Though I’ve regularly been found guilty of sentimentality, I have gathered very few souvenirs from more than three decades on this beat. But I do have a white plastic cup that means a great deal, as I’ll try to explain.
More important are the friendships with various colleagues, coaches and, after they retire, even some players. Among my first strong acquaintances was Frank Hamblen, an assistant coach with Sacramento when we met during league meetings in pre-Magic Orlando, Fla., in 1986. Frank loved to talk basketball and laugh. Check and check.
A native of Terre Haute, Ind.