Slamadamonth, SLAM #92: Noel Felix

Noel Felix!

Originally published in SLAM 92

Who the hell is this? This is Noel Felix. Maybe you’ve heard of him, but probably not. Cali dude, hails from the ’Wood. Balled at Fresno, a decent player on decent teams. But with NBA size—about 6-9, 220—and the athleticism to match, the League wasn’t out of the question.

Undrafted in ’03, Felix got a look on the Suns’ summer league squad. Still unsigned, he ended up—briefly—in China, then landed a little closer to home. Idaho, CBA. Respectable numbers, so the Spurs gave him a shot in the summer of ’04. Google the name, you’ll find hoop-junkie bloggers raving about how Pop just has to find a roster spot for this guy. Instead, Italy—briefly—and back to the CBA, this time with Yakima.

Yakima? Yeah. Better numbers this time, and a spot on the CBA’s All-Defensive team. Then, another summer, another chance. Ran with the Nets at the ’05 Vegas Summer League, then linked up with the Sonics at the Rocky Mountain Revue. One more chance to show and prove.

So who the hell is this? Well, this is Noel Felix, banging on a bunch of guys in Charlotte Bobcats uniforms. And this ink is for Noel and all the guys like him who may never get closer to NBA glory than a couple of weeks in July, no-name cats in glorified practice jerseys, doing everything they can to live the dream.

Ryan Jones