Meeting NBA Basketball Players
 

Has any of you met and got an auto from an NBA player? I imagine some here met jordan at his basketball camp?? I once met pippen in LAX and was a 'normal' guy... Iverson was on one of my flights to philly and he looked very moody...

Orlando Magic used to have training camp here in town-I met quite a few guys over the years. All were first class-one thing they had in common was complaining about how tired they were after practice, lol. Jameer, Dwight Howard, Shaq, Penny, Dennis Scott, T Mac, Mike Miller, Darko among others. Good times!

ive met a bunch, including my favorite player (thanks to a friend who was on a tournament team with him) most were either at my local lifetime fitness during the summers, or at my job in the athletic department at my alma mater. most interactions were brief, i never want to be "that guy" and im sure they don't care to talk to me either. in all of those interactions not once would i ask for an autograph. well exception the jason williams one, but i feel its different at a game.

One player in fact i played with several times a week in our daily staff pickup games, the more you're around these guys, you learn how they really are just normal people, you talk on a first name basis and realize they are good dudes but their mystique was that they were good at putting a ball in a hoop. They are really no different than the janitor i always talked to that cleans the gym (well maybe some better stories). but an autograph? i just wouldnt ask for it....now you find the vaccine for covid19? i want your auto/lab coat patch card!

I met Robert Horry, AC Green and Derek Fisher at a small private event at the Staples Center a few years ago.

Robert Horry is super cool, his girlfriend Candice, not sure if they're still together was super nice and welcoming as well. She hung out with me and my brother, while he was glad handing everyone during the event.

If I knew how to upload photos into this antiquated platform, I'd post a a pic or two

I've met a couple of Raptors around Toronto. They stick out like a sore thumb as even the shortest guy is usually the tallest guy in the room.

I once saw Wilson Chandler at a mall in his hometown, went up to say hello and wish him well, he then proceeded to claim that he did not play in the NBA and was not Wilson Chandler.

Same tattoos and everything. Bizarre.

[QUOTE=ovt;15854388]I once saw Wilson Chandler at a mall in his hometown, went up to say hello and wish him well, he then proceeded to claim that he did not play in the NBA and was not Wilson Chandler.

Same tattoos and everything. Bizarre.[/QUOTE]

oh man im going to have a sweet follow up to this. if i can ever find the items. i used to change lightbulbs as a summer job at depaul (highschool and early college) and we found chandlers dorm room like a week after he was drafted. will post pics if i find them. Benton harbor huh? im a st. joes/silver beach fan myself. buck burger? you betcha!

Used to work for a mall management company in Charlotte, NC and met tons of players who came to the mall trying to kill time before their games and who lived their locally.

Dwight Howard
Andre Iguodala
Julius Peppers
Danny Granger
Steve Smith
Jon Beason
Juwan Howard
Michael Strahan


Those are a few that come to mind

Never asked for an autograph or picture. Always felt weird about asking another grown man for an autograph.

[QUOTE=LeonfromNC;15854452]Used to work for a mall management company in Charlotte, NC and met tons of players who came to the mall trying to kill time before their games and who lived their locally.

Dwight Howard
Andre Iguodala
Julius Peppers
Danny Granger
Steve Smith
Jon Beason
Juwan Howard
Michael Strahan


Those are a few that come to mind

[B]Never asked for an autograph or picture. Always felt weird about asking another grown man for an autograph[/B].[/QUOTE]

this

exception jason williams...he never signed then and i wasnt missing my chance haha

I used to go to card shows growing up, so every once in a while there would be an NBA player there signing autographs. I was kinda cheap so I would only get an autograph when they were free, so I think the only two I got were Michael Cooper and Nick Van Exel.

I went to UCLA so I also met a lot of those guys, but before they were in the NBA. Talked to Westbrook a couple times during his freshman and sophomore year and actually got to hang out with Kevin Love when he was a high school senior and he was on campus to play pickup.

I gave Sam Perkins an H In horse at his basketball camp back in 1998, pulled from curry range ��

I met Richaun Holmes once in Philly and got a pic with him. He was real nice!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

During a military appreciation night event, The Celtics were playing the Sonics in Seattle. Bill Russell was sitting first row floor seats. I was about six seats away from him. When he walked past me, I told him I was a huge Celtics fan, and it was an honor to meet him. He shook my hand and thanked me for my service. Unfortunately I couldn't get an autograph or take a picture, but I will also cherish the memory of knowing I got to shake Bill Russell's hand.

Another cool thing about that night, I don't think the team knew he was going to be their. They came out for warm ups and shooting, when they saw Bill Russel sitting their they all ran over to hug him and talk with him. It was cool seeing the young Celtic players showing respect to the Celtic Legend. Sonic players came over to shake his hand and hug him as well!

Kevin Durant and Richard Hamilton signed cards for me when they came to Hong Kong attend the NBA Madness event(2009, 2010), I remember KD signed for many people, so nice!

Just remembered meeting ML Carr and had no idea who he was at the time, he came to school and was like in 3rd grade but he was nice guy...

Met several NBA players in Philly, NYC and Chicago, plus hanging out at shows, but I never ask athletes for their autograph. I could have asked Jeter when I sat next to him at dinner but didn't ask him either, maybe I should have.

I have met and played with a few pros. Some were through a camp, some were events that Steiner or some companies put out, some were from having Knicks tickets. Overall, I haven't had anything but positive experiences with players' attitudes and willingness to interact.

Yeah, I have played pick-up and summer league with several future pros in Philly and Chapel Hill, but none of them were in the NBA at the time.

During the 2012-13 season I was an intern at the Golden State Warriors. Jerry West was a special advisor to the team that season, so it wasn't uncommon for him to be around. One game before heading out of the tunnel to his seats, Jerry stops to have a conversation right next to me. He's standing on my left. Out of the corner of my right eye I see a huge body walk up next to me. I turn my head and it's Bill Russell. I'm standing directly between Jerry West and Bill Russell. I'm only 5'7" but haven't felt shorter in my life.

We partied with Rasheed Wallace in Portland when he was playing for Detroit one night. It was midweek and we had just watched a Ben Harper concert, there was nobody out hardly. Me and my four friends hung out with him and three of his friends and drank and danced. We were in college and they were awesome. Super friendly and accessible. It was awesome.

Met Juwan Howard in 2011 if I remember the year correctly. It was at the Encore At Wynn in Vegas. Was sitting at the blackjack table with his gf or wife at the time. She was nice and very funny. Pretty hot too. I asked her if I could get an auto from Juwan. She was like "oh yeah! for sure! he's super chill". I remember Juwan was just sitting at the slots watching us play. Once we were done at the table, I finally got to meet him. Shook hands, got an auto, and took a picture. It was awesome! Dude was so tall!

I have several in person autos from Jazz players back in the days of Deron Williams, Carlos Boozer, and AK47. They used to have a bunch of pretty cool events where a select amount of season ticket holders could come to the arena and shoot hoops with the players, play ping pong, picture booth, autograph line, and the players would rotate stations. Pretty neat.

[QUOTE=LeonfromNC;15854452]Used to work for a mall management company in Charlotte, NC and met tons of players who came to the mall trying to kill time before their games and who lived their locally.

Dwight Howard
Andre Iguodala
Julius Peppers
Danny Granger
Steve Smith
Jon Beason
Juwan Howard
Michael Strahan


Those are a few that come to mind

[B]Never asked for an autograph or picture. Always felt weird about asking another grown man for an autograph[/B].[/QUOTE]


It's ok, you don't have to hide it. You should have gone up to them and said you collect pictures of them. :)

Off top through work (restaurants)

-Steve Kerr
-Bill Wennington
-Toni Kukoc
-Scottie Pippen
-Marcus Fizer
-Ben Gordon
-Joakim Noah
-John Paxon
-Dee Brown
-Drose

Went to school with Jack Cooley

Offered to smoke a joint with Ben Gordon and he seemed like he was gonna say yes till his 79th gf in 2 months I’ve seen him with told him they gotta go.

I’ve met more than I can count over the years here in Orlando. But a couple randoms stick out......
A few months ago I walked in to work at 7am (a breakfast/brunch place) and Larry Hughes and Quentin Richardson were the only 2 people in at the time getting breakfast together. Also, around a year ago I went in to my local rec center for some pickup basketball. After a few minutes a dude from the other team said “hey man, you wanna hop in??”....I turned to see he was asking Jason Williams (White Chocolate)!!! I grew up watching him and loved when we had him here in Orlando, so I was flustered, but I kept it cool and he was cool taking a few pictures after the game with some of us. And completely non-basketball related, but I ran in to Hulk Hogan at an eyeglass repair place in El Paso once :)