Former NBA baller and lone Black drag racing owner/driver Tom Hammonds delivers oration to students as part of "Inspiring Young Minds" Lecture Series
Team Hammonds warns students about living in the fast lane
When he made his stop by The Imani School for the "Inspiring Young Minds" Lecture Series, former NBA baller and lone Black drag racing owner/driver Tom Hammonds cautioned students against making decisions that will lead them to trouble.
Unfortunately, Mr. Hammonds witnessed firsthand the consequence of making a poor decision. He told students that his friend Len Bias made a bad decision and it cost him his life. Although the Boston Celtics selected Bias as the No. 2 pick in the 1986 draft, he never played one professional basketball game. Hammonds told students he chose to do drugs once, but that was all it took.
Furthermore, he warned students against so-called "friends" who would lead them down a destructive path. Mr. Hammonds gave students great advice, but he gave them more than a chalk talk. Middle school students traveled to the Raceway Park in Baytown to watch Mr. Hammonds and other National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) drivers race against each other during qualifying rounds.
Mr. Hammonds showed students a different kind of fast lane - one he has enjoyed since he was 16 years old. Mr. Hammonds retired from the NBA after 12 seasons. In 2001, he started competing full time in the drag racing circuit. Before his professional basketball career, he was a standout at Georgia Tech University.
Mr. Hammonds played in 123 games where he averaged 16.9 ppg, 7.2 rpg, and 1.4 apg. In his senior year, he averaged 20.9 ppg (627 points), 8.1 rpg (242 rebounds), and 1.7 apg (51 assists). Mr. Hammonds finished his college career the fifth leading scorer (2081 points, 16.9 ppg) and fourth in leading rebounder (885 rebounds, 7.2 rpg) in the school's history resulting in his No. 20 jersey being retired on March 1, 1989. He graduated from Georgia Tech with a bachelor's degree in business management.
