Isiah “Zeke” Miles: The Newest 76er
“You know who we can’t leave open though? Zeke…’cause that jawn going up every time he sees space.”
These were Phil Booth’s words after we went over the scouting report for St.Joes. That year, the Holy War was taking place at St.Joe’s so it felt like the stakes were much higher. We were sharp though, had the scout down pact, knew our defensive assignments and the offensive plan…my only question was who in the hell was Zeke. I flipped through the scouting report three times trying to find this “Zeke”. Nothing, zilch, in my mind the guy was made up. I finally asked Phil(in private so I didn’t embarrass myself) who was this shooter he was talking about and he explained that Zeke and Isiah Miles were the same people. “So what’s it like his alter-ego or something? The Slim Shady to his Eminem?”. Phil told me that’s what everyone back home called him, and home for them was a city that almost mirrors Philly’s grit, Baltimore. What I didn’t know at the time, in fact, that none of us knew was how ironic my joke about his alter ego was.
I sat straight up on a table getting taped and Zeke sat in a similar fashion on the table to my left. Almost two years had passed since I made my little joke about his alter ego and instead of wearing Big 5 jerseys, we sported the last Adidas-made Summer League jersey for the 76ers. We were getting taped for the first live practice of summer training camp and although we were on the same team now, the past year could not have been more different for us two. I was three days out from a flight from Dubai because I was told there wouldn’t be a spot for me on the roster, but a call Tuesday night saying “if you can get there by Thursday, the spot is yours” changed that. Zeke just finished his first year playing overseas as a professional on JDA Dijon in France’s premier league.
The workout went smoothly and afterward, we all stayed to get shots up, so I and Zeke joined the other four men in shooting stationary threes. The game was to be the first person to reach five makes, you shoot, you get out of the way for the next person…simple. I won one spot, Jonah Bolden won two through tiebreakers. Zeke took the other four in convincing fashion, like embarrassingly convincing fashion. He kept his hot hand throughout summer league play, going 4-5 from the field and collecting 7 rebounds in the first game and exploding for 18pts, 7 rebounds, a steal and a plus/minus score of +27 against the Spurs two days later.
After the game, the team sat in the locker room discussing tattoos and when we got to Zeke I finally got a chance to ask about the “DC Universe” scribed under his arm. He went on to tell us about his love for superhero stories and how they always mimicked real life. After that summer, we both went overseas to spend the next 8-10 months. For me, and not to my knowledge, it was my first and last year due to injury but for Zeke, it was another year to prove that he belonged in an NBA jersey for good.
I don’t believe in coincidences, therefore I don’t believe that neither of us making the team that year was sheer misfortune. I don’t believe that the Sixers needing guys who are dead eye shooters lined up perfectly with Mr.Miles hitting his stride playing abroad. I don’t believe that a guy who went to a Philly school ended up back here so he could go to Larry’s a few more times. But most of all, I don’t believe it’s a coincidence that Zeke and Isiah Miles turned out to be the same person, the same person that has a profound love and respect for superheroes as well as their alter egos.
To whoever steps out on that floor this fall, rather it is Zeke or Isiah, congrats in advance, we all know you’ll do what you’ve done time and time again: rise to the occasion in a way only a Superhero could.
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