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It's the summer of 2007, DCMetrosports' second year in existence and my first year covering the Goodman League. After being introduced to the talents in the gates of Barry Farms to players such as Curt "Trouble" Smith, Lonnie "L Train" Harrell, D-Nice, Hugh "Baby Shack" Jones, Tre Kelley & Andrew "The Sponge Bob" Washington, I kept hearing from Miles Rawls the name of a bearded fellow with a cleaned shaven head named "Rick Ross!" Everytime Burnett hit a long 3 pointer, Miles would yell, "Rick Ross from downtown!!" After close examination he did favor the Miami rapper. Bill says, "Yea at first Miles called me Sweatsuit Ross. My beard was a thicker then so I favored Rick Ross."
Fast forward to the summer of 2008. The face looks familiar but the name is a little different. The outside stroke is still the same, potented. After the game in which Kevin Durant broke his three point record, I had to meet and tell the story of this living legend and dynamic player with a rich history and whose origins are right here in DC. The journey of "Sweatsuit" Bill Burnett is a like a long and winding road with ups and downs, highs, lows, triumphs and disappointments but besides just a few adjustments along the way, he wouldn't have changed much at all if he had to do it over again.
Bill Burnett also makes it a point to never forget those who made a difference in his life. He now seeks to pass on knowledge and wisdom to all who will listen. This is his story.
For William Burnett it all started in the Riggs Park section of Washington, DC. As a testiment to the love of his childhood neighborhood, he wears the tattoo "Riggs Parks Finest" on his left arm. His mother, Patricia Burnett Robinson was very popular at Calvin Coolidge High in NW DC. "Everybody knew her and it was her friends that introduced me to sports."
In the beginning it was Burnett's stepfather Wayne Robinson along with friends of the family who exposed a young Burnett at the age of 3 to the playgrounds around the neighborhood. Coach Danny White (now deceased) was his first little league coach. Before he began watching sports on television he idolized his uncles Dennis Yates, a promising baseball player, and Howard Burnett, a standout QB on the Coolidge football team. Pat Williams, a multi skilled athlete who starred in football and basketball who lived in the neighborhood was also a strong early influence on a young and impressionable Burnett.
Initially it was football that caught the attention of coaches. "When I young, basketball was my second favorite sport. At football I was a natural. I could throw the ball over 60 yards in the 6th grade. Basketball took over for me at Rabaut Junior High. My coach in junior high was Mr. Lynch, one person I'll never forget and my story can't be told without mentioning him."
Burnett mentioned that when he recognized professional basketball players on television, it was Knick All Star Michael Ray Richardson who caught his attention. "Michael Ray was a 6' 4" do everything guard who had to struggle as a youth. I identified with his struggle because at times it wasn't easy for me coming up for awhile with a single parent."
Burnett's game began to develop along with his physique and he gained recognition of coaches thru out the city. Burnett didn't play on any AAU circuit until his senior year but garnered enough attention to get recruited to Mackin High, a private school in the district that was a basketball powerhouse in the 80's that graduated the likes of Duke standout Johnny Dawkins. "Coach Kitchen brought me in as a freshman where I teamed up with standout Mike Smith, Kenny Blakely and a talented 10th grader by the name of Curt Smith. "Me and Curt Smith go way back. Our junior high team was good, as a matter of fact we won the junior high city championship. I wanted to play against Curt but didn't get the opportunity to."
Burnett lasted a year and a half at Mackin. A combination of unrealized expectations and the lack of his mothers ability to pay the tuition forced him to transfer. "After summer league varsity, the coach wanted to put me on junior varsity and I simply thought I was a better player. I said I would never play JV for anybody."
Coolidge was the last viable option for Burnett. Because of the overtures of Jay Bias and Terry Lancaster, he deeply wanted to attend Northwestern High in Hyattsville, Md but didn't have a transfer address. Coolidge at the time was a solid team led by 7' 0 center Donald Hodge. Burnett not only was a good player but a decent recruiter as well. He and Curt, who had developed a bond by this time, joined forces again at Coolidge. "I influenced Curt to go to Coolidge." "With Curt running the point, we had a three guard offense along with Anthony Riley. As a matter of fact, at one point we were ranked 10th in the nation. Coach Lou Farello was our coach that year we had a bomb squad." My first game as a junior I pumped in 28 points. I had a 37 point game as a senior with no 3's." Burnett didn't get a chance to play in Coolidge's City champioship game.
Burnett had a new head coach his senior year in Jarrell Robinson but that didn't do anything to hurt his now blossoming game.
By the time his senior year rolled around the self described transitional player/slasher with a 40 inch vertical leap had offers from schools all over the country the likes of Maryland, Rutgers, James Madison, Tennessee, Iowa, USC, Kansas St, Nebraska and a host of mid-majors like Marshall. "I would have went to Marshall. I liked their coach at the time.
He showed interest in me early."
Burnett averaged 19 points per game as a senior in high school and was named honorable mention and All DCIAA in 1990. "A lot of people thought I should have made All Met that year."
Despite a solid high school career and Division I basketball offers, Burnett failed to make a qualifying score on his SAT's which left his options limited. "I was left with prep school, an option Lawrence Moten took at the time, or junior college. I felt prep school was like high school. My thinking was I already accomplished everything on that level. I was ready for a new challenge, a new level."
With prep school out of the question junior college seemed the only route. Burnett had a casual acquaintence with Hoop Scoop senior writer Danny Gross, who ranked DC area players and he recommended San Jacinto Junior College in Pasedena, TX. David Butler and Byron Hawkins were two DC products and former Coolidge standouts who went thru the program there.
It was at San Jacinto Junior College that Burnett met Sam Cassell who taught him the many nuanses of how to score. "Sam was a pro back then. You knew he had pro potential because of the moves he made. He was a good jump shooter who taught me how to separate from a defender and clear space to get my shots off."
Burnett came off the bench his freshman year and moved in and out of the lineup. He just missed getting All Conference honors by one vote while the entire starting five garnered first team post season honors.
Many schools came calling again after a barnburner sophomore season in which he put up 19 points per game and took home MVP honors of the Texas state JUCO tourney but a failure to complete a 3 part exit exam slammed the door on most of his D1 opportunites. "It came down to Southern University of Baton Rouge, Mississippi St, and Oklahoma City University, an NAIA school." Burnett initially signed with Oklahoma City University but backed out because he didn't want to sit out. "I felt I was ready to play at a higher level and didn't want to wait."
Burnett did manage to get out of his committment to Oklahoma City but had to finish summer school in order to be eligible to play Division 1 basketball. In the end, Southern University proved to be the best option. "Southern fit my style of play. They ran an uptempo offense and had the highest team scoring average in the nation at over 101 points per game. I felt I could flourish as a 6' 4" transition guard." Southern University was coached by the legendary Ben Jobe at the time.
Burnett played at least four positions on the floor and averaged 14 points per game his first and only complete season at Southern. During his stint in the Baton Rouge area he had the chance to practice with then LSU standouts James Brandon, Ronnie Henderson, Randy Livingston, and Chris Jackson (Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf). "It was playing with the caliber of those players and that convinced me I could make it to the next level. I held my own against those guys."
An NBA scout for the Phoenix Suns happened to see Burnett in a Baton Rouge gym with LSU players and was impressed. "The scout told me all I needed was a little more foot speed, otherwise he liked what he saw. Unfortunately I was slowed because I was recovering from two pulled ligaments in my foot."
After leaving Baton Rouge for what Burnett calls "Off the court stuff," it was a brief time of transition but his dreams were still alive. In 1994, Burnett attended Delaney Rudd's camp in North Carolina where he meet New Jersey Nets scout Larry Wright. Wright told Burnett to "get his numbers up, to build a resume." "Wright saw me play in college so he knew what I could do."
Encouraged by the prospect of turning professional dreams into reality, Burnett tried out for the Rockford Lightning of the CBA. He has among the last players cut. Since Burnett hadn't signed with an agent he could play for a college. He then decided to enroll at California Christian College to get a fresh start with the goal this time to graduate. "I was a full time point guard and put up 28 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists per game." Burnett admitted it was a change of pace and the coach promised to help him graduate but unfortunately disappointment reared it's ugly head again. The Christian school didn't take many of his credits. Burnett didn't complete the season.
With the prospects of playing college basketball exhausted, Burnett enlisted the services of agents Nate Peake and Jeff Freid. "I was there first client." Peake and Freid later represented the likes of Maryland's Terence Morris, Lonnie Baxter, and Steve Francis. He then turned his efforts to the minor leagues. Burnett was the last cut of the Connecticut Skyhawks of the USBL on a team that included Kevin Ollie and Curt Smith.
Burnett was later cut by the New Hampshire Thunderloons in 1997 but manged to get on with the Washington Congressionals of the USBL. Burnett averaged 21 points per game and scored a high of 44 which was the one game record that stood on their books until the team folded in 2000.
After doing stints in the SBA (Streetball Association) and IBL (International Basketball League), Burnett never did slowed down and never stopped believing he could compete at the highest level.
In 2001, the birth of Xavier Mabry changed his priorities and caused him to reevaluate his career goals. "The birth of my son was a reality check."
Bill Burnett is gainfully employed by Metro as a night laborer but still cherishes the game he has played all his life. When asked what he would do if you had had the chance to do it all over, the answer came fairly quickly. "If I had to do it all over again I would have made better decisions with my classwork. It's all about them grades. Without them, you can't make it."
When asked what NBA player he admires two words surface immediately "Kevin Durant." "Kevin is incredible. He's gonna be a megastar like LeBron and Kobe. Kevin is a throwback, humble, dedicated, and wants to get better. I appreciate him playing with me. I wear KD's signature gold and green Nikes as a tribute to him."
Burnett coaches elementary kids and helps high school players get into college. "I'm helping Justin Franks, a 6' 9" prospect get into school."
Bill Burnett has played for the Sweat Mob the past two summers in the Goodman League in SE Washington where still reigns three point shots from beyond the arc on cool, breezy nights. "I trimmed my beard a little since last summer, but I can understand the resemblance to Ross." Although the pro dreams have long faded, the passion still burns for this living DC legend.
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