Gonna Lace Em Up One Last Time

On February 5th, I will be in Detroit to play in Sam’s Game.  The backstory on this is short and sweet. I met Dan Pelekoudas and Mike Spehn when I was a fifth-grader and we (along with some other guys) were inseparable until we graduated high school. We played basketball everywhere and every day. Dan played hoops at Michigan (1980-84).

Mike’s first wife passed away from a brain tumor in a couple of weeks after she was diagnosed. He met Gina. Gina’s husband Matt had died of cancer too-after a 2.5 year battle. Their story was told in the Hallmark Channel movie, “The Color of Rain” with a companion book.

Mike and Gina got married and had a Brady Bunch family. In November of 2015, their son Sam was diagnosed with a brain tumor. He had it removed and did a lot of cutting edge therapy. But, like Slim Shady, the tumor recently came back. Sam’s life is uncertain right now. But, he loves basketball. So, we are playing a game.

You can help out families that are stricken by cancer donating to New Day Foundation for Families.

I have already started an ibuprofen drip prophylactically. I am hoping that they have a rim short enough for me to go Phi Slamma Jamma on. I haven’t done that since I was 40. Maybe being bald will streamline me.