Dalembert has plenty on his mind

DURHAM, N.C. — Samuel Dalembert hears of the unrest in his homeland from storms and political violence, and feels so helpless. He has donated generous sums to assist relief efforts in Haiti, but he has no peace of mind.

“I’m trying to get my mind straight,” said Dalembert, a 6-foot-11 center for the Philadelphia 76ers. “My mind is so busy at times. That’s what I love about it (basketball). It takes me away from it. When I go to my hotel, of course I think about it.”

Tens of thousands of people in the storm-ravaged city of Gonaives remain hungry, three weeks after Tropical Storm Jeanne unleashed floods and mudslides that killed at least 1,870 people. About 300,000 people were left homeless in or around Gonaives.

There also have been at least 20 victims of violence fueled by gangs seeking the reinstatement of former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide.

Dalembert lived in Port-au-Prince until he was 14 and knows those close to him aren’t safe. He’s tried in vain to contact aunts, cousins and especially the grandmother who helped raise him.

“Sometimes I can’t get through. I couldn’t get in contact with nobody,” said Dalembert, the NBA’s only Haitian. “Finally, a friend found a way to get a hold of her and said my grandmother was all right. I still haven’t talked to her. … She’s not really my grandmother, she’s my mom. “

Last year, Dalembert shook off two seasons slowed by injuries to become one of only two Sixers to play in all 82 games. He averaged 8 points, 7.6 rebounds and 2.3 blocks, ninth in the league. He became part of a core group of young players the Sixers are trying to build around.

Injuries to Marc Jackson and Derrick Coleman gave Dalembert a chance to establish himself as a rising prospect. This year, Jackson is healthy, though the Sixers signed Brian Skinner as insurance. Still, coach Jim O’Brien said the lanky, outgoing Dalembert will be the main man in the middle.

“If he’s willing to work at it, I think he can be one of the top guys at his position in the league,” O’Brien said. “How long it will take him remains to be seen.”

Dalembert is a quick learner, and O’Brien has been impressed with his footwork and midrange jumper. And Dalembert has a warning for opponents who dare roam the paint.

“If you’re lucky to break that defense, you’re going to have to deal with me,” he said.

Basketball seems easy compared to his early life in Haiti where running water, electricity and working phones were sporadic. Dalembert remembers studying by candlelight or rising at dawn to finish schoolwork. Family members would iron five days’ worth of clothes in one shot because no one knew when the electricity would fail again.

Dalembert has tried to persuade his grandmother to move to America — his mother and sister live in Miami — but she has resisted .

“It’s understandable, but at the same time, I know sometimes where I get that hard head from,” he said, smiling.

Sports was always a refuge. His dream was to be the next Pele, though his coaches crammed him in goal because of his height. Too many collisions between his head and the crossbar led to a revelation: “I’m going to do what I’m good at.”

That was basketball. Dalembert’s family moved to Montreal and he played competitively for the first time as a high school sophomore. He spent nearly his last two years at a New Jersey high school and two seasons at Seton Hall.

Dalembert has a comfortable life now, able to play video games and watch TV as he pleases. But he doesn’t take it for granted.

“Every day I thank God,” he said. “I’m a kid growing up in Haiti with no sandals, bare feet, skinny little me. Now look at where I am.”