East Rombo: The Blog with Balls

The NBA has long been a superstar-driven league. With so many of them, it's only natural that we aren't familiar with all the superstars that have carried this league since it's inception. That's why here at East Rombo, we strive to educate the masses about the superstars that are not so super. Not every player can trigger an arena-wide brawl or instigate a nickname change to Mamba, but there is still something special and unique about each and every one of them. Yes, even Tim Duncan occasionally shows a faint glimmer of a personality.

Royal Ivey is known as a defensive-specialist. Measuring at just 6'3 but with a wingspan of 6'11, Ivey uses his long arms and great footwork (honed from years of dance training) to neutralize opponents. "I just carved right up in him, and he didn't show up" Ivey describes after frustrating fellow NBA superstar Casey Jacobsen to a 3-17 shooting night.

Now a starter for the Atlanta Hawks, Ivey can be described as a pillar of the Hawks rotation, averaging 13.4 quality minutes per game. He leads the league in fewest turnovers per 48 minutes (1.2) while averaging 1.0 assists and 0.3 turnovers per game. “I don’t get that many assists but I sure don’t want to turn the ball over,” said the 23-year-old Ivey. “I just stay within myself and don’t try to do anything extra. If somebody’s open I get him the ball but if not, I’m not going to force the issue.” His coach Mike Woodson endorses this "better safe than sorry" approach, which is reflected on their 26-56 record during the 2005-2006 season. Any doubters need only to know this: The Hawks will stay within themselves and won't do anything extra. If they can win, they'll try. But they're not going to force the issue. A winning formula indeed!