The namesake of this honor was known as The Blueprint. He was a man of impeccable character whose
contribution went far beyond the blacktop.
As a baller, he was a visionary, making everyone else better.
The form on his jump shot was textbook and the flow of his
game was poetry in motion. Off the
court, he was a mentor, teacher, motivator, giver, and friend. There was no wasted movement on or off the
court. Everything he did had meaning and
purpose. That is his legacy. His impact is felt long after his death.
The recipient of the inaugural The Blueprint Man of the Year
honor is a man of unquestioned integrity.
His contributions to the game are unsung. From maintaining the rec-yard, setting up and
dismantling the game equipment.
Providing official game towels and water (with the ice), to assisting
the game officials.
All seemingly inconsequential tasks, but all essential to
the game, and all performed in an unofficial capacity and with a humility and
grace that are transcendent.
And at the age of 49, known as “Father Time;” he’s still
known to step on the blacktop and give out lessons to the youngsters, that it
is the fundamentals that make a player great-not just chucking up shot after
shot, or crossing over simply for the sake of crossing over. And he’s still a 45 % shooter…from half
court!
Off the court, he is quick with a greeting and a kind
word. He is a motivator who does the
right thing instinctively, where there is seemingly no incentive to do so.
He will be the first to say he doesn’t want to be recognized
for his contributions – and that is my final piece of evidence as I rest my
case as to why he is deserving of this honor.
As we continue to fight for our lives, it is the seemingly
inconsequential things that are so essential to our sanity and to our day-to-day
survival. They remind us of our
humanity. They are the reason why we
thrive when all evidence seems to point to our demise.
He is known as Big Mac, I call him Big Bro and he is the
recipient of the inaugural The Blueprint Man of the Year honors. Pour it up.
Always 100,
Mr. Blue
Copyright © 2013 by Paul Brown
No comments:
Post a Comment