chances to play at UCLA. I am glad that they have almost no power now. They abused their power and hurt a lot of young men in the game.
Damn watching this brought back memories. Shae was a bad dude, he was balling everybody up. I remember seeing him play at the pond for the cif title and he didn't disappoint.
My high school team was one win away from playing Schea's team in the quarter or semi-finals for the California. When my coach scouted Schea he said the following, "When he got tired of dunking on the team, he just went out and shot threes." The opening play this game was an alley-oop reverse dunk on his defenders head. Total beast of a player.
What happened to Schea Cotton is he had the body of a grown man when he was only in the 9th grade and was more physically mature than the rest of the players in his class and then by the time that he was a senior some of the other kids in his class started to grow and develop physically and improve their game like Tracy McGrady and they passed him .
colt kabongo That's not true nor is it accurate. Shea had already dominated Tracey McGrady and others in the ABCD CAMP. So that right there shows how advanced his skill development was and he would have only gotten better if the NCCA had not denied him his chance at division 1 level in college. Thier decision based on his learning disability was very bias. He would have only improved at the college level as well as in the NBA level. There would have been no catching up to him.
@@awakingmind5251 Schea didn't dominate Tracy McGrady at ABCD Camp. Nobody knew who Tracy was until the summer of 96 going into their senior year. That was the only time Tracy went to a national camp before that, so when did Schea dominate him? By the time the camp was over, Tracy was the #1 ranked player in the country so there goes your theory about him being dominated by Schea.
@toppdogg2815 yet he still averaged 19 his one year at Alabama... the baggage and bullshit became too much... the love of the game left. It's a cautionary tale of too much too soon. This happens alot more than those like LeBron who some how manage to pull through...
I know that we're supposed to take responsibility for the choices we make,but damn; when outside sources cont. to hold you back, even the best of us will break. Glad he was able to turn things around and find peace.
i used to go watch shea cotton play at st thomas moore in connecticut where i live...... for free the level of play in juco is unreal........ he was so powerful wen he dunked it was like vince carter in person.... hes the best ive seen at that level ive played aau etc all over since 11 im 32 nmow he was the truth
Esteban was a Problem! He was more virsitale and could use both hands, , But both was ahead of the game, I battled with both of them Spanky Parks legends!!!
S. C. Rips, always has and always will. Got to do some youth enrichment programs with him. Dude is a man of God, Grand Cayman islands ,this man has been given back. Peace to the brother!
I remember this guy very vividly. This cat was LeBron before he ever existed. He had the OC talking when he was in high school in #Santa Ana. He would just laugh at the other team, because it was so easy to him. He should had a long career in the NBA, out of high school.
I remember reading about him in "Slam" magazine back when that magazine was worth a $hit. SO MANY guys that you would read about and things wouldn't work out. Peeps like Lenny Cooke also.
I know him. From the time he was in Partizan(Serbia). We share the same injury history. I was the only white man who could say black man can not jump. But however from basketball you get some life time friends and connections. And a strong looking body. 😎 I recommend basketball for every kid to develop his body and character.
Do a story on B.hop ..he played with Chris Bosh and was the star on they team....he was like 5,6 and dominated...like Iverson in high school...his name was big back then...
To quote the movie the Bronx Tail "The worse thing in the world is wasted potential." Shae had it all but... On the other hand his brother James (although not quite as gifted as Shae) had a very good career at Long Beach State, and did in fact make it to the NBA. Go figure....
Zion doesn't even compare to Lebron. It's amazing how many people like to talk basketball and don't know shit about it. Just because Zion has a powerful body like Lebron does not mean he's comparable to him as a player. Lebron has a feel for the game and a sixth sense that only a few have. Zion does not even come close
