Championship moments came early for me. Perhaps I was spoiled by this, lol)) There were later moments as a part of various teams, but it was those early moments as a blossoming teenager when I was ‘still the man’, lol)) I was humble, I guess, because such a role was routine and I never considered any other role as a possibility. Most likely, lol, my thoughts at the time were preoccupied with chicks and other teenage stuff, eh))
Basketball was an opportunity because I was bigger than most of the other kids my age, and I was a welcome addition to the Springfield A.A. basketball team. At the time I was attending a private school and was prohibited from participating in organized sports outside of the school programs. In retrospect, I believe it was the headmaster who chose to wink, ignore this stipulation, and recognize the Springfield A.A. as a local community program of value that offered positive athletic experiences for kids like me beyond what was offered at school. We both grew up in Springfield (where he was a four-sport legend)…
So, about that championship, lol, I was the starting center for the basketball team. My job was to rebound and play defense. Most of my scoring chances came from the low post near the basket and I was very consistent. The championship game was played at a neutral site, a nearby junior high school gymnasium with enough seating for maybe 50 people, and I am happy there was room for my Dad who never missed a game))
I don’t remember who we played that night. Every time I got the ball near our basket, they converged on me, two and sometimes three at a time. I was held scoreless through the first half, but learned that when so many opponents came after me, it left my teammates open for uncontested shots. So, I became a passer and my teammates responded with accurate shooting. Through the second half (with less attention paid to me) I added a game high 9 points and we secured the championship in run away fashion. There were no parades in Springfield the next day, lol, but we were happy to be champions, eh))…
My MVP trophy is buried somewhere in my attic, lol, and I remember wondering what more I had to do to be noticed by the chicks…It was not too long after that I met Tony and joined a rock’nroll band, lol)))