The Greatest College Basketball Player of All Time

A few years ago I took one of my board members (let’s just call him Ralph) to a Y Christian Leadership Conference. On the plane Ralph discussed that he loved Carolina so much that if they lost, it ruined his day, and if the Heels lost to Duke it ruined his week. Ralph commented that he hated Duke and everything about Duke. “I’m a grown man, and I hate that the success of my week is based on the success of Carolina sports,” he lamented.

Oh there might have been a few other comments about Coach K being related to Satan, but his struggle with all things Duke was a point of contention for him.

At the conference the conversation continued and I laughed and pointed across the room, “that’s Greg Koubek, he played for Duke in the early 90’s.”Greg at the time was a Y Director in Albany, NY.

“I want to meet him,” Ralph said.

“Are you sure? I don’t need an altercation at a Christian Leadership Conference,” I joked.

“Just shut up and introduce us,” he shouted.

So we walked over and thus started the friendship of Ralph the Tar Heel and Greg the Dookie. (I’m a Tar Heel fan too so it’s fun to spell it that way.)

They hit it off quick, sitting and talking for hours. They even got where they could joke back and forth. Greg had a deep appreciation for Ralph and Ralph a genuine friendship with Greg.

That evening we all went to dinner. In the midst of a pretty normal evening I state, “Greg, the greatest college basketball player of all time is from Shelby.” (I was talking about David Thompson.)

Greg interrupted, “That is impossible, the greatest college basketball player of all time was Christian Laettner.”

Luckily they didn’t have to call the police and Greg and Ralph’s friendship ended as quick as it started!

This is Why You Should Never Fall in Love

It all starts so innocently when a friend says, “I have someone I want you to meet. She is really cool. No pressure and no strings attached. Let’s just all go out and have a good time.” That sounds simple enough and exactly what you are looking for. OK, I against my better judgment I went along for the ride.

But then you find that you have so much in common. She really understands you. The more time you spend together the more she amazes you. She gets better every time you see her. It doesn’t take long before you even start saying……. Oh-No, did I just drop an “L” Bomb? You even tell your friends about her. You even start thinking about how this is exactly what you have been looking for. Your mom even notices and asks about her. Music is clearer, food taste better and the sun shines so much brighter.


Then March rolls around and she disappoints you a couple of times and then “KABOOM” she breaks your heart. She rips it out and steps on it. You just sit there devastated and destroyed. This is why you should never ever fall in love.

Notre Dame’s basketball team did this to me this year. They weren’t supposed to be that good. Then they up and won a few early games. Mid season comes and they win a big game on TV, all your friends are buzzing about how good they are playing, they hit the top 25, you’re wearing the T-Shirts and then Sunday night they lay a big fat egg. The tires screech to a halt and you cry yourself to sleep.

That’s it for me. I will never ever tell another team I love them……Maybe.