Perkins caught the attention of Lakers, Spurs and Wizards

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http://www.adn.com/sports/story/7918018p-7811521c.html

By VAN WILLIAMS
Anchorage Daily News

Published: June 30, 2006
Last Modified: June 30, 2006 at 02:46 AM

After enjoying a solid two-year stint at Santa Clara University and winning MVP honors in his only season in the Japanese Basketball League, Doron Perkins of Anchorage is poised for the next chapter in his career.

Perkins, 23, has accepted an invitation to play for the Los Angles Lakers in the Southern California Summer Pro League in Long Beach, he said Thursday.

Playing for the Lakers summer-league team doesn't guarantee Perkins a spot on the team's NBA roster, he said. But the opportunity will bring him closer to reaching the world's greatest basketball stage and fulfilling a dream of playing in the same backcourt as his favorite player, Kobe Bryant.

"I'm not getting paid, but I am getting a chance to play with the Lakers," Perkins said by cell phone. "It's an opportunity to show I can play at that level."

Perkins will report to the Lakers on Wednesday for three days of orientation and practice. His first game is July 8 against the Memphis Grizzlies.

The summer pro league is made up of 18 teams, including five from the NBA -- the Lakers, Memphis, Toronto, Miami and Dallas. Teams play up to 10 games in 13 days.

Perkins, a 6-foot-3, 212-pounder, is a combo guard who feels most comfortable at the point, he said. That's where he played at Bartlett High (earning all-conference honors as a senior in 2001) and Southwestern Oregon Community College (earning two league MVPs) before arriving at Santa Clara in 2003. There, he played small forward because Kyle Bailey of Fairbanks was the point guard.

After college, Perkins signed a contract with the Toyota Alvark of Japan and had the finest season of his career. He was named the league's Player of the Year, Guard of the Year, Import Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year.

More importantly, he helped Toyota Alvark go 24-5 and win the Super League title. In the championship game, Perkins delivered 19 points, 11 rebounds and six assists in a 77-66 win.

"I haven't won a championship since YMCA," he cracked.

The success Perkins had overseas caught the attention of NBA teams such as the Lakers, San Antonio Spurs and Washington Wizards, his agent told him. That's how he got invited to compete with the Lakers in the summer pro league.

Which was perfect; Perkins grew up wishing he could be the next Magic Johnson.

"It's always been his dream," said his mom, Cathy Floyd of Anchorage, who remembers kneeling to play one-on-one games with her 4-year-old son in the living room. "He feels like he can go all the way."

Perkins will have his hands full. The Lakers' summer-league roster will likely include this year's first-round draft pick Jordan Farmar, the former UCLA point guard.

"I'm sure he'll be there," Perkins said. "I'll have to be ready."

Before inking a deal to play in Japan last year, Perkins participated in a pre-draft workout for the Lakers. He showed off the vertical leap (39 inches), wingspan (6-foot-8) and his mobility that made him one of the top defenders in the West Coast Conference.

He thought he might get drafted, but his name was never called. Soon he was making plans to go to Japan.

Now Perkins is back in California, hoping to land a permanent spot with the Lakers.

And although there are no promises he'll make the NBA, Perkins has already shown a knack for overcoming long odds.

• He broke his leg his senior season at Bartlett.

• He made a successful jump from junior college to Division I.

• He excelled in his first season of pro ball overseas.

"It's been a long process," Perkins said. "I wasn't the greatest player in high school, but I kept working hard. Every time I'd move up a different level, I kept reminding myself that I could play with anybody.

"It's all about confidence, which is the most important factor playing with an NBA team."