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Message: [QUOTE="Dick_in_MI, post: 4232203, member: 225"] While he was my gym teacher, he was shooting "modern style" if you will. He would be talking to the class and casually taking shots from near the top of the key. They barely whispered the net as they went through. I don't remember paying attention to what he was saying; I was enthralled by the shooting exhibition. He brought in one of his official balls from the NBA. I remember being surprised at how deep the grooves were. He let us take a few shots with it. It was just like shooting in my driveway, except it was an NBA ball, the guy who handed it to me would eventually be in the Hall of Fame and coach an NBA Championship team, and my younger brother Bob wasn't trying to foul me as I shot. A story that didn't involve playing against guys...my wife and I were at one of the early NBA exhibitions at the Dome. The SU players were all there watching as well and at one point several slowly made their way to the locker room. We were sitting next to the rail and kids were leaning over, trying to get autographs of their heroes. Billy Owens was walking through and a few kids were yelling "hey Owens!" A side note...when I was a kid, at worst I would have called them by their first name. I might have even addressed them as "Mr." But I'm "vintage". Anyway, Billy came over and signed but didn't look at any of them or really acknowledge them in any way. Then Mike Hopkins and LeRon Ellis came through. Again, the kids yelled "hey Ellis!" and the two Orange players came over and signed. What really stood out though, was Mike. He talked with the kids, saying "how is it going?" "are you enjoying the game?" "what's your name", etc. He was really upbeat and smiling all the time and said goodbye to all of them when he left.. I turned to my wife and said "Mike's parents should be really proud of him. He seems like a great kid." Mike was always a favorite of mine because he left it all on the court, and I have never forgotten that interaction between him and a group of kids that the other SU players barely tolerated. [/QUOTE]

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