Wandered down for my flight at RDU and saw a guy I was pretty sure was Frank Haith talking to a gray haired guy whose back was to me. Walked by and it was Roy. There were lots of folks around and many knew who at least Roy was, but he was left alone to chat for the twenty or so minutes I was there. That was nice to see - that he could travel without too much bother - and actually a little surprising.
Haith and family ended up sitting in the seats behind me (nope, not in the 'fore cabin' either). Surprised a little by that as well. Seemed a nice guy - very pleasant and polite to those around him, made sure his teen son was as well. One older UNC fan started chatting with him since he had recognized Roy. Said "You're a player aren't you?" Haith had to tell him that, no, he was actually the coach for Miami, but was polite about that too.
(08-13-2009 03:24 PM)crufus Wrote: [ -> ]Said "You're a player aren't you?" Haith had to tell him that, no, he was actually the coach for Miami, but was polite about that too.
Funny. Good to see you posting here, crufus. Where ya been?
That's a cool story. Thanks for sharing.
My only 2 coach at the airport encounters were with Steve Logan (friendly guy) and Stu Jackson (meh, kinda lame).
However my experience meeting the rap group Naughty by Nature ... that was off the heezy.
That is a cool story. I've never run into anybody famous in an airport. I don't fly too often though.
I did run into Coach Smith at RDU after we had been through a three game losing streak. He was coming back from a tournament somewhere up in the midwest, IIRC. He was looking for his luggage on the baggage conveyor and I saw a Carolina Blue suit bag with a UNC logo on it disappearing into the back. I grabbed it and took it to him. He thanked me and I told him that everyone was still behind the team and wished them the best.
I sat behind Rick Barnes on an plane from Austin to Houston awhile back. He seemed very nice but I took a little pleasure in that he was stuck in a middle coach seat with a crying baby in front of him. But still, he seemed very nice.
Paul Wellstone is about the closest to a celebrity I've met at an airport. Chatted with him for a minute or two in the Minneapolis airport a few months before he died. Imagine that, me and the most liberal senator in the US chatting in an airport! Didn't know me from Adam, but was very amiable. Seemed like a very nice guy.
Met Roy at a DeMatha/O'Connell high school basketball game, during the 2007-08 season. He was there to watch Kendall Marshall, then a sophomore.
Btw, you folks are gonna love Kendall Marshall when he gets to Carolina. He sees the floor extremely well, and his passing skills, particularly in the open court, are superb.
I was in Detroit airport during a layover 4 or 5 years ago and saw an extremely large black man with shades on, stretched out, listening to an ipod. He kind of looked familiar, so I sat down directly across from him and watched intently to figure out who he was. Finally, he stirred a bit and sat up, messing with his ipod and took his shades off. He noticed me looking at him and nodded at me. It was Corliss Williamson (sic?), the huge 6'7 guy who played at Arkansas - I believe he was with the Pistons at the time. We chatted a bit about life in the NBA. He said "it's haaaaaard man! it takes a toll on your body because everybody is big and strong!"
He was a real nice guy.
Met Willie Lanier on an elevator in Richmond. Real nice guy. I asked him where he bought his clothes. Had them made. Nothing like that would come off a rack. The man was HUGE!!!!!!!
(I thought poutymon knew everything guess not) ---anyone, not to get the thread too off track but do you think Kendalls athletic ability and shot will make it hard for him to be an elite level PG?