When the NBA regular season opens in three weeks, Milwaukee Bucks small forward Marcus Landry hopes to join an exclusive group of NBA players that includes Wilt Chamberlain, Derrick Rose, Bernard King and Carmelo Anthony among other notables.
The aforementioned group highlights a list of players who played for the NBA team in the city they are from. The Bucks are one of two teams in NBA history, the other being the Brooklyn Nets, not to have a player from their city play for their team. As a result, Landry, a Milwaukee native, would be the first player in Bucks history from Milwaukee to wear the green, cream and blue.
The importance of such a feat won’t be lost on Landry.
“It’ll mean a lot. I think it will really help in the community and show younger kids that Milwaukee is not a dead place,” Landry said after the Bucks’ fourth and final practice in Madison last week. “It’s not only an accomplishment for me, it’s an accomplishment for the city of Milwaukee.”
Landry is a product of the Milwaukee Public School system, a system that recently had 55 schools receive a failing grade from the state. The St. Vincent High School graduate remembers talking to former Milwaukee Buck great Ray Allen for more than three hours as a kid and still treasures a pair of sneakers Allen signed for him.
But now, Landry recognizes he can impact kids in much the same way Allen impacted him growing up.
“I feel like for me, part of my job is reaching those kids that are unreachable. I feel like me being here, everyone knowing who I am, things like that will help a lot more,” Landry said.
Landry’s signing comes at a perfect time in Bucks history. Along with the redesign of their uniform and court, the Bucks are trying to re-brand themselves and impact the greater state of Wisconsin far more than ever before.
Part of that initiative included coming to Madison, the place where Landry emerged as one of the best Badgers in the past 15 years. Landry finished his career eighth in UW annals with 185 career offensive rebounds and fifth in Badgers history with 99 team blocks. Landry also earned Most Outstanding Player of the 2008 Big Ten Tournament and was a two-time second-team all-Big Ten forward.
Coming back in Madison has been surreal for Landry.
“This is an unbelievable moment being able to see some of the old places I was able to go and eat, places me and my family used to hang out,” Landry said.
“I just remember those days after practice when I would head back to my dorm room or my house. It brings back unbelievable memories.”
Landry is by no means a guarantee to suit up for the Bucks on opening night. He is one of five training camp invitees with an unguaranteed contract, but being back in Madison and seeing his old coach Bo Ryan has given him more hope.
“Just seeing him on the sideline is a great feeling,” Landry said of his former coach.
Ryan said that no matter what happens to Landry he is proud of where he has been and what he has become.
“He’s still chasing the dream, still loves the game. He worked so hard for us when he was here. He still believes and I’m just really proud of him,” Ryan said.
Landry’s new coach, Jason Kidd, echoed many of Coach Ryan’s sentiments.
“I think he’s done a wonderful job. He’s playing hard. He’s picked up the system,” Kidd said. “Again you talk about a guy who can play multiple positions, the three and four. He’s shooting the three extremely well for us. And the nice thing I like is he competes on both ends. I think he’s an NBA player.”
The lack of consistent 3-point shooting has plagued Landry in his past and oftentimes been a hindrance in his attempts to make an NBA roster. As a result, Landry, who still spends his offseason working out in Milwaukee, has spent most of his career in Europe, playing most recently for CAI Zaragoza of Spain. His kids, Marcus Jr, 10, Mariah, 9, and Makaylah, 7, are fluent in both English and Spanish and far more cultured than most kids, a feat Landry is proud of.
Landry recognizes that as a result of his basketball escapades in Spain, China and Venezuela among other players, he can’t take this moment for granted.
One moment Landry will never forget came in his second career NBA game when he was playing with the New York Knicks. Landry, then a reserve forward for the Knicks, visited his hometown Bucks in early November of his rookie year.
“Mike D’Antoni put me in the game. The crowd was just cheering. So I just soaked all of that up and had like six points in two minutes,” Landry said. “It was an unbelievable moment playing against my hometown team. I’ll never forget it.”
Landry, now almost six years removed from that game, hopes that his next regular season game in the NBA will be against the Knicks on opening night, but he admitted that whatever happens is out of his control.
“I’ve been in this situation plenty of times before. I understand what it’s all about. I just come in and try to do my job, Landry said. “I’m not going to allow the pressure to get to me and force me to get outside what I’m supposed to be doing.”
Kidd praised the University of Wisconsin for their incredible facilities and said that they’ll hopefully be back next year. But for Landry’s sake, hopefully he’ll be back in Madison in two weeks when the Bucks host the Timberwolves in the Kohl Center.
