For Mason, lessons in persistence

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He went to an exclusive local middle school with Chelsea Clinton and studied architecture in college. The doctor's son also has a younger brother preparing to enter medical school.

His mother is a registered nurse with a graduate degree in health care administration. And his fiancee is finishing Harvard law school this spring.

"I have to finish school," said Roger Mason Jr., 27, who left Virginia after his junior year. "My future wife has a degree from Georgetown and Harvard law school. I can't be the one holding us back."

It is no surprise that Mason is a professional — although his field seems a bit unusual considering his upbringing. The Silver Spring product makes his living on the basketball court, where he is enjoying a breakthrough season with the Washington Wizards.

"He has meant as much to this team as myself or Caron [Butler]," forward Antawn Jamison said. "Things work in mysterious ways. Lo and behold, we have injuries, and he had the opportunity to play. He's one of those stories of a guy who wouldn't give up."

Mason spent time with Chicago and Toronto and played in Greece and Israel before returning home in 2006. After playing sparingly in his first season here, the 6-foot-5 guard has found a niche this season with Gilbert Arenas sidelined most of the season because of a knee injury and surgery.

Mason averaged 9.1 points during the regular season after totaling just 2.7 the season before. The sharpshooter led the Wizards in 3-point percentage (.398) and ranked 20th in the NBA among players who have taken at least four 3s a game.

"We call him the 'quiet assassin,' " coach Eddie Jordan said. "It seems like he is just a deadly shooter, and he doesn't have any emotions ... We knew he had the capability of doing it. He needed time."

Like most of his teammates, Mason has struggled in the playoffs against Cleveland. He missed all five of his 3-pointers but scored 10 points in 22 minutes in Game 2. He'll try to relocate his touch tonight and help the Wizards halve their 2-0 series deficit in Game 3 at Verizon Center.

Mason's nontraditional NBA background is nearly as unusual as his roundabout route to NBA relevance. Roger Mason Sr. was an eye surgeon and head of the ophthalmology department at Howard. Roger Jr. went to middle school at prestigious Sidwell Friends in Northwest, a Quaker-affiliated school known for educating the children of several presidents and other prominent people like aviator Charles Lindbergh — not NBA players.