"I'm actually on my way to meeting with Stacey Wright. She's the parent of Jacob who's one of the seven kids I spent the months of my off season with. I promised her if she let me have some time with her son that I'd take her out to dinner."
"So why is this foundation so important to you? Seems like you put more thought into spreading this organization than your new endorsement that you start shooting for tomorrow."
"Yeah, even though I grew up living in a middle class life, my father used to always take me back to his neighborhood to play ball with him. I used to meet little boys who were just as talented as me, but in their minds they just believed that it would never happen because it just couldn't. I never thought like that. I just wanted to help stop kids just like the ones I grew up with this foundation from dismissing their dreams with the false pretenses of a blurred reality. I wanted them to be the exception to every rule."
"Sounds wonderful."
"I'm all about going green, but to say this is more important than the endorsement would be an exaggeration. This has a dream come true for me and to expand it nationally is incredible.."
"Why do you say that?"
I watched Dorian look down at his folded hands before looking back into the camera and answering. I stood in the midst of the extensive camera crew, paparazzi flashers, flaunting groupies, and a few random bystanders. They were interviewing him about expanding his organization he had created about a year and a half ago that was for young kids and teenagers who had a passion for sports, namely basketball.
"On top of basketball, my dream is to make other people's dream come true. If it weren't for people doing the same for me, I'd probably be bullshitting in somebody's office right now and then taking out my problems on everyone else."
"Have you seen this as giving back to the community and using your talent for something positive?"
"Of course. If I don't do good with this talent then it was a waste of God giving it to me."
"What about when you play? Don't you think you inspire people then?"
"Yeah, but that's not enough. All the guys on the team can do that. I want to see it happen myself. I don't want to be just the baller on the cover. I want to go and visit these kids and witness the change."
I listened to him in awe. I had never seen this sensitive and caring side of him before and it kind of surprised me. He seemed revitalized and refreshed to be talking about this. I was used to watching his interviews on the NBA website or on commercial breaks and seeing him be somewhat uncomfortable and stiff with his eyes wandering and unfocused. This time, on the contrary, he had such intense eye contact that it looked like he could see exactly who he was talking to. His voice was soft and filled with passion.
"What do you love most about doing this second job?"
He pointed into the camera.
"Those kids. Don't even see me as somebody rich or famous. Yeah, uh, they talk, laugh, and tease me like I'm their older brothers. They think I'm a real man and person and that's a lot more than most people. They appreciate everything about me."
"And there we have it. Dorian Pitts everybody."
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