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Found a Heart
 For some reason, I was always intrigued by Dillon Brooks, and my heart sank a bit because I thought he probably got a raw deal. He had attitude. He was fearless. And he just couldn’t help but take a swing now and then at my other favorite above all favorites, LeBron James.
Dillon knew where the corset of victory was located, and that most players would dance around LeBron, who had such courage and skills that really few could even touch the glory he was climbing. Surely LeBron will end up as one of THE top players in all of history. I would recommend any basketball fan to hear the story of LeBron James because it is filled with miracles and fascinating turn arounds and rise ups and he woke up basketball which was just dragging along when he was in college.
My other tough guy is Kyrie, who refused to take the vaccine, so he had to sit out a bit when the corona virus was creeping around in people’s smile, sneeze, or cough. He just didn’t want to take the risk, like a lot of people in sports. Kyrie used to party with Mike Miller back in the day, and my pal Martha and I were included, and since I lived downtown, I didn’t mind going to the popular party room, and got to know some of a team. Kyrie to me is one of the hardest playing basketball stars on the show board, and I’m proud he has stayed loyal to his trade leaving Boston and now playing for Dallas, which once held another favorite player, Dirk Nowitzki. And Kyrie makes the night more exciting and skillful when he is out there on the floor.
Now Dillon, for as far as I know, was not necessarily raised to be the exquisite player he became. And with his beard and strong vision (eyes) he wanted to be in his enemy’s face. In fact, he picked the toughest player in all history, it seems. And because of his attacks, he was crucified for them and then they “fired” him of sorts. I was devastated because he was a dang good player. But what just twisted at my heart and soul was seeing him at the end of a game holding on to his beautiful daughter, probably three or so in age, who obviously loved her father, and I hope for her, Dillon is a great hero. He is in many ways, but not necessary the way the character of a team might be. Now that he is gone, I find there is a hole in our Memphis Grizzlies. Maybe he would spit LeBron in the eye or try to trip some other super star - I wonder what he thinks of the new first choice player - the monster tall player from France, Victor Wembanyama, really from Africa. He smiles and dumps and makes baskets without even looking. He is highly skilled and puts excitement in the current lines of basketball.
Sadly, NBA fans seem to love to hate Dillon, for little reason. I’m sorry I don’t want to be among those trying to hate him. Why? Because he got too close to the face of LeBron. who is probably twenty years older. Maybe Dillon was trying to get the attention away from LeBron and tried to scatter it among the less powerful players. He was not just dealing with LeBron, but the entire team, which has held clutches and chunks of wins over the years from the days of yore.
Memphis is a country seam in the roles of pro basketball. We are tryers and fighters, and not so much beautiful movement or twists and turns that distort the point where the basketball wants to be or caught or shot or bounced. You cannot hold on to it for any length of time.
Though instead of his grin, Dillon carries with him a fierce frown that suggests “don’t mess with me” kinda expression, until, the game is over and done, win or lose, he becomes such a loving father, holding his precious daughter, not saying a word, but watching the whipped cream of victory, as the press interviews and questions and it’s not necessarily Dillon who gets the interview. But he waits on his team before they slip back into the lower level to change their attire, comment on what went wrong or was good or should of done, that and not this, but yet, we won. That’s what matters in the long run.
It was one of those victory nights when Dillon was leaning against the table on the wooden floor, holding his precious daughter, probably about two-year-old, I think, and it tore out my heart because you could see how much he loved this child, and she loved him. I have a photo I took. I didn’t want to interfere the moment with the photo. But I was sad when he moved off to another team, hoping he will find his skills and success, maybe some love to hate him, but there are bunches who don’t hate him, and if anyone had seen him holding his beautiful child one of those final nights, your heart too would roll over in pain. I’m sorry he was “fired” - our Dillon Brooks.
How did he do in his Memphis return in another jersey? It’s got to be hard. Many have left and played under other flags so to speak: Mike Miller, Mark, and Pao Gasol, both Spaniards, were people that started out with Memphis. I guess the simplicity gave them a chance to learn and develop into better basketball players. It’s been over 20 years of Grizzlies basketball. A lot we birthed here, a lot we moved on out of the way, a few like Mike Conley Jr, Zach Randolph, Tony Allen, Rudy Gay, Lorenzen Wright, Shane Battier and Vince Carter who came to my home for a low-key fund raiser, and Matt Barnes, who gave some of his time to visit juvenile court to talk to kids. Even Allen Iverson, was as controversial as one could get.
I keep checking in and out and wishing to fly above all things I like, love, and enjoy like Grizzlies victories - except when LeBron or Kyrie twist and turn our team in such a way we just can’t get across those lines and tossing balls correctly into baskets. But we push on, cheer hard, and never give up, even when we can’t seem to get the ball in the basket, and the brilliant players are just missing their marks. Dillon can remember those times when he was a Grizzlie. And I hope that he grows stronger and sharper and doesn’t continue the war with LeBron James. No one will ever equal LeBron. He is just a special man with a lot of talent, and a super family. And he even took time to talk to my granddaughter and me when the bus was waiting downstairs after a game, thanks to Mike Miller who arranged the meeting for us.
~ Rev
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audrey@audreytaylorgonzalez.com
www.audreytaylorgonzalez.com
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