As photo shoots go, this one was relatively short and painless. By now, several years into Steve Francis' tenure as one of the NBA's young, rising trendy new stars, Francis knew the drill.

True, this time he was not posed with Destiny's Child or asked to play the part of a Hollywood star. But he also did not have to do anything as difficult as holding a smile while a grandparent fiddles with the focus.

But within minutes, Francis could not stand still. He was rolling his eyes and checking his watch, glancing toward the door. He tried to be patient, but he failed.

Then Cuttino Mobley was added to the picture, and Francis suddenly had his energy back. Together, they mugged for the camera, rushing from pose to pose like children in front of a store security monitor. They insulted each other and laughed. They modeled and acted and played.

They performed as they could not possibly have performed alone.