Their Playing Basketball...

If you haven't figured it out by now, I love the game of basketball. Not to say that I can play worth a lick, but it is the only sport that I can follow and know what is actually going on. So of course, it is only natural that I enjoy reading novels with a little b-ball flavor. My pick for 2006, hands down is "In The Paint" by Philana Marie Boles. I stumbled across her first novel, "Blame It On Eve" at the public library and I was hooked. Boles breezy writing is filled with themes on self love and appreciation. She challenges the female reader to love herself first, before trying to love somebody else. It doesn't help that she adds theses fine ass male characters that just leaves your imagination going, going and going...

My next all time favorite is Homecourt Advantage. Written by the wives of two pro-basketball players, you get this erie feeling that althought the front page reminds you that this a work of fiction you are like, "yeah right!" You know this kinda of stuff really happens! Juciy is the first word that comes to mind when describing this one. Everyone that I recommed it to simple loves it.

In keeping with the basketball theme, this season I am planning to check out the LSU Ladies Basketball games. I've been promising my kids that we would take in a pro game and since the Hornets are missing in action because of the twins "Katrina and Rita" I figure that these girls are just as good as the pros (and you know I'm telling the truth).

All this talk about basketball and the pros makes me reflect on one of my high school/college friends, Bobby Phills, of the Charlotte Hornets, who was killed in a tragic car accident on January 12, 2000. A gentle giant, I remember him most for shattering the myth that I use to hold in regards to jocks. Not only did he have mad skills on the courts, but in the classrooms as well. A graduate of Southern University with a degree in Animal Science and a finishing GPA of 3.5, Bobby was a very compassionate person who never forgot his roots, and willing gave back to the community. His beloved wife, Kendall, also a Southern University graduate, is keeping his memory alive through her tireless efforts with the Bobby Phills Foundation, a scholarship program for deserving high school students.

As we gear up for another season of hoops and in keeping with the spirit of good sportsmanship, remember to take some time out of your busy schedule to make a difference by doing something positive.