On Saturday, I went to a meet and greet with D.J. Stephens, one of my favorite Memphis Tiger basketball players of all time! He just graduated and is eligible for the NBA draft on Thursday (along with Adonis Thomas, who left school early to enter the draft). So this was like a last hurrah for Tiger Nation before he goes wherever he’s going (we’re all hoping to the Grizzlies, but who knows). He’s an incredible athlete and I’ll be thrilled to see him get a chance.
I had brunch with Alanna beforehand near the bookstore, and she stayed to wait in line with me and even got D.J. to sign a poster for the boy she nannies. The place was packed. We waited in line for about an hour, and there was probably another hour’s worth of fans behind us.
D.J. seems like a truly nice, humble, genuine guy. He was great with the kids, as well as random alumni there without kids!!
I had such a blast. It was especially great to be with a friend who enjoyed my excitement and didn’t think I was weird. I get self-conscious sometimes about how into this basketball team I am, but that’s just the way it is. It brings me joy. I could be taking joy in much worse things. :) She even confirmed my belief that I ought to be working for the University and putting all this passion to good use. Maybe someday!
PS: This is now my official meeting-a-Tiger shirt. I wore the same one when I got a picture with Charles Carmouche in 2011:
This is so exciting!!!!! How fun!!!!
[…] Oh, and this has nothing to do with me, but my all-time favorite Tiger D.J. Stephens got signed (temporarily) to the Milwaukee Bucks and logged his first minutes in the NBA last […]