Larry Miller and AG. in Philadelphia
NYC
"America surprise us, and let a black man guide us..."
Nas - Black President
I, like most young people wanted to grow up and play sports professionally. At a very early age I was so intrigued with competition, and sport that I often dreamed of becoming an All-Star in either basketball, futbol, or baseball.
Role Model
It was Sir Charles Barkley who once echoed that he wasn't a role model...now at the time, I disagreed with him because I was a child that looked up to him as a fan of the Philadelphia 76ers. However Barkley was correct, as he backed up that statement by saying that he was just a basketball player and that parents, and working professionals were the people we should look up to.
It all makes perfect sense now, as I never attained my dream of playing in the NBA, but I did land a job with the League office upon my graduation from Temple University. The rationale was that my skill set didn't live up to my ambitions, so I had to channel that love for basketball into a job.
Since then, my zeal for the game continues to propel my career path, as I have switched gears from working in public relations to becoming a journalist.
One of the persons that I look up to and have looked up to for quite sometime is Philadelphia native and Temple University alum, Larry Miller. I first met him when he worked for the Jordan Brand in New York City during a Jumpman promotional tour. What amazed me the most was that he is from the same neighborhood that I'm from, and he now serves as the President of the Portland Trail Blazers organization. His love of sports helped him to excel and grow into becoming an executive of an NBA franchise.
His name was in the news recently as he sent an email to all the NBA teams, warning them not to sign Darius Miles to spite his organization. It's a long story, but at the end of the day, he is just doing his job, and for that I will continue look up to him.
Bill Cosby, Will Smith, and Larry Miller have proven to me, that my environment does not and should not decide my future. If they can achieve, then I too can follow in their footsteps.
Photo: Webster Riddick
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