Cuttino Mobley on how surreal it was learning from three Hall of Famers as a rookie: “I literally slept in my jersey for three or four days” originally appeared on Basketball Network.
Cuttino Mobley‘s story is one of perseverance and manifestation. Even though he had a solid four-year career at Rhode Island, not many were high on the left-handed guard from the “City of Brotherly Love.” Despite that, he continued to work. Most importantly, he refused to let go of his dream of playing in the NBA and one day join the ranks of two players he looked up to the most: Eddie Jones and Scottie Pippen.
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Little did he know that during the 1998 NBA Draft, Pip himself would break the news to him that the Houston Rockets were selecting him in the second round.
Carried Eddie’s and Scottie’s trading cards
Before Cat became a professional basketball player, he was a hoops fan just like any other kid growing up in Philadelphia. He collected trading cards of his favorite players, including Eddie Jones and Scottie Pippen. He would carry these cards with him everywhere he went, tucked away in his wallet.
“I always kept them because they were my favorites. They did so much. Eddie was a close friend of mine because he went to Temple, but I loved the way he played; he was a three-level scorer,” Mobley explained on “All The Smoke. “And then there was Scottie. I didn’t even know Scottie at the time — just watched how he played the game. He did everything, and I loved that.”
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As the draft commenced at the General Motors Place in Vancouver, pick after pick went by without Mobley’s name being called. Finally, with the 41st pick, the Houston Rockets selected him in the second round.
“I get a phone call, and it’s Rudy and Scottie. I’m thinking, ‘This is unbelievable,'” he shared. “When Scottie called, he asked, ‘You ready?’ I said, ‘Yeah, I’m ready. I’m ready.’ He said, ‘All right, I’ll see you in a minute.’ I was thinking, ‘Oh my God, this is crazy.’ I couldn’t believe it. I kept my jersey on — I literally slept in my jersey for three or four days. I swear, dog.”
Pip played an influential role in Cat’s career. He went to bat for the young guard, telling head coach Rudy Tomjanovich that he was well suited for a starting role. He eventually started in 37 of the 49 games he played during the lockout-shortened season.
Hit a game-winner in his first game
Cat joined a Rockets team that was on its last legs of contention. Hakeem Olajuwon was 36, Charles Barkley 35, while Pip was already 33. Despite the obvious star power on the marquee, Cat admitted the veterans no longer had the same pop they had during their younger days.
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But while the Rockets “Big 3” was no longer as imposing on a physical level, their experience and knowledge of the game was something that Cat appreciated and took advantage of.
“Think about it: you come in as a rookie, and you have arguably the best three-man at the time next to Larry Bird in Scottie Pippen, arguably the best four ever next to Karl Malone in Charles Barkley, and one of the top three best centers ever in Hakeem Olajuwon on your team,” he relayed.
“Then, in your very first game, you hit a game-winner — top of the key three-pointer,” Cat narrated. “Like, come on, dog.”
It was definitely a season to remember for Cat, and it began with a bang, as he canned a go-ahead triple with 19 seconds left that eventually gave the Rockets an 86-84 win over the Golden State Warriors. He would later be named to the All-Rookie Team, the only individual award he received in his 11-year NBA career.
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This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jul 5, 2025, where it first appeared.