ORLANDO, Fla. _ C.J. Wilcox has made it to the NBA.
C.J. Wilcox hasn't made it in the NBA.
It's in important distinction, the kind of two-word difference that can take you from the beautiful, sun-lit atrium of a four-star hotel to jazz-club lighting of a high-school gym _ over the Fourth of July weekend.
While his teammates partied on yachts, traveled on private jets and signed massive free-agent deals, Wilcox tried to seize one of the most important elements on the NBA's periodic table _ opportunity.
What happened over three days in Orlando showed exactly why it's also one of the league's rarest.
After arriving in Orlando with hope and optimism, he left with his hand in a soft cast and an appointment for surgery.
