March 2025:

Talk of Champions: Stories of the People Who Made Me

by Kenny Smith

For the month of March 2025, me and Ali chose a book that's a bit off our usual path. You see, the football season is over and we are in the middle of the NBA basketball season. And last year, the Dallas Mavericks reached the NBA championship final series only to lose to to Boston Celtics. My thoughts were that the Mavericks would do well this season and we could transition into following them into the post season. Not!

About a month ago, the Dallas Mavericks lost there mind and traded their young star player Luca Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for ageing star player Anthony Davis. It gets worse! Davis got hurt in his first game for the Mavericks and is out for the year. This trade has been such a disaster that I doubt the Dallas Mavericks franchise will ever recover from it. So, I don't think there'll be a "How Bout them Mavericks" series anytime soon! haha! Sad but true.

I love sports - American football, soccer, basketball and baseball. This time of the year is when I'll start following the NBA season and be informed when the playoffs begin in the summer. For the past Two years we've been able to watch sports on TV when before all we had was radio. The #1 basketball TV show is "Inside The NBA" with retired NBA stars Charles Barkley, Shaquille O'Neal, and Kenny Smith.

This show is not just about basketball, these brothers also discuss events and topics that are occurring in the world in general. I heard about Kenny Smith's memoir from a sports talk show and made note of this book because I always thought that Kenny was intelligent and had interesting things to say.

This book was published in 2023, and in it Kenny shares his thoughts and experiences with stars like Michael Jordan, Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant, Hakeem Olajuwon Magic Johnson, and more. All these brothers are superstar players and extremely successful men in general. I am always interested in the life stories of men who are winner in life in general.

Kenny Smith opens this book with recounting a time in his life on August 28, 2020, when the Milwaukee Bucks had walked off the court before a, playoff game in protest of yet another police shooting of an unharmed black man. In support of the players who did this Kenny also walked off the set of Inside The NBA.

That was five years ago and a time in history when many in this country were protesting the killing of unarmed black and brown citizens in this country by over zealous, racist cops and the Black Lives Matter movement was in effect.

I clearly remember this period and I felt like real change was happening. But today it feels like we as a society in this country have went backwards. The current president has given permission to his supporters to express their racist hate for those who don't think, act or look like them. Law enforcement and immigrant officials are terrorizing brown communities with targeting those who look like they are in this country illegally. Meanwhile the armed terrorists who attacked the U. S. Capitol In an attempt to overturn the presidential election have been pardoned by their master -- Trump. For me that is almost too insane to be true. Almost.

Kenny Smith attended the University of North Carolina and was a freshman when the great Michael Jordan was a senior. They become friends and teammates that year. When describing Jordan's "it" factor, it began with a mindset. An ability to be confident yet inclusive, aggressive but caring. Michael Jordan would force you to reach I for your greatness.

Some people can find and it on their own. Some just don't have it. And some people need to be around someone who can help bring I out. That was Kenny Smith.

Kenny said Jordan had something different that the superstars that come after him, like Kobe, Lebron, Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving -- they didn't always seem to share this greatness. Michael Jordan always shared. He was happy if you come along MJ always shared that "IT", whatever it was, he'd share with you.

That was profound to me. Jordan was the greatest of all time and wanted to take you with him on his journey to greatness. I think that is the definition of a true leader and those who played with MJ were blessed.

Kenny Smith was chosen sixth overall in the NBA draft in 1987, by the Sacramento Kings, who were coached by the legendary Bill Russell.

Russell was the NBA's first black superstar. He was also the first black coach in modern America sports. When Smith was a rookie he would ride home with coach Russell at the end of every trip.

Kenny recounts a ride home late when he saw the flashing lights of a police car pulling them over. Nervous, he looked at Russell who continued driving.

Kenny asked him, " aren't you going to pull over? " Coach replied, " yeah, when I get closer to home." Then Bill Russell laughed.

Smith was from NYC and had been racially profiled and understood that any interaction with the police was dangerous.

Russell continued for another minute, then finally pulled over. The white officer approached the car and Russell rolled down his window.

"Do you know how fast you were going? " The officer said. "Are you in a rush? Don't you realize if your driving that fast ---"

Before the cop could say anything else coach Russell interrupted, "listen, either you're gonna give me a lecture or a ticket, but your not going to give me both."

Kenny was floored. He'd never heard anyone speak to an officer that way. "License and registration," the cop said. Then, "Oh, sorry, Mr Russell. Great game tonight, guys. Slow down and have a nice night."

As he drove away, Russell began to laugh. Then stopped and turned serious as he said, "You've done nothing wrong Kenny, never let them think you have and always make them respect you."

That story was very impressive to me. I have also been racially profiled and been stopped by the police for driving while brown. Then handcuffed hands behind my back and forced to sit on the curb while back up arrived and they began to search my vehicle. Sometimes a K9 unit would show up and a cop with a dog would join the search sniffing around to see if they could find illegal contraband.

I've felt nervous like Kenny felt that night anxious that this might end badly and I'd go to jail because the cops didn't like how I looked or how I answered their questions. I always hated any interactions with the police because of these experiences.

Now, I understand what coach Russell was teaching Kenny Smith. I'm no longer engaging in monkey business. I've done nothing wrong so I'm never letting them think that I have. And because I am courteous and respectful to them, I insist they treat me the same.

These are just a few examples of the stories Kenny Smith shares in Talk of Champions. I really enjoyed the lessons and wisdom he shares in his memoir. I thought this book was great and think you will too especially if you're a sport fan! Too bad the dummy Dallas Mavericks traded away their top three player in the NBA resulting in the not competing for a championship anytime soon -- if ever again. Boo hoo!

Ooh well -- I'm seriously thinking about jumping ship and becoming a Los Angeles Laker fan instead! haha!

Talk of Champions has many stories of the author's life and through them shares lots of wisdom. This is why I think it is a book that's worthy to be read by our Words That Sustain Me book club!