NBA – The Blessed Overcomer

Over the years, people have asked me how a guy born and raised in S. FL became a Boston Celtics fan. Well, when I was around 7-8 years old, I remember watching my first NBA game on tv with my father. Not sure who the Celtics were playing, but I remember falling in love with the parquet floor in the old Boston Gardens. That day, the Celtics became my team. I have rooted for them through the good times and not so good times. I am glad Florida finally got two NBA teams, but I will always be a Celtics fan. My father passed away three years ago this week. If he was alive today, we would be talking about the Celtics run for their 18th Championship. Go Celtics!!! ~OC

I truly enjoyed the ESPN documentary The Last Dance, chronicling the career of the GOAT Michael Jordan. But without Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, there probably is no Michael Jordan or NBA. Magic and Bird saved the NBA. Let me explain.

Some of you are probably too young to remember, but once upon a time the NBA playoffs and finals were taped. That’s right, you had to avoid the news all day if you did not want to know the scores of the games. The NBA was coming off a drug scandal. Most people were just not interested in watching the NBA. Then March 26, 1979 happened. The NBA would never be the same.

On March 26, 1979, the Michigan State Spartans took on the Indiana State Sycamores for the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship. Ervin “Magic” Johnson, the kid with the big smile vs. Larry “The Hick from French Lick” Bird. Most of America watched the drama play out from Salt Lake City, Utah. That night Magic’s Spartans got the best of Bird’s Sycamores. But that would not be the last time we would see these two compete against each other. That night in Utah would change the NBA forever.

Magic Johnson would be drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers and Larry Bird would be drafted by the Boston Celtics. Magic and Bird would turn around the two most storied franchises in the NBA. Most importantly, they brought the fans back to the NBA. No longer were the playoffs and finals on tape delay. Fans could not get enough of Magic, Bird and the NBA.

No doubt Michael Jordan is the greatest player to ever play in the NBA, but we must never forget that the kid with the infectious smile from Lansing, Michigan and the Hick from French Lick saved the NBA. ~OC

Free agency started in the NBA yesterday. Some huge contracts were signed and more to come. I have already seen some negative post about athletes making so much money. I am sure there will be more negative post and articles. Would I love for our teachers, nurses, first responders and those in the military sign those huge contacts instead of athletes? I would love that. Sadly, that will not happen anytime soon. In America we love our sports. I am definitely guilty of being a huge fan. That is why I will never criticize an athlete for making millions of dollars. We the fans created the market. So we have to live with seeing athletes continuing to sign big money deals. I always find it interesting that we celebrate the business owner who does well financially and call it free enterprise. The American Dream! But when it comes to athletes, we complain they are overpaid. Which I believe most of them are, but once again we the fans created the market. If we truly wanted to see our teachers, nurses, first responders and military personnel given million dollar contracts we would demand it. But we don’t. Instead of complaining about the huge contracts athletes are signing, start demanding that we pay our teachers, nurses, first responders and military personnel what they truly deserve. As voters, we have the power to effect change. For me, I will continue to support an athletes right to sign those huge contracts. One day, I hope to celebrate our teachers, nurses, first responders and military personnel signing those huge contracts. ~OC

Some of my favorites:

Team:

Cincinnati Reds

Boston Celtics

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Florida Gators

Players:

Baseball: Johnny Bench

Basketball: Larry Bird

Football: Lee Roy Selmon & Derrick Brooks

Florida Gators: Al Horford, Danny Wuerffel & Tim Tebow

Coach: Tony Dungy

Movies:

Hoosiers

Selma

Brian’s Song (The Original)

12 Years a Slave

Woodlawn

Remember the Titans

Doc Hollywood

Facing the Giants

13th

America History

Any Jimmy Stewart Film

Music:

Kirk Franklin

Michael Jackson

Prince

TobyMac

DC Talk

Bruce Springsteen

George Michael

Bee Gees

4Him

Queen

Elton John

Alisa Turner

Tasha Cobbs Leonard

Anthony Evans

Run-DMC

Lecrae

FC Worship

Lionel Richie

The Commodores

Stevie Wonder

Rod Stewart

Kenny Chesney

Truth

Michael English

Proverb

Kim Walker-Smith

Harry Connick Jr.

Michael Neale

Tenth Avenue North

Jeremy Camp

Journey

Earth, Wind & Fire

Hall & Oates

Def Leppard

Hillsong United

Jackson 5

Luther Vandross

Whitney Houston

Adele

Books:

Bible

America Story by Bob Dotson

The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace by Jeff Hobbs

Moment Make by Carlos Whittaker

Under Our Skin by Benjamin Watson

Just Mercy Bryan Stevenson

Unscripted by Ernie Johnson, Jr.

Living Out Loud by Craig Sager

I’ll Push You by Justin Skeesuck and Patrick Gray

Breaking Cover by Michele Rigby Assad

Love Does by Bob Goff

Crazy Love by Francis Chan

Radical by David Platt

Transformed by Remi Adeleke

Council of Dads by Bruce Feiler

The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch

Drop the Stones by Carlos A. Rodríguez

Brave Surrender by Kim Walker-Smith

Comeback by Dave Dravecky

When You Can’t Comeback by Dave & Jan Dravecky

Quite Strength by Tony Dungy

Separate Peace by John Knowles

The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander

Believe by Eric LeGrand

Lucky Man by Michael J. Fox

Always Looking Up by Michael J. Fox

God & Football by Chad Gibbs

The Pact:Three Young Men Make a Promise and Fulfill a Dream by Sampson Davis, George Jenkins, Rameck Hunt

Vulnerable by Raleigh Sadler

This Life I Live by Rory Feek

42 Faith by Ed Henry

The Slave Across the Street by Theresa Flores

Ultramarathon Man by Dean Karnazes

Long Run by Matt Long

Forty Thousand To One by Ben Petrick

The Unlikely Disciple by Kevin Roose

When The Game Was Ours by Jackie MacMullan

Catch You Later by Johnny Bench

Love Thy Rival by Chad Gibbs

This is just a short list of my favorites. I could go on for days. ~OC

Tag: NBA

Boston Celtics

Magic and Bird Saved the NBA

Big Money! Don’t Apologize.

Some of My Favorites