Alley-oop dunks and powerful swats by Terrapin basketball players generate loud ovations that resonate throughout Comcast Center.
That’s an expected buzz.
But when Bambale Osby does the same – or simply grabs a rebound, draws a foul or drops in a layup – the crowd’s reaction is enormous.
That’s the Boom.
A player who came in averaging 6.0 points per game in junior college, Osby – nicknamed Boom since 10th grade for the way his first name sounds – has generated genuine excitement and has quickly become a fan favorite with a cult following. The 6-foot-8-inch, 250-pound power forward, who boasts an afro and bulging muscles, can’t explain exactly how he’s become so beloved and wants to know himself.
“I just play. It’s kinda strange ’cause I don’t do nothing special. I don’t cross people over, I don’t shoot threes, I don’t dunk on people,” Osby said. “You should go ask those fans out there, Say, why do y’all love Boom so much?”
While there may be no definitive answer, sophomore finance major Jimmy Johnston might be able to shed some light on the frenzy surrounding a transfer player who bounced from Benedictine High School in Virginia to New Mexico to Paris (Tex.) Junior College before signing with the Terps.
Johnston went so far as to start a Facebook group called “Bambale ‘BOOM’ Osby is the largest man to grace the planet,” which as of last night had 499 members at this university. He said Osby is the Terps’ own version of NBA big man Ben Wallace – from his appearance to on-court mannerisms.
“When we first saw him, he’s really jacked,” Johnston said. “He just looked awesome and everybody loves his ‘fro. He’s just the kind of player I haven’t seen in a while watching Maryland basketball. He sorta has a blue-collar style of play. Last year some of our players, they were known as being sorta selfish. … It’s really fun to have someone like Boom to watch.”
Though Johnston said he hasn’t met Osby, he pointed to something Osby said after his coming out performance against Winthrop, when he scored 14 points to thunderous applause. Osby said he didn’t see “Boom points” going up on the scoreboard, but rather just “Maryland points.”
The unassuming, lighthearted Osby becomes a different person on the court, playing with aggression and intensity without losing control like Dennis Rodman or Rasheed Wallace. Osby’s stats wouldn’t suggest he is one of the team’s best players. He averages 7.4 points and 4.9 rebounds per game and only plays about 15 minutes per game.
But that’s certainly not the thought in the Terps’ locker room and on the campus.
“Boom, he’s a great athlete. He’s pretty strong, he’s physical,” senior guard Mike Jones said. “It wears down a lot of other big men. And we just need him to continue contributing to the team as far as the little things.”
Maybe it’s that on-court flare and ability to be “efficient” and unrelenting that has made him into such a cult hero for Terp fans. Johnston likened Osby’s style to former Terp Lonny Baxter but also admitted it’s probably too early to make those comparisons.
It’s unfair to compare Osby to the great big men in Terp or NCAA history, as he’s still refining his game and fitting into coach Gary Williams’ system. But his 10-point, eight-rebound performance in place of Ibekwe against Illinois showed exactly what Osby could do: the dirty work and the little things that don’t always jump out in a box score.
“[Williams] says, ‘Alright Boom, this is what you need to do: Defend, rebound, run the floor, play defense, block shots’ – and that’s it,” Osby said.
The scoring has been an addition to Osby’s repertoire but not an unexpected one, as Williams said Osby is adept at scoring from his comfort zone around the basket. Often this season, Osby has deftly caught a pass with one foot in the paint, hesitated for a split-second, turned around and scored an easy two points.
Osby knows his role is that of the gritty, inside player – the kind the Terps haven’t had since Baxter. He has definitely embraced that role.
“That’s what the team needs. Coach says go in there, do your thing, mix it up. And that’s what I do,” Osby said. “I guess [fans] just appreciate someone who plays hard.”
But on a team where D.J. Strawberry has emerged as the senior leader and Eric Hayes as the local boy in the Steve Blake mold, there’s something more to Osby that has fostered so much support.
Maybe it’s the hair. Just take one look at Osby, and it’s hard to miss his afro. He pulled it back into cornrows for a short time and let it back out against Winthrop to the delight of fans. Osby said when he stepped onto the court that night, fans welcomed “Boom” back when they saw the afro had returned.
Every time Osby does something to the liking of fans, the crowd treats him to a bellowing rendition of “Booooooooooooom.”
On the road, Osby became the subject of some ribbing by Illinois fans, who told him to get a haircut and to take the wig off. Asked if his afro could be the source of the fanfare, Osby said it could be part of it but offered some evidence as to why it hasn’t always been there.
“When I was in high school, I went to a military school and everybody had to have the buzz cut, and I was a fan favorite then too,” Osby said. “I don’t know what it is, man.”
Osby laughs off the hairstyle concerns, as he does when teammates and others bring up his car, a white 1962 Cadillac DeVille that he parked in the Comcast Center loading dock. It’s just a part of his array of vintage cars that includes three other Cadillacs – but the ’62 Cadillac with a Terps decal has a catch.
“It runs and I can drive it, but the battery will die. The alternator’s not hooked up. It kinda fell off,” Osby said. ” I’m always one of the clowns in the locker room because my car doesn’t run, it doesn’t have windshield wipers. [Teammates have said,] ‘I wonder if Boom’s car is gonna break down.'”
The lack of windshield wipers almost caught up to Osby earlier this year.
“There was the girl I met on campus and she got in the car with me and my heat didn’t work, my windshield wipers didn’t work,” he said. “So she stuck her head out the passenger window and said ‘Oh, you gotta stop. There’s a stop sign.’ I can’t see it. She was my eyes. It was pretty funny.”
With the car out of commission and Osby not wanting to be sidetracked during the season, he’s turned to Shuttle-UM for his transportation needs. It’s just part of the adjustment for Osby, who has come a long way since playing very limited minutes with New Mexico.
But while Osby is humble and won’t build up his own following, there are plenty of others willing to do just that. Along with the group Johnston started, there are three other Facebook groups that include this university’s students and others – from the recently formed “Bamballin'” to the “Fans of Bambale Osby”.
No matter why fans have fallen in love with him – his game, his muscles, his hair, his personality – there’s no doubt Osby’s popularity has soared.
“I’m just that guy people like talking about,” Osby said. “Maybe there’s just an aura around me.”
Contact reporter Stephen Whyno at whynodbk@gmail.com.
