My Life as an NBA Superstar Single Dad

by Dwayne Wade

There are a few words that come to mind when I think about the past couple years of my life: challenging, rewarding, transformative—they roll off the tip of my tongue in an instant. In the span of a year my two good friends LeBron James and Chris Bosh joined me on the Miami Heat, I struggled through a painful, public divorce, and I became the full-time parent to my two young sons, Zaire and Zion.

I’ve had some ups and downs lately, but the memories of the unpleasant times disappear quickly, in part because of moments like the one recently when I was able to surprise my younger son, Zion, at his school with cupcakes for his fourth birthday. It was the day after we’d won the Eastern Conference finals, but that victory couldn’t compare with the huge smile on Zion’s face at that moment. I will never forget it. Bad memories vanish each morning when I walk into both of my sons’ bedrooms to wake them up for school—their laughter gives me all I need to face whatever is happening in my life. Not too long ago, due to custody issues, I wasn’t allowed to see my sons for long periods of time, or was given the chance to see them for only a few hours with no idea of if or when I’d see them again. I can’t describe how trying those days were, fighting for full custody while also working as a professional basketball player nine months of the year. I just knew I wanted to be with my kids.

I was seriously motivated to be a full-time parent for my sons. My mother and father weren’t together when I was a kid growing up in Chicago, and early on my mother fell victim to drug abuse. At 9 years old, I moved in with my father because my mother could no longer care for me. Looking back, I now see so many similarities between my own childhood and that of my sons. My father stepped in when I needed him, and that gave me the chance for a better life. That’s what I’m doing for my boys now.

All children need their fathers, but boys especially need fathers to teach them how to be men. I remember wanting that so badly before I went to live with my dad. I wanted someone to teach me how to tie a tie and walk the walk, things only a man can teach a boy. Of course, back then, I never could have imagined being in the same situation someday with my own kids. My dad and I bumped heads a lot—we were so alike, both of us born competitors. My older son, Zaire, is exactly the same way. We’ll battle on the court when I’m 39 and he’s 19. He’s 9 now, and he’s grown up with basketball. Zion could take it or leave it, which is cool by me.

Today, I constantly tell my dad how much I appreciate what he did for me. I think you really have to become a parent to understand what you will endure to be there for your kids. I could say I was surprised at the criticism I received for traveling from Miami to Chicago so often during the regular season for my custody court cases, but nothing really surprises me anymore. I had a duty to fight to be with my kids, and I did it.

Thankfully, I’ve gotten a lot of support from my mother, sister, and others in taking care of my boys and making their new living arrangements a smooth and happy transition. Going forward, I want my sons to have a healthy relationship with their mother, and that’s something we’re working on. I hope to have a great relationship with her one day too, because I know how much it meant to me to see my parents get along as time went on.

I can’t say what we’ll do for Father’s Day, because since my sons came to live with me about two months ago, every day has been like Father’s Day. I just want people—men, and men of color in particular—to hear my story and know that their children need them and that it’s their responsibility to be there for them. We have to step up as men and do our part. There are no excuses.

Dwayne Wade is a guard for the Miami Heat and was recently appointed by President Obama to a new parenting program geared toward encouraging fathers to become more involved in their children’s lives.

(via Newsweek)

 

 

Whatever Happened to Baby Jordan?

Harold Miner has to just laugh about some of the rumors about him floating around on the Internet.

Like the ones about Miner being in the witness protection program. Or working at a Jack in the Box in Los Angeles. Or being a member of the LAPD and becoming an ordained minister.

“Oh my goodness, it’s crazy,” said Miner, now 39.

The truth is much less sensationalistic. Miner now resides in Las Vegas with his wife, 7-year-old daughter and 3-year-old son. He currently isn’t working, and still lives off the over $20 million he made during a brief NBA career which — unlike many pro athletes — he managed and invested very diligently.

Miner says the biggest misconception about him is that he’s a recluse, but such speculation about his whereabouts has become common since he last appeared in the NBA in 1996 because he hasn’t been interviewed in over a decade.

He has rejected countless requests to speak with the fan favorite who earned the nickname “Baby Jordan” by winning two NBA Slam Dunk contests and dazzling crowds with his highlight-reel dunks. Even now, he only calls from a blocked phone number in an interview arranged through a former USC sports information director.

“I’m really kind of dumbfounded as to why people would be interested in reading a story about me,” Miner said. “I haven’t played in almost 15 years and I haven’t done anything significant on a national scale since my junior year at SC almost 20 years ago. It’s a trip, actually.”

Seeing how he hasn’t spoken publicly in so long, there’s a couple things he wants to get off his chest. Specifically, he thanked his fans for all their support over the years, gave props to fellow Inglewood legend Paul Pierce for becoming an NBA star and even apologized to writers that covered him in Miami — Ira Winderman and Shaun Powell — for not being himself there because of his disappointing stay on South Beach.

So why now is Miner finally ready to speak?

“I just think it’s time,” Miner said. “It’s been a long time.”

It certainly has. Miner became a household name almost two decades ago as a junior at USC by piling up points and dunks during the 1991-92 season. Miner had the shaved head, No. 23 jersey, MJ mannerisms and the spectacular slams that reminded many of “His Airness.” Suddenly, the “Baby Jordan” nickname he picked up on the playgrounds of Inglewood had spread across the nation and made him a star, something he always grappled with.

“I probably never got used to being in the spotlight,” Miner said. “I’d say it’s always been uncomfortable for me, not natural for me.”

Miner led USC to a No. 2 seed in the 1992 NCAA Tournament, becoming USC’s all-time leading scorer (a record he still holds) and earning Sports Illustrated’s college basketball’s Player of the Year award over LSU’s Shaquille O’Neal and Duke’s Christian Laettner. But the storybook season came to an abrupt end when Georgia Tech’s James Forrest knocked the Trojans out of the second round on a legendary buzzer-beating 3-pointer. Weeks later, Miner held an emotional press conference to announce he would be turning pro.

Taken 12th overall in the ’92 draft, the lefty swingman was expected to become a scoring and marketing machine. He signed a five-year, $7.3-million contract with the Heat as a rookie and an endorsement deal with Nike reportedly worth $14 million. But he never came close to reaching expectations, averaging under 10 points a game in his three years in Miami. Hobbled by injuries, Miner was criticized for his poor defense and wayward outside shooting.

He still had marketability after winning the 1993 and 1995 NBA Slam Dunk Contests (he could’ve had a three-peat if a knee injury didn’t sideline him in 1994), so Cleveland took a chance on Miner with a trade in June of 1995. But he rode the pine there as well and his ’96 season ended with knee surgery after averaging just three points per game.

Given one last shot by the Toronto Raptors before the 1997 season, Miner says he slipped on a wet spot and severely sprained the same knee, leaving him with no mobility and the writing on the wall.

“For the whole two weeks I was in Toronto I couldn’t sleep — I didn’t sleep at all,” Miner said. “I think I knew that that was it.”

And just like that, Miner’s career was over at the age of 25.

“A lot of people don’t understand why I stopped playing was because I had two knee surgeries and I had a degenerative joint in my knee, so it was just too much wear and tear, and I ended up with very little cartilage in my knee,” Miner said.

After returning to Southern California following his career, Miner found a new home in Las Vegas and dabbled in buying and selling real estate. His new fix is nutrition. Miner says he’s lost 25 pounds with his personal trainer in the last year after reaching 280 pounds.

That’s not the only change he’s made recently, as Miner’s now finally reaching out to old friends and even USC to try and reconnect to his “basketball roots.” Miner says he’s even considering seeing a USC game or two next season.

Given the current state of Miner’s scandal-ridden alma mater and the way fans have longed for years to hear from the Trojan legend, it could be the loudest ovation in the Galen Center all year.

Story by Jim Weber (via Yahoo.com)

Ron Artest: Crazy or Misunderstood?

We all knew Ron Artest as a crazy, Rodman-like player in his career with the Pacers, Kings and Rockets, with the brawl at the Auburn Palace only solidifying that reputation.

As he made his move to the Lakers, the fans questioned the Lakers front office for letting a working piece, in Ariza, go for a lunatic, in Ron Artest. Critics and analysts said Ron would destroy the chemistry and the Lakers wouldn’t be able to repeat with him on the team.

But in his first year with the Lakers, Ron proved those critics wrong. He has been the exact opposite of what the critics said. He gives out tickets to games, has breakfast with fans and goes bowling with fans. He made appearances on the Jimmy Kimmel show, George Lopez show and he has proven to be funny in those appearances, always seeking to have fun. There is also a rumor that the so-called “bad boy” NBA player is to develop and produce the “They Call Me Crazy” show with E1 Entertainment and Tijuana Entertainment(yes, Tijuana Ent). The series will document the ups and downs of Artest’s life, allowing him to “make amends for past transgressions,” according to E1 Entertainment. Some say he is the most down to earth player. But with that being said, is Ron really crazy or just a misunderstood person?

Watch Ron Artest interview, Ron Artest here, where he answers some questions about himself. This should answer this question.

-Mr. CEO

AIR Jordan’s Heir Marcus Jordan says, “Kobe’s still no Michael”

via Yahoo Sports:

One of Michael Jordan’s defining characteristics during his heyday as a corporate pitchman was his ability to preserve his polished image by never saying anything remotely controversial.

Central Florida guard Marcus Jordan, however, doesn’t seem to have inherited that trait from his father.

As Kobe Bryant struggled through a nightmarish first half in Thursday night’s decisive game of the NBA Finals, Marcus decided it was the ideal time to weigh in on the frequent comparisons between his father and the Lakers star. Here’s what Michael’s youngest son Tweeted late in the second quarter

Then during halftime when ABC showed a chart comparing Bryant and Jordan in the NBA Finals, Marcus Tweeted, “I know y’all just seen the stats too” and “no comparison.”

It’s ironic that Marcus would be the one to make such a statement since he and older brother Jeffrey know all too well the burden of following in the footsteps of the greatest player in NBA history. They endured other kids following them to get a glimpse of their father, opposing fans chanting “You’re no Michael” at high school and AAU games, and reporters badgering them about their vertical leaps or why they don’t play with their tongue out.

Bryant probably wouldn’t agree, but he’s probably not too worried about Marcus Jordan right now. He has a fifth ring with which to console himself.

LAKERS vs. CELTICS: Rivalry Renewed…Part Deux

LAKERS vs. CELTICS: Rivalry Renewed…Part Deux

A rivalry is two competing people, companies, teams, cities, or other organization. The rivals are not always similarly matched, but they are well known to each other.

Of course they remember the last time they faced their rival. Anyone with self respect would remember, the way their bus got rocked and their hearts got removed with a bare-handed clutch followed by a hard yank, how they were left not simply in defeat but in humiliation.

The Lakers do not forget 2008. The Lakers cannot forget that Finals. The Lakers will not forget what the Celtics did to them — what the whole city of Boston did to them, really — the last time the teams met for the championship. And the Lakers couldn’t even if they wanted to, not when everyone is tossing the memory back at them this week as the rematch approaches and the chance for revenge is at hand.

With that said, the time has come to separate the great from the good, the winners from the players, the CHAMPIONS from the contenders. Today a new chapter begins. How will it end? With tears of PURPLE & GOLD joy. My beast-mode has reached its boiling point, tonight WE feast on retched green flesh! NO MORE TALKING, game time….LAKERS, LAKERS!!! I say again, LAKERS!!! LAAAKKKKEEEERRRRSSSS!!!!!!!!!