As a child, my father traveled extensively. When I was seven, he was on a business trip in Springfield, Massachusetts. We did not live far, just outside of Albany, New York. He called my mother and told her he had a great room, poolside, and that she should bring me and my two brothers out to stay for a few days.
My brothers and I were lollygagging about in the pool, when my oldest brother jumped out and ran over to my mother. He pointed at two of the tallest men I had ever seen in my young life. The men turned out to be the legendary Dr. Jay and Larry Bird. They had rooms a few doors down from us. As I recall, they were there for an event at the Basketball Hall of Fame. I had no idea who these two giants were at the time but my brother was very excited about it.
We waited with pens and paper and when they emerged from their rooms, we asked them for their autographs. I remember staring at the “33” on Larry Bird’s pants because it hurt my neck too much to try to keep looking up at his face. I just could not believe how incredibly tall these two men were.
From that day forward I became a fan of the Boston Celtics and began playing basketball myself. It fostered a lifelong love of the game and a special place on my list of favorite people for both Dr. Jay and Larry Bird.
My father told me and my brothers to hang onto those autographs because one day they would be worth something. I used to bring them in to school for show and tell. I had them tacked up on my bedroom wall for awhile. Now, I have them tucked away in a safe place and will pass them and the story of how I got them on to my boys.