The celebration of fatherhood and the honoring of the fathers in our country was again on full display this year as we commemorated Fathers Day in The Bahamas on Sunday, June 21, 2015. It is worth noting that Fathers Day was inaugurated in the United States in the early 20th century to complement Mothers Day. It was encouraging to see several families in churches and gatherings with the sole objective of showing appreciation for the dedicated and hardworking fathers across our archipelago of islands.
It is no secret that fathers play a major role in the upbringing of the children of our country; they help shape the destiny of their offspring and by extension the future of our commonwealth. It is only fitting that we highlight fathers while reflecting on the remarkable season and story of the recently crowned NBA champions - the Golden State Warriors. This piece looks at the characteristics and voyage of an unassuming group of young men led by a so-called novice coach and including one of our Bahamian sons - Klay Thompson.
Hometown hero
The story of the Golden State Warriors (GSW) and their triumph at the recent NBA Finals would probably have had less meaning to Bahamians if not for the fact that Klay Thompson was a member of the GSW. Often referred to as one half of the "Splash Brothers", Klay, a shooting guard, shared the GSW backcourt with the NBA's 2014/15 most valuable player (MVP) - Stephen Curry. While Bahamians have allegiances to several NBA teams (and this writer is a part of Lakernation dating back to the 80s), we put our differences aside and rooted for one of our own.
There would however never have been a Klay without a Mychal "Sweet Bells" George Thompson. Mychal Thompson was born on January 30, 1955 in Nassau, Bahamas and relocated to the U.S. to attend high school and subsequently the University of Minnesota while playing basketball. His exceptional exploits in high school and college basketball are well chronicled.
However, it is imperative to highlight the role of fate and destiny in his life's journey to being the first foreign-born player selected first in the NBA draft when he was the number one pick of the Portland Trail Blazers in 1978. It is reported that the scout that played a major role in Mychal Thompson's move to the U.S. had met him by sheer coincidence as he visited their family home while looking for another individual that had the same surname. The father of Mychal Thompson took a risk in the best interest of his son and the rest, as they say, is history.
Honoring our own
Memories of the victory parade of the 1987 Los Angeles Lakers' championship team around the streets of New Providence are still fresh in the minds of many Bahamians. It is believed that the championship was made possible by the pivotal move of the Lakers in bringing in Mychal Thompson in February 1987 to back up Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and to defend Kevin McHale of the Boston Celtics.
Thompson was one of four players selected as overall first picks in the NBA draft that were a part of the 1987 Lakers championship team; the others were Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Irvin "Magic" Johnson and James Worthy. The Lakers went on to repeat as NBA champions in 1988 with Thompson as a key part of the team.
Members of the GSW championship team are expected to headline the 28th edition of the Jeff Rodgers Basketball Camp which commences at the end of this month. The expectation is that Klay will be accompanied by teammates Draymond Green and NBA Finals MVP Andre Iguodala.
The minister of tourism has indicated that a major reception will be held in honor of Klay and he will be incorporated into the country's sports tourism initiative. This is fitting as we continue to build our nation with the help of all our sons and daughters of different generations and backgrounds.
The rookie coach
Any account of the journey of the GSW to the mountain top would be incomplete without reference to the man that led this team of talented young people. Steve Kerr was recruited from a list of suitably qualified individuals to coach a diverse group of veterans and younger players. He was charged with mentoring, inspiring, motivating and more importantly managing the egos of professional athletes while making them buy into a system for the common good. This was the expectation for a rookie coach in his first year as head coach of a team that had not won an NBA title in 40 years.
The question as to whether he delivered can be easily answered by considering his performance and actions during the just concluded NBA season. Kerr became the first rookie coach to win an NBA championship since Pat Riley did it in 1982 and also set an NBA record for most wins as a first year coach with 67 during the regular season.
In spite of his impressive accolades, he will probably be remembered most for his ability to persuade career starters to come off the bench and for his crucial adjustment in inserting Andre Iguodala into the starting line-up beginning in game four of the NBA Finals. Lest we forget, Kerr was supposed to be lacking in head coaching experience, he was untested in crucial battles and therefore was seen by many as a novice in leadership.
An unlikely MVP
There is no doubt that the NBA Finals series changed when Andre Iguodala replaced Andrew Bogut in the starting line-up of the GSW. This tactical move by a rookie coach created match-up nightmares for the opposition and slowed down arguably the best player on the planet in Lebron James. It is noteworthy to state that Iguodala never started a game for GSW during the regular season albeit he had been a starter in the NBA for 11 years prior to joining the team.
The MVP of the 2015 NBA Finals is a young man who accepted his role on the team and made personal sacrifices for the overall benefit of the team to which he belongs. He placed the name that appears on the front of his jersey over the name that featured on the back of his uniform. The game changer of this year's NBA Finals epitomizes the reality that if we make sacrifices for the common good and do not get weary in well doing, we shall be rewarded in due season.
The generation of drought ends
The number 40 is regarded as representing a generation in biblical terms. Hence, we can deduce that the GSW franchise was led to its last NBA championship by the dynamic Rick Barry one generation ago. After 40 years in the proverbial wilderness of NBA championship drought, the Larry O'Brien Trophy returned to Oakland, California amidst much jubilation and celebration.
On June 16, 2015, a group of ordinary people achieved an extraordinary feat by working together towards a common higher goal. Indeed this victory would not have been possible if the GSW did not have depth and a bench that was able to support and carry them during moments of adversity. These individuals now inhabit the Promised Land with the trophy knowing that while they celebrate, other teams are determined to dethrone them and dispossess them of the title next year. Until then, they will remain the champions.
Fatherhood and the next generation
This article concludes where it started by reflecting on the important role of fathers in the nurturing of the future of nations. The tale of the GSW team is evidence that fathers can raise champions who achieve great things in their lives and for their communities. The floor generals that make up the backcourt of the GSW are both second generation NBA players; Stephen Curry is the son of Wardell Stephen "Dell" Curry who was a prolific shooter during his NBA career.
It is obvious that the Splash Brothers have tight bonds with their fathers as the younger Curry often recounts attending basketball games with his father. Klay maintains a good relationship with "Sweet Bells" Thompson and is known to have visited The Bahamas on several occasions with his father and siblings.
It is worth stating that the younger siblings of Klay and Steph, also dubbed splash brothers, won the NBA D-League championships this season.
These fathers can be proud today because they took the time to invest in and inspire the next generation of champions. Even after they are long gone, history will be kind to them for raising children that gave us sporting moments to remember.
We salute all fathers that step up and contribute in the shaping of our nation's future by being there through thick and thin. Happy belated Fathers Day!
o Arinthia S. Komolafe is an attorney-at-law. Comments on this article can be directed to a.s.komolafe510@gmail.com.
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