I want to point out an incident that happened in the NBA playoffs 2 weeks ago. For those of you not big NBA fans, I will give you the quick version because I want you to hear this story. The Lakers' Derek Fisher was about to shoot a free throw when a camera took a picture that showed a Utah Jazz fan in the crowd covering one eye and screaming at the player. What's the big deal you might ask? Well Fisher has a daughter, who last year, when she was 11-months old, was diagnosed with retinoblastoma, a rare type of eye cancer. (in the US, less than 300 kids a year are diagnosed with the disease.) Hold on, it gets worse. Fisher who actually played for the Jazz and these same fans last year, asked to be released from his contract before this season. Fisher needed a situation that allowed him to play close to a treatment center so he could be there for his team and family. So this year, as a Laker, he returns to Utah to face the Jazz in the 2nd round. Several fans who attended the game said that some Jazz fans were chanting "cancer" over and over again when Fisher touched the ball or shot free throws.
What if his daughter had been in the stands? "Mommy, are these people talking about me? Are they making fun of me? What did I do to them? What did daddy do to them?"
What could any player ever do to deserve being treated that way? All in the name of sports and competition?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment