Before Sebastian Telfair ever set foot on an NBA court, he was the subject of a book and the study of a documentary film.

He was Stephon Marbury's cousin back when being Stephon Marbury's cousin meant something, and pals with LeBron James.

He was The Next Big Thing in Basketball, another teenage star who was shoved in our face more often than another Britney Spears meltdown.

He was selected straight out of high school with the No. 13 pick in the 2004 draft (by Portland), and everyone said it was a mistake for him to be chosen so late. A lot of teams would certainly pay for taking a pass, we predicted at the time.

The point guard out of Brooklyn had it all -- a wicked handle, the all-important street cred, lots of love from the new wave of media that aimed to convince the general public that style counted as much as substance, if not more.

That is why I heard Telfair had been traded to the Los Angeles Clippers and immediately thought, "What's happened to this kid?"

Actually, at the age of 24, Telfair isn't a kid anymore. He's still a young man, but he's been in the league for five years now. That's certainly enough time to find your way in this league, to live up to the ridiculous hype.

Telfair showed flashes during his rookie season in Portland. He even became the starter at point guard toward the end of the year. But the Trail Blazers lost 23 of their final 28 games and the Telfair buildup suddenly lost a little luster. Whether he was entirely to blame or not seemed irrelevant. He was supposed to be a savior at this level, and in the NBA, anointed saviors aren't afforded much time.

He spent another season learning the pro game in Portland in 2005-06, this time under new coach Nate McMillan -- a crafty Xs-and-Os coach who just happened to be a heady, overachieving point guard in his day. McMillan kept Telfair in the starting lineup, living with the youngster's continuous mistakes while the coach sat on the sidelines, biting his knuckles and somehow managing to refrain from pulling the hair out of his head in frustration.

A couple months into the season, McMillan couldn't take it anymore. Telfair wasn't developing as quickly as expected. McMillan inserted non-descript Steve Blake into the starting role, opting to bring Telfair back off the bench. The high school phenom had been replaced by pro basketball's version of Mr. Everyman.

And while Blake was considered a career backup at that point in his career, he compiled more assists and far fewer turnovers than the young prodigy. At worst, the Blazers looked considerably more comfortable with Blake on the floor. The Telfair experiment was finished in Portland, leaving everyone in the Northwest wondering what all the fuss had been about.

That summer, the Blazers shipped Telfair to Boston.

It was part of a deal that eventually sent Brandon Roy to Portland, one of the many moves that make Blazers GM Kevin Pritchard look like a basketball genius today.

Meanwhile, Telfair struggled with his new team, the Celtics plunging to depths that had never been seen in their once-proud history. Telfair was only part of the problem, but one thing was clear: Just like in Portland, he would never be part of the solution in Boston.

SLIDE CONTINUES

By the end of Telfair's first season with the Celtics, managing partner Wyc Grousbeck announced the point guard's nameplate had been removed from his locker.

Two months after that, Telfair was banished to Minnesota in a deal that brought Kevin Garnett to Boston -- and a championship to the Celtics in one of the biggest turnarounds in sports history.

The window on expected superstardom was shutting quickly, as Telfair proved to be little more than a reliable backup with the Timberwolves. At best, he was nothing more than a starter on a bad team. He had his moments, and even averaged a career-high 9.3 points and 5.9 assists per game in 2007-08.

Then came last year, when his numbers remained pretty much the same. (His scoring average increased to 9.8 points per game, but his assists dipped to 4.6.) At the end of this past season, one NBA scout told Pro Basketball News that Telfair "really hasn't gotten any better since the age of 16."

That much was evident when you consider the Timberwolves' selected two point guards in the June draft (Ricky Rubio and Jonny Flynn). There's also the matter of who the Clippers got in return of the July 20 trade with the Timberwolves. That would be none other than swingman Quentin Richardson, who's considered to be past his prime and expected to be little more than a bit player off the Wolves' bench.

Worse, Telfair's name will now forever be linked to marginal NBA forwards Craig Smith and Mark Madsen -- who were also shipped to L.A. to make the deal work financially.

Could you imagine this happening back when Telfair was drafted in 2004? Or when the documentary entitled "Through The Fire" highlighted the hype surrounding his final year of high school? Or when Ian O'Connor's excellent book, "The Jump," chronicled Telfair's decision to spurn Louisville for a shot at the NBA? Or when Telfair had LeBron James on speed dial?

Sebstian Telfair? One of three guys traded for a washed-up Quentin Richardson? Just so he can ride the bench behind Baron Davis ... with the Clippers? You must be crazy, we would've said back in 2004.

Now all we can do is shrug and ask, what's happened to this kid? Only now, he isn't a kid. He's just another ordinary NBA player.

A lot of people would kill for that title. But for Sebastian Telfair, we were counting on so much more.

Sam Amico is the editor of Pro Basketball News. He can be reached at amico@probasketballnews.com.

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