- January 31st, 2006, 1:48 am
#2221
Look what I stmubled across from a small daily in Iowa of all places:
Glad to hear Leo is earning a living playing ball. That can't be a bad thing.
Former Tiger going overseashttp://www.timesrepublican.com/sports/s ... sports.asp
By RYAN BRINKS
Living in another culture is not a new idea for former Marshalltown Community College basketball star Leo Lightbourne.
The recent college graduate grew up in the Bahamas, moved to Marshalltown and later Virginia for college, recently returned from three months of basketball in South America and will be on his way to Austria today.
MCC recruited the young athlete and launched a career in basketball that recently turned professional, and Marshalltown has remained his landing base in the midst of each transition.
While Lightbourne has bounced all over the globe, his relationships have only deepened their roots.
He is living out his present international transition with John and Jill Craft, more than five years after he first met his Tiger Program host family.
"They're now considered family to me, my mom and dad away from home," Lightbourne said.
In fact, the Crafts went to the Bahamas for the wedding of Lightbourne's mother and they plan to go again in the near future, he said.
When Lightbourne left MCC - where he rose to lead the conference in scoring and rebounding - for Liberty University on the East Coast, he kept in contact and the Crafts even traveled to see him play.
His move to Liberty was also the result of a close relationship, one that had beginnings in his homeland.
Lightbourne's high school coach in the Bahamas had played with former MCC coach Randy Dunton, who ran a camp there when Lightbourne was about to graduate high school. At the time Dunton coached for MCC and recruited Lightbourne before leaving to be the head coach at Liberty.
Lightbourne stayed at MCC three years and then finally got to play for Dunton at Liberty.
Two seasons at Liberty yielded the Big South league's best field goal percentage, second-most rebounds, second-team All-Conference recognition and a business management degree.
Lightbourne promptly turned pro with a three-month venture to Aguada near the capital city of Uruguay in South America, where he said he fit right in with the culture and food.
"It reminded me of being back home in the Bahamas," he said. "It's not your typical idea of the beach, but it's nice. It was a great experience for me, living in another country, and I enjoyed my time."
Lightbourne left the southern hemisphere averaging 15 points and 8.5 rebounds a game while shooting 63 percent from the field and 38 percent from 3-point range, he said.
Leaving the competition of teams from Argentina - who beat Team USA last Olympics, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, Lightbourne now sees Europe as the next step in furthering his career.
And he's shooting for nothing shy of the NBA, if it works out in the coming years.
"The European league compared to the South American league is pretty much a better league completely," he said. "Europe is the vast base of international basketball."
The little Spanish he picked up in Uruguay will not help in Gussing, Austria, where he said he does not know his first German word yet. At least the Austria cold will not be a shock, after living in Iowa.
"The first snow storm [at MCC] was hard on my immune system," Lightbourne said. "I was sick all the time."
After jumping into the epicenter of international basketball, he could be headed over to Spain or off to Korea, where he is awaiting a deal to be made by his agent.
"With this type of job, you go with what's better for you," he said.
Lightbourne may be less of the big man with Austria, where he is expected to play more of a forward than a center. He joins two other Americans on the team and his new contract will expire this spring.
Wherever pro basketball takes him, though, he has a home in Marshalltown.
"MCC was pretty much the start for my whole basketball career," he said.
Glad to hear Leo is earning a living playing ball. That can't be a bad thing.
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