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As temp-work goes, it's a dream gig. On top of the $25,000 per 10-day deal, Allred's road-trip per diem jumped from $30 a day to $106. In Boise, each Stampeder was given one pair of sweats for the entire season. At the Cavs $25 million training facility, Allred was encouraged to take what he wanted. He froze and stood in the equipment room for 10 minutes, he says, before taking a step toward the swag.

"I walked over to pick up a shirt and looked over my shoulder," he says. "It felt like stealing."

Between practices and games, Allred still escpapes by reading and writing, in ways perhaps no other NBA player does. Around the locker room, he carries an Oxford professor's book on the Crusades, research for a historical novel he's writing about the 14th Century Battle of the Golden Spurs, between the Flemish and the invading French. He's also at work on a memoir and a "Victorian satire," inspired by his distaste for Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. "I'm a Dickens man," he says.

And when asked for a historical figure whose situation is analogous — undrafted D-Leaguer to hopeful NBA bench-warmer — Allred reaches back to 11th Century England, when William the Conquerer sailed across the English Channel to fight off would-be successors and claim his throne. And although it's not exactly a throne he's after, and his goals extend far beyond basketball, Allred knows exactly where he stands on his journey.

"I'm crossing the Channel," he says.

Write Your Comment show comments (11)

  1. Interesting profile of someone who sounds like a fascinating person. However, the description of Allred's religious background was unclear at best and misleading at worst. No "devout Mormons" practice polygamy - that has been grounds for excommunication from the Mormon church since 1890. The "polygamous compound" and "extremist sect" mentioned in this article may have been a splinter group with a nominal historical association to the fifth-largest Christian religion in America and the largest religion ever founded on American soil, but that sect is not the same church which now has 13 million members worldwide and is headquartered in Salt Lake City. It is disingenuous to allow readers to draw such a conclusion when a few more words would have clarified the distinction.

    Comment by Jason Crandall — March 27, 2008 @ 11:55AM

  2. Great story.
    Thanks for reminding me with the Majerus example why I despise the multi-billion a year industry that is the NCAA. I could make a comment that this man who has made millions was an educator by extension of his involvement with a university but why bother? Jekrs like Bobby Knight get rewarded for treating young people worse than animals under the guise of leadership.
    The crippled one isnt the young man with missing hearing, its the old man with the missing testicles.

    Comment by Terry Lechecul — March 27, 2008 @ 12:33PM

  3. The phrases "a devout mormon" and "polygamy" do not mesh. This author truly has no knowledge of the mormon religion. Mormons DO NOT practice polygamy whatsoever! sounds like a great kid though.

    Comment by todd seastrand — March 27, 2008 @ 03:21PM

  4. A little clarification, as I understand it: Allred grew up on a polygamist Mormon compound but his family split from that sect of the church, but he remains a practicing Mormon.

    Sorry for the confusion.

    Comment by Joe Tone — March 27, 2008 @ 06:36PM

  5. Mormons don't have polygamous compounds. Those belong to the fundamentalist church which broke off from the Mormon church over 100 years ago, just for clarification.

    Comment by Daniel — March 27, 2008 @ 11:01PM

  6. Man, Mormon apologists are everywhere these days. The Mormon Church STILL believes in polygamy. They just don't practice it right now on earth. They do, however, practice spiritual polygamy as men can be "sealed" to many women, say, for instance, when his first spouse dies he can be "sealed for all eternity" to a second wife, etc. Mormon women do not receive the same benefit.

    The Doctrine & Covenants, Mormon scripture, reads: "And again, as pertaining to the law of the priesthood-if any man espouse a virgin, and desire to espouse another, and the first give her consent, and if he espouse the second, and they are virgins, and have vowed to no other man, then is he justified; he cannot commit adultery for they are given unto him; for he cannot commit adultery with that that belongeth unto him and to no one else. And if he have ten virgins given unto him by this law, he cannot commit adultery, for they belong to him, and they are given unto him; therefore is he justified." This was supposedly "revealed" to Joseph Smith, a polygamist and founder of the Mormon Church.

    This passage is still on the books, folks. It's still Doctrine in the big D and little d sence. Mainstream Mormons still believe polygamy to be a "higher law of god" that is just not being practiced right now. All it would take to return polygamy to mainstream Mormon practice is a simple "revelation" of the prophet. In other words, Thomas Monson could just say, "We are practicing polygamy again" and, poof, it's back.

    The fact is the Mormon church is embarrassed by it's polygamist past and cannot admit it was ever a wrongheaded idea. You can understand why this author and people are over the world are confused by Mormonism and polygamy. Until the Mormon Church says polygamy was wrong in the early church, it's never coming back, and delete passages like those above...it will always be associated with polygamy.

    Comment by Former Mormon Cult Member — March 28, 2008 @ 07:12AM

  7. For your info, the Church did come out and state polygamy wasn't right and stopped it. If you lokk at the end of the Doctrine and Covenants there are two declarations and the first one identifies the end of polygamy. Wilford Woodruff, President of the Chuch of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the time, stated in 1890, "We are not teaching polygamy or plural marriage nor permitting any person to enter its practice, and I deny that any number of plural marriages have been solemnized in our Temples."

    Comment by Current Member of the Mormon Church — March 28, 2008 @ 03:12PM

  8. A. Lance moved to Utah from Montana when he was 15 not 7.
    B. He was converted to the LDS Church when he was 15.
    C. For more accurate information about Lance look on the Salt Lake Tribune's website.
    D. Lance made me watch Friday the 13th parts 1-10...I am very greatful for that!

    Thanks Lance!

    Comment by cody — March 29, 2008 @ 04:53PM

  9. Yo everybody. This is a basketball article.

    Lance schools Rudy! Rudy only made it on the field at Notre Dame cuz he begged! Lance worked so hard that he could not be denied!

    Comment by Mark, aka DJ Stryde — March 29, 2008 @ 06:42PM

  10. Ah, leave it to the Mormons to jump on anyone who dares to associate them with polygamy... even in the context of someone who was born into it and later became a mainstream Mormon. I think the distinction was made clear in the article, so just chill people.

    Anyways, very inspiring story. I still need to make a Cavs game this year, yes I know time is running out.

    Comment by darjen — April 3, 2008 @ 10:13AM

  11. Lance is tha man. I saw him school all the fools in the Big Sky. Oh and he slept on my couch a lot of times in between classes. OH and he has an awesome dog named Mack! Weber State Rules! wsubball.com/mark for more blogs about Lance and Weber State!

    Comment by Mark Jr. — April 3, 2008 @ 11:46AM

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