From steviefranchise.com:
Steve De'Shawn Francis was born February 21, 1977 in Silver Spring, Maryland. Raised by his mother, Brenda, and his grandmother, Mabel, Wink (a nickname he got as a kid, because he drank that soda, and was as quick as a wink) took a long road to the NBA. He attended three different high schools and started just one game during his high school career. He first switched schools because his mom got a new job, but he wanted to graduate with his old friends, so he got permission to switch back. His mother died of a heart attack, due to cancer complications, during that year. Wink dropped out. He later tried to get back to school at a private Connecticut academy, until his tuition fell through. At this time, he moved back home.

On his way to the NBA, Steve played at two junior colleges before arriving at the University of Maryland. A fantastic performance in an AAU tournament got him accepted to start his college career. He took his two junior college teams, San Jacinto in Texas, and Allegany in Maryland, to the NJC Championship tournament each undefeated. A first in NJCC history. As a freshman at San Jac., he was named First Team All-Region IV averaging 12.5 pts, 7.5 dimes, and 7.5 boards. After his sophomore year, instead of going into the draft, he decided to attend MAryland (like every kid from Takoma Park)

He took the University of Maryland to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament in his year there. He led the team to a school-record 28 wins, led the ACC in steals, and was named First Team All-America by Sports Illustrated.

Before his rookie season, Wink was traded from Vancouver to the Rockets in a three team trade. While with the Rockets, the Franchise averaged 18 pts, 6.6 dimes, and 5.3 boards per game. He shared Rookie of the Year honors with Elton Brand of the Chicago Bulls. He became the seventh rookie in NBA history to average 15 pts, 5 dimes, and 5 boards. He was named Rookie of the Month in December, March, and April. Wink participated in the Slam Dunk Contest, finishing second to Vince Carter.

On the personal side, Steve has three siblings, two older brothers, Jeff Jr. and Terry, and a younger sister named Tiffany who he visited during the All-Star Break this season. He idolized Randall Cunningham as a kid. Francis has two dogs: Rico, a rottweiler, and Alexis, a pit bull.

Growing up, Steve played ball in the D.C. area at Takoma Park. His coach at the Takoma Park Boys and Girls Club said his competitive nature was a lifelong trait, he wanted to win at everything. Takoma Park is a big part of what makes Steve Francis "Stevie Franchise". Takoma Park is a a place where kids can get off the streets and start to realize their dreams. Steve's involvement keeps a lot of the 12-year-olds on track and keeps them motivated. The coaches use him as a role model. When things get tough and the kids stop working, coaches tell the kids that Stevie had to endure the same things. They go to six tournaments a year with Steve picking up the full tab for entry fees, travel, and room and board expenses. When Steve played at Takoma, he wasn't much of a shooter or jumper. Teammates would laugh and joke about his stature and lack of leaping ability. He couldn't dunk until 12th grade. His coach always said Wink's head was as quick as his feet. In one game, he used playground ettiquette and told the opposing player (who was taking the ball out of bounds) to "check". The kid did, and Francis laid it in for two. Franchise's team won by two.

When Steve was a kid...
...When I grew up I wanted to be The President of the United States. I also wanted to be a police officer and a teacher. I didn't start thinking about playing basketball until I was in junior high.
... my Favorite Team was The Chicago Bulls just because of Michael Jordan.
... my Favorite Athlete was Muhammad Ali. I had some tapes of him and I just liked the way he would talk about beating somebody and then go out and do it. That showed a lot of character. I had two Rottweilers. I still have them - Rico and Alexis. I collected football and baseball cards. I had Joe Montana's rookie card and I sold it to a card shop for $250, which was a lot of money back then. I have a lot of the cards still. They're pretty beat up now. The only cards I collect now are mine. I loved Math and Science. My Favorite TV Show was The Jeffersons. The Jetsons. And Batman, not the cartoon but the one with Adam West. My favorite book was Why is Oil Black. I was in fourth grade when I first got that book.