I haven’t been hawking my non-stop brand of silliness around the old HP interwebs for a while. To be honest, I have been bottle up in some political workings that haven’t left me sufficient time to comb through the absurdity of the offseason and find some priceless pieces to lampoon.
However, this morning I found an article that hit me hardest where my two allegiances lie: one to the League and one to our Country (I beg pardon with Skeets, Melas, Mackenzie, et. al who are of the Canadian persuasion). Tim James, former NBA forward and one of the best players in University of Miami history, has been the subject of a brief profile on his courageous decision to leave the world of sport and join the front lines of America’s war in Iraq.
Now, regardless of your feelings about the U.S. led wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, I still find it incredibly brave and selfless to see someone who had made a comfortable living as a professional athlete take a principled stand and listen to a higher calling. His former coaches, teammates and Miami Heat personnel are sending well wishes and gift baskets for Tim and all those in his platoon. It’s times like these when I really respect the community and the closeness these players share with their organizations, fans and colleagues.
So, I encourage all of you to wish Tim James well and see if there is anything we can do, as a blog network, to pay tribute to Mr. James and so many others like him who are undertaking this selfless, dangerous assignment.
Thanks to Matthew Bunch over at our Truehoop Network affiliate Hot Hot Hoops for outlining this story as well. It’s because of folks like Tim James that we can all take the NBA this seriously. Think about that, and be proud.
