Unsung Hero Day: Luther Head

Don Langridan at sports blog, With Malice, has dubbed today as Unsung Hero Day. The point is to recognize the guys who toil and work hard every day, for no recognition. We should appreciate the role-players who come on and give that valuable 2-5 minutes. Without them, there is no NBA. Without further ado, I pronounce my unsung hero: Luther Head.

By definition, Luther Head probably does not even qualify as a candidate on Unsung Hero Day. He is only in his third year of play in the NBA, playing all three years with the Houston Rockets. This year, he is averaging his lower points per game total at 7.5PPG, down from his high of 10.9PPG that he averaged last year. Still, in his first two years, he logged 80 games a piece and is on pace to come close to that mark again this year. He is definitely what you call a role-player.

Luther has seen his minutes decrease this year, which is definitely partly due to the formation of a rejuvenated, young, and very talented Houston Rockets team that at one point this season, went 22 games without losing. Luther Head still has a long career ahead of him where he could potentially one day earn a starting spot on an NBA roster. My personal opinion; however, is that he will be a role-player off the bench until the day he retires.

As a player who really fits at the two spot, Luther is undersized, at 6’3. He was able to hide his lack of size when playing college ball at the University of Illinois and definitely shined on the courts growing up in Chicago. He was part of a great team in college, playing alongside Deron Williams and Dee Brown. Luther always displays his heart and passion for the game in every minute that he logs. That’s what makes him an NBA unsung hero.