Calling it a “new part of my journey,” the former sprinter Marion Jones signed a contract to play for the Tulsa Shock of the W.N.B.A.
on Wednesday. She is resurrecting an athletic career derailed by her
admission that she used performance-enhancing drugs and by a prison
sentence for lying about it to federal investig
Jones, 34, announced in November that she hoped for an athletic comeback in basketball. She played point guard in college for North Carolina and won a national championship with the Tar Heels in 1994 as a freshman.
“The W.N.B.A. players are the greatest women’s basketball players in the world,” Jones said at a news conference in Tulsa, Okla., on Wednesday. “I welcome my chance to play alongside them.”
Jones said she wanted to play for the Shock, which moved from Detroit to Tulsa last year, because of the up-tempo style of Coach Nolan Richardson. Jones worked out for Richardson on Saturday before being offered a contract.
“Watching her go through drills, I saw a player who’s perfect for our system,” Richardson said at the news conference. “The one thing I do know is she can run, and any player on my team who wants to be successful needs to be able to run.”
Jones said she has tried to send a positive message to children since serving a six-month prison term in 2008. The term stemmed from a guilty plea for perjury after she admitted lying to federal investigators about her performance-enhancing drug use and her role in a check fraud scheme. The five medals she won at the 2000 Sydney Olympics were stripped by the International Olympic Committee.
“Redemption isn’t a part of my vocabulary,” Jones said at the news conference. “This is an opportunity for me to realize a dream, an opportunity for me to share my message of hope, of second chances. But redemption doesn’t creep into the equation for me. This is the new part of my journey.”
Jones was drafted by the Phoenix Mercury in 2003, but never played in the league. She will make the first-year minimum, about $35,000, in the coming season.
Donna Orender, president of the W.N.B.A., attended the news conference. “She’s clearly a global figure, who people are interested in,” Orender said. “Having somebody like that associated with our league is positive.”
Jones has not played competitive basketball since 1997, and she gave birth to her third child eight months ago.
“I may not be your typical rookie in this league, but I’ll still bring that rookie energy,” she said.
Jones, 34, announced in November that she hoped for an athletic comeback in basketball. She played point guard in college for North Carolina and won a national championship with the Tar Heels in 1994 as a freshman.
“The W.N.B.A. players are the greatest women’s basketball players in the world,” Jones said at a news conference in Tulsa, Okla., on Wednesday. “I welcome my chance to play alongside them.”
Jones said she wanted to play for the Shock, which moved from Detroit to Tulsa last year, because of the up-tempo style of Coach Nolan Richardson. Jones worked out for Richardson on Saturday before being offered a contract.
“Watching her go through drills, I saw a player who’s perfect for our system,” Richardson said at the news conference. “The one thing I do know is she can run, and any player on my team who wants to be successful needs to be able to run.”
Jones said she has tried to send a positive message to children since serving a six-month prison term in 2008. The term stemmed from a guilty plea for perjury after she admitted lying to federal investigators about her performance-enhancing drug use and her role in a check fraud scheme. The five medals she won at the 2000 Sydney Olympics were stripped by the International Olympic Committee.
“Redemption isn’t a part of my vocabulary,” Jones said at the news conference. “This is an opportunity for me to realize a dream, an opportunity for me to share my message of hope, of second chances. But redemption doesn’t creep into the equation for me. This is the new part of my journey.”
Jones was drafted by the Phoenix Mercury in 2003, but never played in the league. She will make the first-year minimum, about $35,000, in the coming season.
Donna Orender, president of the W.N.B.A., attended the news conference. “She’s clearly a global figure, who people are interested in,” Orender said. “Having somebody like that associated with our league is positive.” Jones has not played competitive basketball since 1997, and she gave birth to her third child eight months ago.
“I may not be your typical rookie in this league, but I’ll still bring that rookie energy,” she said.
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