Well, let me tell you somethin’ about this Dean Smith and that Michael Jordan fella. Folks talk about ’em like they some kinda gods or somethin’, but lemme tell ya, they just people, same as you and me. Just happened to be good at that ball game, that basket-thingy, you know?
Dean Smith, the Coach
Now, this Dean Smith, he was a coach, see? Coached them boys at the University of North Carolina, that’s what they say. Coached ’em from, what, nineteen sixty-somethin’ all the way to nineteen ninety-somethin’. That’s a long time, ain’t it? Guess he knew a thing or two about that basketball.
- He was old, this Dean Smith. Lived to be eighty-three, they say. That’s a good long life, praise the Lord.
- He taught them boys how to play, yeah, but he also taught ’em how to be men, I reckon. That’s what they say, anyhow. More than a coach, they say, a teacher and a mentor.
Michael Jordan, the Player
And then there’s Michael Jordan. Everybody knows Michael Jordan, even an old woman like me. He was one of them boys Dean Smith coached, see? A real star, they say. Could jump high and run fast and throw that ball right through that hoop, every time, it seemed like.
A Teacher and a Student
Now, Michael Jordan, he learned a lot from Dean Smith, that’s what they all say. Not just about basketball, but about life, too. Dean Smith, he wasn’t just teachin’ ’em how to win games, he was teachin’ ’em how to be good people, how to work hard, how to treat folks right. That’s what I heard, anyways.
The Sad News
Then one day, sad news came. Dean Smith, he passed away. Eighty-three years old, like I said. That’s a long life, but it’s still sad when someone goes. Michael Jordan, he was real sad, they say. He put out a statement, somethin’ on that Twitter thing, sayin’ how much Dean Smith meant to him. Said he was more than a coach, he was a teacher, a mentor. See? That’s what I been tellin’ ya.
More Than Just Basketball
So, it ain’t just about basketball, you see? It’s about more than that. It’s about learnin’ and growin’ and becomin’ a good person. It’s about havin’ someone to look up to, someone to guide you. That’s what Dean Smith was to Michael Jordan, and that’s what makes their story so special, I guess.
The Legacy
Dean Smith, he left behind a big legacy, that’s what they say. Not just in basketball, but in life. He touched a lot of lives, helped a lot of young men become somethin’ special. And Michael Jordan, well, he went on to become one of the greatest basketball players ever, maybe the greatest. But even with all his fame and fortune, he never forgot where he came from, never forgot the lessons he learned from Dean Smith. And that, to me, that’s the most important thing.
In Conclusion
So yeah, Dean Smith and Michael Jordan. A coach and a player. A teacher and a student. Two men who made a difference in the world, in their own way. And that’s somethin’ to be admired, ain’t it? It surely is. Now, I gotta go make some supper, all this talkin’ made me hungry.
Tags: Dean Smith, Michael Jordan, North Carolina, Basketball, Coach, Mentor, Teacher, Legacy, Tribute
