Earl Watson could easily return with the Seattle SuperSonics today bitter about the five-year contract he signed with the Nuggets translating into just 46 games.
McKaila Steffes is the reason he won’t.
Watson did not spend enough time in Denver to grow attached to much, except for a 10-year-old girl he met on a school visit. He was touched by her fight against malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors, a rare soft-tissue cancer. She happened to be the daughter of a fellow Pepsi Center employee, Altitude cameraman Dan Steffens. She faces aggressive chemotherapy.
It was enough for Watson to buy her Nuggets season tickets in Section 140, behind the south basket.
“I’m like her biggest fan,” Watson said. “I see her as someone that is inspirational and motivational. She puts life in perspective for me as far as basketball, relationships.”
McKaila served as Watson’s friend, as well as a reminder not to mope about making $5 million to play a sport, even if you don’t have the perfect relationship with your bosses.
On Thursday, Denver coach George Karl applauded Watson’s demeanor during his short stint here, which ended with a four-way trade Feb. 23 that brought Reggie Evans and Portland’s Ruben Patterson to Denver.
“Earl Watson’s going to have a great career,” Karl said. “He’s going to have some great games. He’s probably going to beat the Denver Nuggets somewhere along the way. Hopefully it’s not (tonight).”
Looking at Seattle, which is 6-3 with Watson, Karl added: “They’re playing at a very fast tempo. I think a lot of it’s because of some the confidence of how we play and how he played when he was here.”
The coach reasoned that with point guards Andre Miller and Earl Boykins already having earned his trust, he could not give Watson the 25 minutes a night he deserved. Of course, that was before Boykins went out with broken bones in his left hand, which could have at least temporarily opened a door for Watson.
“Even though I signed a lucrative contract, I basically wasn’t given a chance until they had to play me,” Watson said.
But now he gets close to his 25 minutes and is blossoming. The guard has averaged 9.9 points and 5.9 assists, up from 7.5 points and 3.5 assists in Denver.
“It’s just a fun time in my life right now,” Watson said. “I can feel the type of passion I have for the game. It’s all positive.”
Despite damaging his larynx in a practice collision with Johan Petro on Monday, Watson should play tonight. That’s not nearly as impressive as his young friend, who was in the hospital with a 103-degree temperature Wednesday vowing to make the game. Her fever dropped Thursday, and her father said she would be there to chat up Watson before the game.
Watson’s basketball story underscores how cold pro sports can get, but also the surprises that spring from bad situations.
“He’s got a big heart,” Dan Steffens said of Watson. “I’m really impressed with that guy. There’s not enough guys like that in the NBA.”
Watson holds McKaila in high regard, too: “She has amazing strength. I just want to support her and let her know she means a lot.”
Adam Thompson can be reached at 303-820-5447 or athompson@denverpost.com.
* This story has been corrected. Because of a reporter’s error, the name of McKaila Steffes was misspelled.
