CUTTINO MOBLEY: Successful career at an end

AP / Ric Francis

The University of Rhode Island’s greatest export to the NBA has retired. Now it’s time for everyone at Rhody to appreciate the unlikely pro career of Cuttino Mobley.

Known simply as ‘Cat’ to anyone who followed his years in Kingston (1995-98), Mobley was forced to retire last week when doctors told the 33-year-old that he has a condition called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy which causes the heart muscle to thicken. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is most known as a cause in some sudden deaths of young athletes, including the shocking collapses of Hank Gathers and former Celtic Reggie Lewis. Gathers was the Loyola Marymount star who died on the court in 1990.

“The specialists I’ve seen made it clear that my heart condition has gotten worse and I couldn’t continue to play professional basketball without putting my health and life in serious danger,” Mobley said. “As much as I want to keep playing in the NBA, I have no choice but to follow the advice of my doctors and step away from the league.”

The great news is that unlike Lewis and Gathers, Mobley has already enjoyed a long (11 seasons) NBA career and amassed a great fortune. Mobley will earn his entire $9.1 million contract this year and the $9.8 million he’s owed next. One Web site estimates that the flashy, high-scoring guard will have earned nearly $60 million in his career.

That’s not bad for a kid who was seen as more than a bit wild during the bulk of his Ram career. Mobley came to URI via the Max Good Expressway (also known as Maine Central Institute) where he and Shawn Colson were noticed by then-Ram assistant Tim O’Shea.

“We thought Cat had a chance to be a good college player,” said O’Shea, now the Bryant coach. “Never in your wildest dreams would you think he’d be a 10-year pro. That’s a testament to how hard he worked.”

Mobley was a good Atlantic 10 guard in his two seasons playing for Skinner but was frequently overshadowed by backcourt mate Tyson Wheeler. That changed in his senior season (1998) when Jim Harrick took over and gave the shooter from Philly free reign. He responded by leading the Rams in scoring (17.4 ppg) for the first time, winning the A-10 Player of the Year award and helping the team to its best-ever NCAA Tourney finish with a trip to the Elite 8.

The Rockets picked Mobley in the second round (41st) of the draft and he shocked everyone by not only making the team but earning second-team all-rookie honors. He kept on shooting and scoring for the next decade, firing in 3-pointers and flipping in acrobatic drives for Houston, Orlando, Sacramento and the L.A. Clippers.

Mobley also tasted the fruits of the NBA life. Four of his teams advanced to the playoffs and while he won only one playoff series (with the Clippers in 2006), he was always a focal point of his team’s offense. Off the court he lived large. When he was with the Clippers, Mobley dated starlets and lived in a Bel-Air mansion.

Mobley is easily URI’s greatest export to the NBA. So far. Lamar Odom certainly has the chance to eclipse Mobley’s success but he’s got a long way to go to equal The Cat’s 747 games and nearly 12,000 points.

The great news is URI hasn’t forgotten. On Feb. 14, the school will induct Mobley into the URI Athletic Hall of Fame. It should be a great night. The mid- to late 1990s may just go down as the Rams’ basketball Glory Days. From 1996-99 Rhody won 20 or more games four straight seasons and played in the NCAAs three times. Mobley, Wheeler, Antonio Reynolds-Dean, Preston Murphy, Luther Clay and Josh King formed the crux of a team that was both fun to watch and wildly successful.

Of the group, only Mobley was fortunate enough to keep the basketball bouncing on the game’s grandest stage. He lived the dream, but now that period of his life is over. He has his health, plenty of money and memories that will last forever.

kmcnamar@projo.com