Elliott featured guest of Begay
Ex-NBA star playing in charity tournament
SANTA ANA PUEBLO — This time, his visit to Albuquerque was much more peaceful. And far more enjoyable. Former college basketball and NBA star Sean Elliott teed it up with his good pal Notah Begay III on the Santa Ana Golf Course for the latter’s inaugural New Mexico Grande Slam charity golf event on Friday.
Elliott was Begay’s celebrity guest for the tournament, which drew about 160 participants in a fundraiser for the NB3Fit program, part of the NB3 Foundation that helps battle childhood obesity and Type-2 diabetes affecting Native American youth.
“I do a lot of these type of functions: golf tournaments, galas,” Elliott, the third overall pick by San Antonio out of the University of Arizona in the 1989 NBA draft, told the Journal. “The biggest thing I get out of this event is what passion the Native American community has in helping each other out. That’s really a big deal to me, to see the way they come together.
“I’ve known Notah for quite some time, and this state is very special to him. When we were both in San Antonio, anytime he spoke about New Mexico, he just lit up.”
Elliott, 48, did plenty of lighting up, as well, during his stellar career in college and the pros — the former from 1985-89 and the latter from 1989-2001 — which included one season in Detroit (1993-94).
He was named player of the year in college by four organizations and a two-time, first team All-American. He also was a two-time NBA All-Star and member of the 1999 league champion Spurs. His No. 32 jersey was retired by Arizona and San Antonio.
He was also a standout student throughout his career and has been a first-rate TV broadcaster since retiring in 2001.
“The one thing that has always attracted me to Sean Elliott is how he conducts himself,” Begay told the Journal. “He’s a true pro — his playing career, in the broadcast booth and what he does for charity work.
“These athletes get pulled in 100 different directions, even after they’ve retired, and for him to be here in person and be at my house and at Santa Ana Pueblo is a reflection on his interest in supporting what we do.”
Elliott was the featured guest at the pre-tournament banquet at Begay’s home Thursday night.
Elliott and Begay met during the latter’s early days on the PGA Tour. The both took golf lessons from the same instructor in San Antonio, where Begay lived for a while before moving near Dallas.
Elliott said he didn’t know Begay was a pro golfer at the time.
“I’m watching TV during one tournament, and there’s that Notah guy running around the greens beating everybody,” Elliott said with a laugh. “He kept winning tournaments.”
Begay won four PGA Tour events between 1999-2000.
Some years later, Elliott saw Begay on TV on the course again — this time as a broadcaster for Golf Channel, Begay’s current job.
“I thought, ‘He’s really good at broadcasting,’ and I called our instructor to get Notah’s number,” Elliott said. “I had been broadcasting since ’01, and he was really good about breaking down the game. I was so excited to watch him and learn from him. He was making my day and I had to call him.”
Their friendship blossomed and eventually led to this week’s appearance.
“It’s a great place,” Elliott said of Albuquerque. “And I’m having a better time than a few years ago.”
Ah, yes — Jan. 2, 1988. The New Mexico Lobos upset Elliott, Steve Kerr and the top-ranked Wildcats 61-59 in the Pit.
“The noise,” Elliott said when asked what he most remembered about the game. “After the warmup, we were running back into locker room five or 10 minutes before the game and my ears were ringing. The only other time that ever happened, where my ears were physically ringing, was versus the Utah Jazz in the 1995-96 playoffs. You remember things like that.
“It’s been almost 30 years, and I still remember that ringing in my ears — and the game hadn’t even started. The ringing never stopped that night.”