The Little Fundamental
Page 3 Sometimes, Eddie just chills in his bedroom in his family’s house in Philly. He’ll put on his headphones and melt into his beats, or he’ll lie in bed flipping through the channels on his TV, looking for something to take his mind away from ball. "When I’m not playing ball, I leave it alone," Eddie says. "I want it to be a big part of my life for a long time, so I think it’s better to get away from it occasionally so I don’t get burnt out or bored with it. "It’s a big burden on my shoulders to try and impress everybody. I feel like I’ve always got to prove myself. Everyone always wants to see if I’m as good as people say I am." With his rare combination of size, speed and wingspan, Eddie covered every corner of the Roman Catholic gym in a few easy lopes. When he raised his long arms parallel to the floor, it looked like his fingertips were tickling opposing sidelines. Tracking down disoriented visitors was like shooting fish in a barrel, while Eddie’s vicious blocks caused the point-blank fans to duck and dive from the rockets he swatted. In September, Eddie will officially step onto Seton Hall’s South Orange, N.J., campus, the echoes of that tiny Roman Catholic gym ringing strong in his ears. And every time he uncorks one of his fadeaways, they’ll be celebrating with cheesesteaks on Broad Street.
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