Much to the chagrin of New York Knicks fans, Frederic Weis was selected by the team with the No. 15 pick of the 1999 NBA Draft. The 7-foot-2 French center went before guys like Ron Artest, James Posey, and Andrei Kirilenko, and New Yorkers never forgave him for it.
Weis was essentially an unknown entity until the following summer, when Vince Carter put him on the map at the 2000 Olympics.
Weis never played a minute in the NBA, his experience on this side of the pond limited to one summer league tournament with the Knicks in 1999.
The reasons for that were varied, Weis tells The New York Times' Sam Borden. Weis says that he never felt welcomed by then-Knicks coach Jeff Van Gundy, and that the franchise even told him, "you're not really the guy we were supposed to draft."
Weis played out a decent basketball career in France, but he admits his son's autism led to heavy drinking, and ultimately a suicide attempt in 2008. Today, he says, he still battles elements of depression, while running a tobacco store with his wife in the French city of Limoges.
But he maintains a sense of humor about his place in history. Recalling a visit to New York a few years ago, Weis said he had a close call with a passport officer.
"Aren’t you that guy the Knicks drafted?" the officer asked.
"No, that’s my cousin," he replied.
"I (didn't) know if he was a fan or not," Weis said about the exchange. "But I didn’t want to get in any trouble."
Here's to hoping Weis, now 38, has found some contentment.
"Life is not perfect sometimes," he said.
