Big And Smooth -- The Unlikely Story Of How Sonic Forward Sam Perkins Became A Professional Basketball Player.

Sam Perkins, a forward for the Seattle SuperSonics, grew up in Brooklyn, where he lived with his grandmother and two sisters.

"I was kind of a loner when I was a kid. I didn't have the confidence to play basketball in the park, so I made my own court in my back yard," said Perkins.

His first basketball hoop was a milk carton tied to the bars covering the windows outside his boyhood home.

Every time Perkins shot a basket, the ball would bounce off the bars and make a terrible noise inside the house. Later he put up a real hoop.

He didn't play organized basketball until he was in high school. A coach, Herb Crossman, helped Perkins with hook shots, pivot moves and short jump shots. "He taught me things that none of the other guys were doing," said Perkins.

Recognizing that Perkins needed a male figure in his life, Crossman offered to be his legal guardian. Perkins loved his grandmother and sisters, but he was excited to move out of the city. "I maybe missed a day of school after I moved. Before I missed about half the time," said Perkins.

That was the turning point in Perkins' life. He played on his high school basketball team and earned a scholarship to the University of North Carolina, which won the 1982 NCAA Men's Basketball Championship. Among his teammates was Michael Jordan.

He graduated from UNC with a degree in communications and was drafted by the Dallas Mavericks in 1984.

He was co-captain of the gold-medal-winning U.S. Olympic basketball team in 1984.

He played six seasons with Dallas and two with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Perkins came to Seattle in 1993. His trademark is his relaxed, easy style of play and a seemingly effortless shot. That is why a Laker teammate, Byron Scott, gave him the nickname "Big Smooth." "It may look effortless, but believe me, I hurt after a game," said Perkins.

Last year, in a game against the Toronto Raptors, Perkins hit eight three-pointers in eight attempts, an NBA record.

"Sam is just a great professional," says Sonic coach George Karl. "He has a real solid character and leads his teammates by example." -------------------------------

To find out more about Sam Perkins, visit his Web site at www.bigsmooth.com.

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NBA Match Game: Draw a line from the cities in column "A" with the correct basketball team name from column "B."

1. Boston 2. Chicago 3. Detroit 4. Denver 5. Orlando 6. San Antonio 7. Houston 8. Seattle

A. Magic B. Spurs C. Pistons D. Celtics E. SuperSonics F. Nuggets G. Bulls H. Rockets

Answers: 1-D; 2-G.; 3-C; 4-F; 5-A; 6-B; 7-H; 8-E

Basketball Quiz Which basketball team has won the most NBA Championships? 1. Chicago Bulls 2. Detroit Pistons 3. Seattle SuperSonics 4. Boston Celtics

Answer: The Boston Celtics. They have won 16 NBA Championships.

Write to Wordy: If you were rescued after spending 10 years on a deserted island, what would be the first thing you'd do once you were home? Tell us in an essay using 100 words or fewer. Send essays to My Words, c/o The Seattle Times, P.O. Box 1138, Seattle, WA 98111. Please include your name, age, grade and telephone number. The Deadline is Mar. 9.

Wordy's Word of the Week: SuperSonics Can you make at least 10 new words using the letters in SuperSonics? Remember, you may only use a letter once unless it appears more than once in SuperSonics, such as, "S." Did you find the following words? Sun, Cone, Ice, Price, Cousin, Spice, Pie, Rice, Spruce, Score and Spin

Your Words:

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"Each night I spend about one hour on homework. I have seven classes and usually spend 10 minutes studying for my French class, sometimes more if there is a test. I also spend about 20 minutes doing English homework. Sometimes I have to do Social Studies. Recently I was given a packet in math. I spend a lot of time working on that to get ahead. I think I should spend a little more time on my homework and I think my teachers give me a fair amount to do."