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Share on FacebookWe apologize to the oft-quoted Elizabeth Barrett Browning, but ... 'How we do love this game? Let us count the ways.' " On this Valentine's Day, players are not talking Xs and Os, but XXXOOO (hugs and kisses). We talked to the players about the first time they fell head over heels for basketball, so we'll let them throw their arms around the game they love and that has given them so much:
When in your childhood did you realize your love for basketball?
"I didn’t start basketball until I was 12-years old, and my dad was coaching the team and he put me on it just to stay out of trouble. I didn’t really play much. It was the 18-year old league, and some guy from the 13-year old league said do you want to play, and I said sure. I caught on pretty quick, and loved it from there.”
What specific situation did you emulate as a child?
“I dream every night of always hitting the big shot. If I dream it every night, I think it’s going to come true. So I’m just waiting for that moment. I always pretended to hit the winning jump shot with Michael Jordan on the court. Unfortunately that will never happen…”
"I didn’t start basketball until I was 12-years old, and my dad was coaching the team and he put me on it just to stay out of trouble. I didn’t really play much. It was the 18-year old league, and some guy from the 13-year old league said do you want to play, and I said sure. I caught on pretty quick, and loved it from there.”
What specific situation did you emulate as a child?
“I dream every night of always hitting the big shot. If I dream it every night, I think it’s going to come true. So I’m just waiting for that moment. I always pretended to hit the winning jump shot with Michael Jordan on the court. Unfortunately that will never happen…”
When in your childhood did you realize your love for basketball?
"When I was 15, I realized I had a passion for the game. It was something I always loved doing, and no matter what I would always find myself with a basketball in my hand, shooting hoops, playing. Eighty percent of my day went to that. I wasn’t the greatest student as a youngster, so all I did was play basketball."
"When I was 15, I realized I had a passion for the game. It was something I always loved doing, and no matter what I would always find myself with a basketball in my hand, shooting hoops, playing. Eighty percent of my day went to that. I wasn’t the greatest student as a youngster, so all I did was play basketball."
What specific situation did you emulate as a child?
“When you’re on the playground as a youngster, you are always making moves like three, two, one… throwing the ball up and it going in, going ‘yeah, we won it!’ That’s every players’ dream, to hit a game-winning shot in a big-time situation.”
“When you’re on the playground as a youngster, you are always making moves like three, two, one… throwing the ball up and it going in, going ‘yeah, we won it!’ That’s every players’ dream, to hit a game-winning shot in a big-time situation.”
What is your favorite basketball memory as a child?
“I always dreamt of playing against Jordan. It was always Michael Jordan. When I first stepped out there on the court with him in DC I was caught up and the coach had to say ‘hey, hey wake up!’ and I was like ‘all right.’ I was just caught up playing against Michael Jordan. It was unbelievable.”
“I always dreamt of playing against Jordan. It was always Michael Jordan. When I first stepped out there on the court with him in DC I was caught up and the coach had to say ‘hey, hey wake up!’ and I was like ‘all right.’ I was just caught up playing against Michael Jordan. It was unbelievable.”
When in your childhood did you realize your love for basketball?
“I known it ever since I was about four or five. I played a lot of sports, but there was something about basketball that I just loved.”
“I known it ever since I was about four or five. I played a lot of sports, but there was something about basketball that I just loved.”
What specific situation did you emulate as a child?
“I always pretended to be Dominique Wilkins hitting that shot over Jordan on the playground. I just dreamed that I was him in the playoffs or championship hitting that fade-away jumper. I also thought about lifting that Dunk Contest championship trophy. It’s something I always wanted to do as a little kid, seeing Dominique win it and seeing having that reign as the Dunk champ, that’s something I wanted.”
“I always pretended to be Dominique Wilkins hitting that shot over Jordan on the playground. I just dreamed that I was him in the playoffs or championship hitting that fade-away jumper. I also thought about lifting that Dunk Contest championship trophy. It’s something I always wanted to do as a little kid, seeing Dominique win it and seeing having that reign as the Dunk champ, that’s something I wanted.”
When in your childhood did you realize your love for basketball?
“When I was a youngster in the backyard and my uncle was kicking my butt everyday, I knew I loved this game. I couldn’t get to him – he would just beat me up. My mom knew then, too.”
“When I was a youngster in the backyard and my uncle was kicking my butt everyday, I knew I loved this game. I couldn’t get to him – he would just beat me up. My mom knew then, too.”
What specific situation did you emulate as a child?
“I’ve always wanted to play against Garnett, Rasheed, Duncan, Jordan. A lot of the top power forwards in the league. I always dreamed of winning the championship – hitting the game-winning shot. I think that is every youngster’s dream. Michael has had the chance to do it over and over again… I hope I get at least one of them!”
“I’ve always wanted to play against Garnett, Rasheed, Duncan, Jordan. A lot of the top power forwards in the league. I always dreamed of winning the championship – hitting the game-winning shot. I think that is every youngster’s dream. Michael has had the chance to do it over and over again… I hope I get at least one of them!”
When in your childhood did you realize your love for basketball?
“Since I was about 11 or 12-years old when I started playing basketball, I knew I loved the game. I was a huge football player at that time and I got hit pretty hard in a little league football game and my mom cut all of the football out. After that we moved to another part of town and over there a lot of the young kids were playing a lot of basketball, so I just picked it up.”
“Since I was about 11 or 12-years old when I started playing basketball, I knew I loved the game. I was a huge football player at that time and I got hit pretty hard in a little league football game and my mom cut all of the football out. After that we moved to another part of town and over there a lot of the young kids were playing a lot of basketball, so I just picked it up.”
What specific situation or player did you emulate as a child?
“I used to dream of playing Magic Johnson. He was my idol, so right off the bat, that was someone I wanted to be like and I didn’t stop at that. Magic was different to me – he was big, he was tall and he could handle the ball.”
“I used to dream of playing Magic Johnson. He was my idol, so right off the bat, that was someone I wanted to be like and I didn’t stop at that. Magic was different to me – he was big, he was tall and he could handle the ball.”
What is your favorite basketball memory as a child?
“When I was younger back in South Carolina, every time I went to the park I enjoyed myself. I hated going home, which didn’t really sit well with my mom sometimes. I can just remember going to the park and enjoying myself.”
“When I was younger back in South Carolina, every time I went to the park I enjoyed myself. I hated going home, which didn’t really sit well with my mom sometimes. I can just remember going to the park and enjoying myself.”
When in your childhood did you realize your love for basketball?
"When I was probably in high school and out grew baseball and it wasn’t my sport anymore, I realized how much I love basketball. Due to my injury to my arm, I had to find something else to do and basketball was a sport that I really thought I could make something happen in and make a career out of. I was in my senior year of high school and I knew this was something I was going to enjoy doing for a long period of time.”
"When I was probably in high school and out grew baseball and it wasn’t my sport anymore, I realized how much I love basketball. Due to my injury to my arm, I had to find something else to do and basketball was a sport that I really thought I could make something happen in and make a career out of. I was in my senior year of high school and I knew this was something I was going to enjoy doing for a long period of time.”
What specific situation or player did you emulate as a child?
“Magic Johnson always really inspired me and is a guy I really looked up to. Growing up in the Orlando area I always wanted to play against Penny Hardaway. He was a guy that really made a name for himself early in his career and was one of the hottest guys in the league, one of the best guys in the NBA. I grew up watching the Orlando Magic and I wanted to get a chance to play against him. My first game I was kind of nervous about it.”
“Magic Johnson always really inspired me and is a guy I really looked up to. Growing up in the Orlando area I always wanted to play against Penny Hardaway. He was a guy that really made a name for himself early in his career and was one of the hottest guys in the league, one of the best guys in the NBA. I grew up watching the Orlando Magic and I wanted to get a chance to play against him. My first game I was kind of nervous about it.”
When in your childhood did you realize your love for basketball?
“When I was 11 or 12, I just flipped the script, and tried to get better and better every year I can. I loved the game. My first year playing ball I won a championship. I was happy I won a championship – everyone was happy. It was a happy feeling and I just ran with it from there. My eyes just blew up and I stayed with it. And continued to do what I doing.”
“When I was 11 or 12, I just flipped the script, and tried to get better and better every year I can. I loved the game. My first year playing ball I won a championship. I was happy I won a championship – everyone was happy. It was a happy feeling and I just ran with it from there. My eyes just blew up and I stayed with it. And continued to do what I doing.”
What specific situation or player did you emulate as a child?
“I was always thinking about hitting a game winning shot – a three-pointer from half court with .2 seconds left – just throwing it up. I’m always thinking about stuff like that. It hasn’t happened yet…”
“I was always thinking about hitting a game winning shot – a three-pointer from half court with .2 seconds left – just throwing it up. I’m always thinking about stuff like that. It hasn’t happened yet…”
When in your childhood did you realize your love for basketball?
“The first time I picked up a basketball, I knew I loved the game. Every day was an experience in Coney Island with a different challenge. If you’re from Coney Island, you know what I mean. It’s kind of hard to explain, but every day you were faced with a challenge.”
“The first time I picked up a basketball, I knew I loved the game. Every day was an experience in Coney Island with a different challenge. If you’re from Coney Island, you know what I mean. It’s kind of hard to explain, but every day you were faced with a challenge.”
When in your childhood did you realize your love for basketball?
“I didn’t start playing until I was 13 or 14, but as soon as I went to one practice I loved it that much. I played tennis and handball, but as soon as I had one practice I quit everything else. There is something about the sport that makes me happy.”
(Photo Credits:Arenas by Rocky Widner; Butler by Victor Baldizon; Richardson by Widner; Chandler by Sam Forencich; Garnett by Andrew D. Bernstein; McGrady by Fernando Medina; Marion by Barry Gossage; Marbury by Gossage, Nowitzki by David Sherman, Bryant by Bernstein ... all images are courtesy of NBAE/Getty Images)
“I didn’t start playing until I was 13 or 14, but as soon as I went to one practice I loved it that much. I played tennis and handball, but as soon as I had one practice I quit everything else. There is something about the sport that makes me happy.”
What specific situation or player did you emulate as a child?
“I remember having a hoop in the backyard and playing with my sister and cousins and just having fun out there, that was an amazing thing. I still think about that sometimes -- just having fun out in my backyard. I used to dream about making the All-Star game once, and the next thing you know I made it last year when I was 23. The whole thing was amazing.”
“I remember having a hoop in the backyard and playing with my sister and cousins and just having fun out there, that was an amazing thing. I still think about that sometimes -- just having fun out in my backyard. I used to dream about making the All-Star game once, and the next thing you know I made it last year when I was 23. The whole thing was amazing.”
What specific situation did you emulate as a child?
“Magic Johnson..his last second baby sky hook to beat Boston in Game #4 of the 1987 NBA Finals.”
“Magic Johnson..his last second baby sky hook to beat Boston in Game #4 of the 1987 NBA Finals.”
(Photo Credits:Arenas by Rocky Widner; Butler by Victor Baldizon; Richardson by Widner; Chandler by Sam Forencich; Garnett by Andrew D. Bernstein; McGrady by Fernando Medina; Marion by Barry Gossage; Marbury by Gossage, Nowitzki by David Sherman, Bryant by Bernstein ... all images are courtesy of NBAE/Getty Images)
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