Open Thread: Gregg Popovich writes letter to 14-year-old fan
This article by Ryan Hockensmith is a must-read. Please take a moment to watch the two-minute video that kicks off the piece.
It is a heartwarming story about a fourteen-year-old basketball fan writing letters to some of the NBA’s top names in an attempt to procure autographs while play was suspended due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.
Instead of returning the letter with just a signature, San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich does what he does — he replied to the young fan with a letter. In addition to his autograph. Bentley Baker received a response to his inquiry on becoming a coach someday.
- “To Bentley, make education and honesty your priorities and you will be happy and at peace. Gregg Popovich”
- “Keep a strong work ethic. Be humble and empathetic.”
- “A sense of humor is mandatory! All the best. Me again. Coach Pop”
But that wasn’t the end of it. Hockensmith wrote Pop a letter acknowledging his gratitude. Pop responded once again, but this time with a personal phone call sharing ”I always told myself if I was ever in a position where people actually felt like writing to me, for whatever reason, I would do my best to respond.”
Pop added, “I hate Zoom, I hate emails, I despise texting because I have to respell things 50 times. But when you sit down and you write a note to somebody, it’s like reading a book in your hand, instead of from a Kindle. Getting back to people, I think it makes an impact.”
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