For the first time in my life, I’m older than a Detroit Piston
I vividly remember the last time the Pistons won a championship. I was only eight years old. I still smile, reminiscing on Big Ben’s emphatic block on Shaq, the “Our Full House is Better Than Your Pair” (referring to the Detroit starting five vs. the Lakers Kobe-Shaq duo) sign in the Palace stands, and Rip Hamilton’s free throw routine.
And now that I’m older, I obviously remember a lot more from these past few seasons compared to my childhood.
Recently I made the realization that I am older that the Pistons’ first round pick, Stanley Johnson. Most Pistons fans can say that, but at age 19, this is the first season where a Piston is younger than I am. I can’t wrap my head around the whirlwind of going pro in this chapter of my young life.
And I won’t say that I feel old, but I do feel kind of odd. I still dub 2004 as one of the best years of my life solely because I got to stay up past my bedtime to watch my beloved ‘new Bad Boys,’ as I called that squad, win a championship.
My generation is starting to enter the NBA, and now I just find it surreal — like some players in the league — that someone my age can play in The Association. While I’m entering my second year of college, the men my age in the NBA could be well on their way to million dollar contracts and so many other responsibilities on their plate that they have to take care of.
I’ve always viewed athletes as larger-than-life role models and heroes. A majority of the reason behind this was their superior athletic ability and the way they carried themselves. But they were also older than me, so I naturally looked up to the men on my favorite sports teams. I didn’t know what their lives would be like off the court, and assumed that they would be upstanding or at least as outstanding as they were on the hardwood.
And now that I’m closer in age to some athletes, I don’t view those in my age group the same way as I did others. They still are marvels of talent and set great examples to everyone, not just those who are younger than them. I view the current players, like Stanley Johnson, as more personable and relatable, naturally. I find that we have some things in common, use social media sites frequently, and I can understand where they’re coming from.
Instead of wanting Tayshaun Prince to pick me up to dunk a basketball when I was eight, my current self wants to discuss who the King of Rap is with Johnson, Andre Drummond, and Brandon Jennings (the answer is Kendrick Lamar). I don’t want– and it is impossible now– to view my favorite Pistons as some sort of cool uncle, like I did with Tayshaun or Chauncey Billups back in the day.
Like most fans, and for a lack of sounding like a fan boy, I want to be friends with a Detroit Piston. It would just be awesome to hang out with them, order pizza, and play NBA 2K.
But at the same time, I can’t imagine what it would be like to be in their shoes. Sure, you get to do what you love multiple nights a week and get paid more than the average person could dream of. But at the same time, you’re constantly away from your family and friends, having to deal with the aforementioned substantial finances, and finding the balance of being yourself as a younger man in a league where most men are older than you.
If I ever get to speak to Stanley Johnson, I want to ask him, “How did you handle the pressure when you were 19?” Right now, I can’t fathom what it would be like to be him. And especially with the passing of his mother, my thoughts and prayers go out to him as a man his age whose heart has a lot of empathy for him.
If you don’t play in the NBA, you can’t fully grasp what it is like to be a member of it. Especially when those members entering in now are your age, it becomes even harder. The on and off court lives seem like two different worlds to me, and I imagine the lifestyle of a professional basketball player is a lot more stressful and difficult than it looks.
"“How did you handle the pressure when you were 19?”"
I don’t know what it’s like to be in the NBA at 19, but for Johnson and all the other 19 year olds entering their rookie seasons, I wish you well. I hope that you find peace and comfort in what is sure to be one of the most tumultuous years of your life.
And the memories you create will be something I’ll be able to remember clearly by the time you’re retired. Just let me know if you want to hang out sometime.
Next: Detroit Pistons Stanley Johnson gets another nod for ROY