The Heart Of A Kid …

It’s not unusual to talk sports with grandson Austin although I did have to brush up on lacrosse terminology and strategy and rules the past four years.  That’s because Austin was generally considered one of the two best high school lacrosse players in Louisiana his senior year.  But, this isn’t about ability or bragging about a grandson.

This is about the kind heart of a kid.

The question was simple:  Austin wanted to know my thoughts about the best pro basketball player ever to play the game.  Wilt Chamberlain came to mind along with Bill Russell, but those two were from an era too far gone for Austin to relate.  “What about Michael Jordan and Larry Bird?” he asked.  “Which one of those was better?”  I could have offered a couple of smart aleck answers … like … it depends on what city you were from, Chicago or Boston, or … it depends on whether you were a Bulls fan or a Celtics fan. But I didn’t because it seemed like Austin was seriously curious about how yesteryear’s professional players might rank with today’s players.

So my answer was, “Jordan probably was the best, but Bird was definitely my favorite.”  Then I sent him a highlight video of Bird, which he loved.

It’s not uncommon for Austin to be awake around midnight during the NBA season, watching west coast games.  He loves basketball as much as lacrosse.  But this isn’t about basketball either. When Austin’s senior season of high school lacrosse was ready to tip off – or whatever you do to start a lacrosse game – he was captain of his team and ready for a banner year after setting multiple school records as an underclassman.  Opponents knew their best hope was to triple team him, a strategy that often was not successful.  A stack of letters from college lacrosse coaches was evidence enough of Austin’s skills.

The first game of his senior season, however, never really started for him.  Before any contact at all, he dropped to his knees in pain and could barely breathe.  Making it worse, he did not know why.  He was rushed to the hospital where doctors determined he had suffered a spontaneous pneumothorax – the sudden onset of a collapsed lung without any apparent cause.  No physical contact.  No pre-game jitters.  No nothing. It just happened at this particular time in his life.  Following two agonizing weeks in the hospital, surgery was necessary.  After lots of agony for him and even more agonizing by his mother, his lung finally was able to maintain full inflation on its own.

While Austin’s lung proved to be really stubborn, there was nothing wrong with his heart.  Two weeks after leaving the hospital, he was back on the lacrosse field.  He finished his senior season, won numerous awards and was named to the All-State lacrosse team despite missing part of the year.  The untimely challenge with his collapsed lung obviously did not keep him down long.

But this really isn’t about a lung either.  It’s about the kind heart of a thoughtful kid.

Austin’s motive behind the Larry Bird-Michael Jordan conversations was sneaky.  He knew his grandparents were coming to Louisiana for a Christmas visit.  As it turned out, the eight-hour drive was well worth it.  He had saved his money from part-time work to order a special (and expensive) gift for Grandad.

The official, NBA certified Larry Bird game jersey – replete with the famous number “33” and even more famous name “Bird” – now hangs in my home office. I will treasure the jersey of my favorite basketball player … but not nearly as much as my favorite lacrosse player.