Orton's father says former Wildcat must listen to improve

Orton's father says former Wildcat must listen to improve

By LARRY VAUGHT
larry@amnews.com
July 13, 2010

Larry Orton is proud that his son, Daniel, was the 29th overall pick by the Orlando Magic in the recent NBA draft even though he had to accept a backup role last year during his only season at Kentucky.

“He worked to get to this point. I am just more happy for Daniel than anything,” Larry Orton said.

However, he does regret that his wife, Carolyn, didn’t get to see her son’s success. She died midway through his senior season in Oklahoma City.

“I wish that my wife would have been here and it would have been me that passed away. It would mean more for her to be here than me,” Larry Orton said. “I mean that from the bottom of my heart.

“I took Daniel to his mother’s gravesite the day of the draft and told him I wish it was me and she was here to see that. I am happy for Daniel. I always prayed Daniel where he would need to be and he put him with a good organization.

“Orlando is a great organization and I think (center) Dwight Howard will be really, really good for Daniel and (assistant coach) Patrick Ewing will be, too. He has got two guys that will be great for him if he listens. The key is if he listens. Daniel will listen as time goes on and be just fine.”

Here are other insights Larry Orton shared:

Question: Did we ever get to see the real Daniel Orton at Kentucky?

Larry Orton: “No. Hopefully maybe he can do it at the next level. He has to develop and show what his game is like and all the things he can do in a game of basketball.”

Question: Was this year even more difficult mentally or emotionally than most people realized because of the loss of his mother, coming back from a knee injury and having to come off the bench in a limited role?

Larry Orton: “I don’t think the playing part was all that hard mentally for him. He was just a freshman. The hardest thing was his mom and seeing how she passed away and taking that with you, and her not being here to see him play his first game and not around to do things with him or see him get drafted and all that. Just his mom not being there was hard. She was there for 18 years and then gone. I think that was the hardest thing for Daniel right there.”

Question: Didn’t Daniel thoroughly enjoy his year at Kentucky, even though it was reported he said he wished he had gone to Kansas?

Larry Orton: “All kids say things when things don’t go the way they want them to go. If he had played more and played well, what would he have said — Kentucky was great and the perfect place for me?

"I just throw that out. All kids say things. How many kids that didn’t play this year would say Kentucky might have been a bad choice for me? Everybody has opinions, but when you let things play out and you look on down the road, you see it was a great choice. But when making emotional decisions, kids that are 19 will say things they shouldn’t.”

Question: Looking back, are you still surprised that Daniel was drafted in the first round and did not stay at Kentucky at least two or three years?

Larry Orton: “Yes I am. The way things happened so fast is what really got me.”

Question: Will Daniel be happy in Orlando?

Larry Orton: “I think anybody ought to be happy on a NBA team. I don’t care where you go. But just knowing he will make the playoffs and play against the best center in the game (Dwight Howard) every day and can talk with him is unbelievable.

"The first year he might be in awe and just basically looking around and everything. He will get on a private plane that looks really nice, and here you are flying out at 1 in the morning. It will be a different deal.”

Question: Is it true that Howard leased a car and gave it to Daniel to use?

Larry Orton: “They take care of one another. That was really nice of Dwight. Daniel is a real good kid, too. He just has some other issues he is dealing with. Once he gets rid of those issues, Daniel will be fine.”

Question: Did it surprise Daniel when Howard did that for him?

Larry Orton: “I don’t know. I know him and Daniel had talked, but I don’t know. I never met Dwight Howard to know what they talked about or had planned.”

I wish parents would take more of a silent role in the career of their players. Orton probably would have stayed at UK if it hadn't been for his media chasing daddy.

I still like Big O even though he did make some bad decisions on leaving school. And he is making some good money now even if he is sucking at the moment.

cryptkeeper wrote:I wish parents would take more of a silent role in the career of their players. Orton probably would have stayed at UK if it hadn't been for his media chasing daddy.

I still like Big O even though he did make some bad decisions on leaving school. And he is making some good money now even if he is sucking at the moment.

I don't know how to take Orton, to me he seems like he can be cool at times then a prick other times, Guess we will lose a Scholly because he didn't finish his classes. Also I think Orton can be good, if he learns to quit fouling.