Danny " Kid Delicious " Basavich

I dont think he want to play much competitively until his movie comes out, if it comes out.
 
Movie coming out on Danny? I will buy it in a second!! This guy is a Legend! I am very surprised there were no other posters here on Danny.:eek:

Well this question has been asked many times.

What i do know or at least of a few months ago is that he is still in Jersey and gives lessons.
 
I dont think he want to play much competitively until his movie comes out, if it comes out.


I thought I heard that the movie deal went south after a tournament in Asia, maybe Taipei, where he was warned several times about the slow play and they didn't like his reaction to the criticism. Anyone else remember the details of this. He kinda dropped out of the picture after that.
 
Well I don't want to speak out of turn but Danny has had health issues. He was at Valley Forge this year but didn't do very well. I spoke to him briefly there. There was actually some funny video of him on Inside Pool site while at Valley Forge
 
Whatever happens I'd like to see him back. The book was great.

Agreed with Danny's book... Was a pleasure to read and i honestly believe Danny has the one of the biggest hearts in the game...

I remember the one time i saw him play Tony Chohan in SF for 5 large in a 5 ahead set one-pocket and ill tell you this... He's GREAT!!! I had no idea who he was but what a match it was and Danny never lost his focus adn against a player like Tony you cant...

I would like to see Danny again and if your reading this Danny... Your a monster!!!
 
He was talking about the movie deal back when the ipt was going on.Guess the movie was never made.Danny tried selling me some dvds though.Lol.
 
Danny B.......

I spoke with Danny about one year ago at ''The Turning Stone'',,,,he said he was in great health, lost alot of weight and was back playing again,,

As far as the movie goes, Tom Hanks bought the rights to it, Jack Black was going to play Danny, and Tom Arnold was suppossed to play his dad,,,,I would think it's Tom Hank's move at this time,,,,,

I mentioned to Danny, that anyone that Hanks chose to play him , couldn't live up to Danny's own over the top, great, and funny personality,,,,If Danny had any acting chops , he would have the lead..

Lastly, Danny WILL be seen in the movie in an unrelated part,, [ like a bartender]......

Lots of stuff on him on Youtube,,,,
 
I thought I heard that the movie deal went south after a tournament in Asia, maybe Taipei, where he was warned several times about the slow play and they didn't like his reaction to the criticism. Anyone else remember the details of this. He kinda dropped out of the picture after that.

I missed that totally. I didnt even know Danny was in Asia the last few years.
 
a legend in his own mind maybe

I think Danny is a colorful personality in the sport. I have spent time with him at numerous events, and he is always personable. When he speaks with you, he gives you his undivided attention, which is rare in this day and age.

He's taken some bad beats with sponsors and movie people.

Danny's peak, I guess you'd say, was in 2004, I think it was, when he won the Joss Tour finale in Maine, came in second at the Glass City Open, and several others, which my memory doesn't seem to want to remember at the time of this writing, but I can find them if anybody is interested. In fact, I may have to do a Wikipedia page on Danny Basavich when times allows. He's worthy, IMHO! :)

Danny did the on-the-road thingie, but, unfortunately, he was born a decade too late to enjoy being a road warrior. With Internet technology and cell phones, going on the road and playing pool isn't as lucrative as it once was. :(

So Danny joined the UPA and became a tournament soldier. He got screwed there when the UPA omitted his name from the BCA Open list, claiming they couldn't get a hold of him, even though Danny had a working e-mail address and a cell phone number.

I remember at the Skins Billiards Tournament, he went to the finals with Santos for all the cheese. It was a big nugget, like $80,000 or more, if memory serves me right. Before the match, Santos' backers approached Danny and asked if he wanted to do a saver, meaning that Santos and Danny would still fight it out to the finish and may the best man win, but that whoever lost would get a 10-percent saver.

It was kind of an all-or-nothing situation as far as the money payout in the Skins event.

Danny said he had a backers committee for that event and couldn't make a saver. Santos won and pocketed $80,000 plus. Danny got a bone with not much meat on it, a whopping four figures.

I like Danny a lot, and his father, in particular, is a gem of a man. :)
 
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Here's a reprint of a cute and fun article about Danny Basavich entitled Everything's Coming Up Kosher for Kid Delicious.

In the world of billiards, betting big money on games played in smoky pool halls can be risky business -- unless you happen to be a jovial, fun-loving Jewish guy from Brooklyn with precise control over the cue ball.

"I'm a happy hustler. I've never been in a fight," said Danny Basavich, 29, who traveled across the country from age 17 to 24, winning roughly $500,000 playing head-to-head games against anyone who would take him on.

While some hustlers tell wild tales of sticky situations, incessant brawling or getting stiffed by the competition, Basavich insisted that his personality shined through most of all.

"I beat several guys for $10,000, then they had me over [to their homes] to meet their wives and kids," he said.

Refuge in the Hall
Visiting the area's Drexeline Billiards Club on April 9, Basavich -- who's since retired from hustling and has turned professional -- shared stories and performed a slew of trick shots for about 40 people gathered at the Drexel Hill pool hall.

His journey began when he was a 12-year-old in Marlboro, N.J.; his family had moved there from Brooklyn, N.Y. Deeply unhappy about the change of locale, Basavich found refuge in the local pool hall. Just a bike ride away from home, he said he honed his skills by playing between eight and 10 hours per day.

A turning point in his career came years later, during a game against Eddie "Kid Vicious" Hubler at Chelsea Billiards in Manhattan for a total of $4,200. Although Hubler was heavily favored by the local crowd, it was Basavich who won the race to 11 games. After the match, a person in the crowd looked over at the heavyset Basavich and said, "Kid Vicious just got hustled by Kid Delicious."

The nickname stuck.

When he went on the road to hustle his way across the country, one of Basavich's favorite moves was to wear a hat from a regional sports team, so that he would appear -- at least at a glance -- like a local.

How could someone in Oregon think that the guy wearing an Oregon Ducks hat is a professional from out of town?

After retiring from that kind of lifestyle and joining the United States Professional Poolplayers Association, Basavich's life on the road was documented in the book Running the Table: The Legend of Kid Delicious, the Last Great American Pool Hustler. He is now currently ranked 30th by the UPA, though he did spend a brief period at No. 1.

His story could also be coming to the big screen, as he signed a deal with Lions Gate Films, according to news reports, to make a film loosely based on his life.

During his visit to Drexeline, Basavich took on all comers in games of 9-ball -- not for money, just to let the local pool sharks play against a pro.

Harry McClay got a shot at Kid Delicious, who allowed all opponents the chance to break and then take ball-in-hand -- meaning they could place it at any point on the table to allow for the easiest shot. He even offered encouragement to his opponents and congratulated them on good shots. Despite the fact that McClay plays four times a week in various leagues, however, he just couldn't compete with Kid Delicious.

"He can put that cue ball wherever he wants to put it," attested McClay, who noted that Basavich is such a nice guy that "you don't mind losing to him."

Basavich's visit to the Philadelphia area was not only a promotional tour for the book and his various lessons on DVD; it was also a chance for the pro to get back to the sport he loves after suffering a mild heart attack more than a year ago. He also spends time performing trick-shot demonstrations, and giving lessons to youngsters at Bar and Bat Mitzvahs in Manhattan.

He is slowly working his way back to life as a professional. Although the money doesn't compare with life on the road, it suits him just fine.

Said Basavich: "I'm going to get back to No. 1."



Source: http://www.jewishexponent.com/article/15982/
 
2004 was Danny's year. He also won the Reno Open.

Here's one of my favorite shots of Danny Basavich. He is so charming. :)
 

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