The Rise of the Birdman: Chris Andersen and His Comeback Story

On a regular season night in the NBA, the ball rises away from an outstretched arm, past the fingertips, rotating on towards the basket, and is abruptly halted, its course reversed, as a white blur ascends from the bottom of the picture. The white blur descends, slows, and the white matter begins to take the form of a 6'10", 228 pound human figure. The bird has landed. The crowd erupts. Chris Andersen has just blocked the soon-to-be-league MVP Lebron James.

Fast-forward to the NBA playoffs, and the rise of the Denver Nuggets as a legitimate title contender. Everyone is asking, "Who is that guy with the freak-show hair and 'body-art'?" Well, that would be the 31 year-old center/power forward of the Denver Nuggets, Chris "Birdman" Andersen. Yes, the same Andersen who became the first player since Stanley Roberts in 1999 to be kicked out of the NBA for a drug test violation. Chris Andersen might also be the first player to come back from a suspension with such success. Andersen's antics and appearance on and off the court have earned him the moniker "Birdman", yet maybe the nickname of "Comeback Kid" would be more appropriate. Amidst the hey-day of steroids and drug-tarnished athletes, it is hard to find a feel-good story quite like Andersen's.

After leaving Blinn College and going undrafted in the 1999 NBA draft, Andersen began his quest for the NBA by beginning his professional career in the Chinese and other foreign Basketball Leagues. In 2001, Andersen entered the NBA as a Denver Nugget and began to build his cult following of "Bird-fans." Over the next few years Andersen started getting more minutes, more blocks, and more acclaim as his status began to rise.

After finally making it in the big-league, he saw his dream ripped away from him in 2006 as he spiraled out of the NBA and into the depths of anonymity that accompanies those that abruptly leave the spotlight behind. Yet hard work and dedication have allowed him to sober-up and re-enter the league as a viable NBA post-presence. He is a block machine. The Bird averaged a staggering 2.5 blocks in just 20.6 minutes this past season and has soared into the playoffs as one of the most exciting characters to watch on television. At first glance, Andersen may appear to be a misguided weirdo, but remember his story and you will realize that he represents hard-work, dedication, and perseverance, as he takes on the unorthodox image of the grounded athlete. Andersen may wear the bad-boy image like Dennis Rodman before him, yet his story is nonetheless compelling. Andersen should be commended for coming back to us, and we should be inclined to enjoy his swooping blocks and prickly hair, regardless of where our fan hood lies. The "Birdman" is NBA entertainment at its best.

Sources: http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/stats?playerId=1135