Roots

"On fifty-deuce while I walk in the rain..."

Black Thought - Silent Treatment

The Lakers are in the midst of an 8-game road trip, which can only mean one thing...I'm going along for the ride.

Confidence

Friday night I found myself back in the familiar confines of Madison Square Garden...covering the Knicks/Lakers. Yesterday I was in Philadelphia to attend the Kobe Bryant Classic, high school tournament. I arrived fashionably late only to find Imhotep Charter down by a good margin against ANC, which boasts 6'9" Rakeem Christmas, 6'5" Savon Goodman, 6'11" Malcolm Gilbert, and number 24...point guard Jonathan Riles.

I decided to find a seat at halftime, and as the clock dwindled to zero, I walked across the court and found an empty spot next to Donald Hunt, of the Philadelphia Tribune. A mere minute and a few seconds elapsed before we began trading interesting facts about the legend that has become Kobe Bryant.

As a child I had aspirations to be on TV. I'm not sure I knew exactly what I wanted to do then, but as I got older it became evident that I desired to cover sports like Ahmad Rashad. I didn't seek fame...I just had a love for the game of basketball, and I knew that if I didn't make it to the NBA as a guard, then I needed to do something that would get me there in another capacity.

Throughout my childhood...while growing up on the basketball courts and barber shop...people would always talk about West Philly and how people like Wilt Chamberlain, Patti LaBelle, and the Fresh Prince had become successful. I figured since I was from the same part of town, I had a good chance to make a name for myself one day.

Kobe arrived at Lankenau Hospital in 1978...and while I didn't meet him until years later...it is the bond of Philadelphia that enables our friendship outside of athlete and scribe.

I couldn't imagine being Kobe, because I've never had an ounce of what he can do with a basketball, however what I admire more than anything else is his drive and will to win in all that he does. The first time I met him, he was a challenging me on the basketball court...now my biggest hurdle is figuring out what I'm going to get autographed for the office.

When Wilt, Oscar Robertson, Bill Russell, Elgin Baylor, Dr. J, Joe "Jellybean" Bryant, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Zeke, Charles Barkley, and Michael Jordan were playing...I either wasn't born, or too young to have been a member of the media. The point I want to make is that Kobe is an extension of the great players of the past, namely his father...and instead of watching from a distance...I make an effort to cover his games and interview him the best way I know how.

Tonight the Lakers lost by 1 in Toronto...their next stop is the White House as guests of President Obama.

Photo: Walter Iooss Jr./Sports Illustrated