Aman Heran was proudly soaking his Calgary Drillers T-shirt with sweat yesterday.
Shooting hoops, driving to the rim for rebounds, the former U of C Dinos captain dominated the early portion of yesterday's practice at Rundle College in the city's northeast.
That the rest of the fledgling pro basketball squad was apparently grinding away at a different locale was a minor glitch in another day in the chaotic life of the American Basketball Association as it scrambles to execute a mind-boggling expansion from seven to 35 teams scattered throughout North America.
The Drillers have yet to play the first game of their inaugural season -- aren't even officially on the ABA schedule yet -- although they lead the league in phantom press conferences slated for "next week" or "soon" to make announcements about a home facility, marketing plans, season-ticket blitzes and a list of other crucial details still not finalized.
Some ABA entries started play almost a month ago and Heran admits he sometimes worries his Drillers tryouts will never pay off.
"Definitely, definitely," nods Heran, 25, only slightly miffed by yesterday's miscommunication while still waiting to earn his first dime from pro ball.
"I've been with the team for about a month and a half now, almost two months. For a while, we had the word it wasn't going to go and the coach had told us he wasn't sure, then he had a weekend deadline with some important people, financial groups, then we got the word a couple of weeks back we would go."
Calgarian Mike Myers, 24, arrived at Rundle yesterday only to discover management had neglected to tell the local players about the practice switch.
"TBA, I don't know," shrugs Myers when asked about the myriad question marks surrounding the franchise.
Myers says he abandoned tryouts with a handful of minor pro teams in England this summer to return home for a shot at playing for his hometown Drillers. The past two months have offered an irritating array of juggled plans and scuttled schedules. While he and Heran have both signed contracts, they won't see their first paycheque until making the final roster and, even then, only if the team finally sees some real ABA action.
Each team is reportedly saddled with a $120,000 US salary cap, with most players receiving $200 to $1,000 per week.
The team has tentatively scheduled a scrimmage tomorrow against the Dinos, 4:30 p.m. at Jack Simpson Gym.
"It's a little more promising than at the beginning but it's still frustrating," Myers says.
"It's just that some people are out of a job, waiting for a job and kind of holding onto the dream to make the team.
"It's a waiting game and that's what it's been from the beginning. Waiting for things to happen, waiting for things to go through, waiting ...
"There has been confusion from the beginning. It's very frustrating."
The rest of the squad, mostly Americans with U.S. college, other minor league or a sprinkling of NBA experience, is temporarily housed in a downtown hotel, practising with the club and waiting for final roster and schedule announcements.
"We've been given a revised schedule that's supposed to be out sometime soon, I'm not sure when," says Heran, a Surrey, B.C., product who also played some U.S. college ball before joining the Dinos in 2002.
Heran said he has been told the team will be travelling Saturday evening to open the season Sunday in Visalia, Calif., but GM Ruby Richman said last night nothing's been finalized and won't be "until tomorrow or the next day."
The addition of Heran and Myers is intended to add a familiar local flavour to the new club that will undoubtedly need help selling tickets.
Myers tried out for teams in Birmingham, London and Manchester but hurried back to Calgary in late September to live with his mom while waiting for a chance to play in his hometown and cash a basketball cheque. And if his pro hoops dream dies, either with a late cut or the demise of the franchise?
"Find work and move on," Myers sighs.
"I want to try to do this for another three, four years and if it doesn't work out, then finish school and then teach.
"This is much better than working, that's why I'm sticking it out."
