After a dunk he would run down the court flapping his arms as if flying. He had giant, colorful phoenix wings inked across much of his back, and "Free Bird" tattooed along his neck overlaid onto fiery flames. Finally, at 23, he was signed by the Nuggets, and in Denver his nickname slowly morphed into his identity. He had gone from Texas to China to New Mexico to North Dakota to North Carolina in three years after leaving college, in search of a pro contract and stability. But it just as easily could have been because of his migratory lifestyle. As an NBA rookie in 2001, he was given the nickname "Birdman" by teammates because of his long arms and soaring leaping ability. Home, however, has been a tenuous concept for much of Andersen's life. "They thought the best thing was for him to go home." "News was already starting to break," recalls Jesse Mermuys, a former Nuggets assistant coach. But when Andersen arrived at the arena, Nuggets management was waiting for him. "For what?" he asked repeatedly.Īs soon as the officers let him go, Andersen called his lawyer, Mark Bryant, who advised him to go to practice. The sheriffs, however, had no interest in squabbling over a speeding ticket instead, they told him a convoy from the Douglas County sheriff's office, including the Internet Crimes Against Children Unit (ICAC), was headed down from Denver to execute a search warrant on his home. When police sirens began blaring behind him, Andersen checked his speedometer, then pulled over and rolled down his window. The 45-minute drive to the Pepsi Center would allow him to clear his mind and focus on that evening's playoff game against the Lakers. While most of his Denver Nuggets teammates lived downtown, near the arena, Andersen preferred the natural beauty and solitude of Larkspur, a tiny hamlet of 250. On the morning of May 10, 2012, Andersen got in his custom-made Jeep truck and drove north, up I-25, the picturesque road that slices through Colorado like a straightedge razor.
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