Brief Celebrity Encounter

Over the past 70+ years, I’ve had brief celebrity encounters with a number of pretty famous people. And I’m sure that I’ve forgotten some less memorable ones. Here’s a short list, in no particular order:

Ben Vereen

Joe Namath

Marvin Hamlish

Howard Stern

Also worthy of note (with some explanation) are:

James Naughton – a high school classmate who went on to movie and tv fame and, most notably, Broadway and off-Broadway theater – think The Paperchase, Planet of the Apes, commercials for Nexium, Cialis and Audi (to name a few), and especially, City of Angels – 1990 (Tony for Best Actor in a Musical ) and Chicago – 1997. After we enjoyed his performance in City of Angels, James (we always call him by his high school nickname, “Jimmy”) graciously invited my wife, daughter and me backstage for a short visit, before he had to head off to his daughters’ soccer practice.

Bibi Besch – played Dr. Carol Marcus in Star Trek III: The Wrath of Khan , as well as in Steel Magnolias, Who’s That Girl? and in daytime soaps.

AND…

Dana Andrews – a leading man and major Hollywood tv and film star, notably in The Oxbow Incident, Laura, and The Best Years of Our Lives. I’ve related our unusual encounter in a past prompt based on a trip to L.A.

BUT…

By far, the celebrity who had the most impact on my young life was Bob Pettit. A graduate of LSU, he played power forward and center positions. Pettit played 11 seasons (1954-1965) in the NBA, all with the Milwaukee/St. Louis Hawks. He was the first recipient of the NBA’s Most Valuable Player Award; he also won the NBA All-Star Game MVP award four times, a feat matched only by Kobe Bryant.

While I had a casual interest in most sports as a young teenager, my interest in basketball grew after my dad mounted a backboard and hoop over our garage. With our driveway marked in broad, white chalk lines, my dad and/or friends would play the typical games of “HORSE” and “Around the World.” Most days, I would be out there practicing on my own after school and in the evening after dinner. The beauty of shooting alone, as most kids will admit, is playing out last-minute scenarios, like sinking a game-winning, half-court basket at the buzzer.

When I was 14, the New England area featured two great basketball summer camps – one named for Bob Cousy, the other for Bob Pettit. So when my parents offered to send me to Bob Pettit’s camp (the closer of the two) along with my best friend, I jumped at the opportunity. At camp, we practiced basic skills, coached by the camp’s counselors – not by Bob Pettit. But we were assured that he would make an appearance during the week. I recall how excited we all were the day the limousine pulled up at the camp. Bob emerged from the back seat, stooping way over to clear the top edge of the door. Then he rose to his full 6’9” height, towering over the roof of the limo. I’m sure our mouths dropped and necks craned back as we looked skyward to see his smiling face. I don’t recall his speech, which I’m sure encouraged us to practice and play hard, but I distinctly remember standing next to him on the sidelines. At the time, I was probably 5′ 4” or so. Having rotated out of a scrimmage that Bob was overseeing, I found myself looking sideways as he stood directly to my left. And I was staring at his elbow! While I’m sure that camp experience inspired me, I did not go on to play varsity basketball, but throughout high school and college, I did – and still do – appreciate the talent and enjoy the excitement that competitive sport provides.