Month: March 2021

Juwan Howard a.k.a “Mr. Shocked the World” by Klassy K

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TY321H Miami Heat’s Juwan Howard appears backstage with the Best Team award during the ESPY Awards at Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles on July 11, 2012. UPI/Jim Ruymen

Juwan Howard a.k.a “Mr. Shocked the World” by Klassy K

The Michigan Wolverines are in the sweet sixteen! Home Skillets, this will be the University of Michigan’s fourth consecutive time being in the sweet sixteen. I don’t know about y’all, but I am super excited! I am even more excited because one of the infamous Fab Five Juwan Howard, the head coach, is “shocking the world” well, maybe Michiganders in his second year coaching the Wolverines and taking them to the promised land. Well, I may be jumping the gun home skillets. I can remember back in 91-92 after Juwan Howard, beaten a top-contending college team in the semi-finals while coming towards the locker room, shouted, “Told ya’ll we were going to shock the world” on national T.V!

I mean, he was super hyped! I was hyped for him only because I was a senior in high school, and wouldn’t that be the icing on the cake to have my hometown team, the University of Michigan, become NCAA champions and beat the hell out of Duck, I mean Duke. Of course, we all know what happened during that era, and trust me, I don’t plan on talking about that. The Fab Five consisted of some of the best college basketball players during that time, and I just knew they were all going to go pro. Well, only Juwan, Jalen Rose, and of course Chris Webber, the others did not. I was shocked to learn that, especially since there is no “I” in “team” because they ALL played exceptionally well.

Even though Juwan Howard never got the opportunity to become an NCAA champion, he did become an NBA champion while playing for the Miami Heat. If I were Jalen and Chris, I’d be hating on Juwan, for real, for real. Both were exceptional players and played for outstanding NBA teams; even Chris Webber played for the Detroit Pistons. Ahh, let’s not get into that because that was a disaster. Any who, I mean, Jalen and Chris even have exceptional careers as professional basketball sports announcers! Hey, got to love it; it pays the bills, right?

I mean, Juwan Howard is coaching college basketball at his alma mater with a record of 22-4; an NBA champion, and was also just named USBWA National Coach of the year! And guess what? He is only 48 years old! Did I mention that he took his team to the Sweet Sixteen in just two years as a coach? Y’all don’t hear me. I SAID Juwan Howard, a young black and still fine NBA champion, coached his team to the Sweet Sixteen in just under two years and USBWA National Coach of the Year! Mann, that man is a Savage, “sexy, rich, happily married with six kids, what’s happening! Let’s get ready to pop open the Faygo, tear open the Better Made potato chips, and get ready for some college B-A-S-K-E-T-BALL.

The Michigan Wolverines will be playing Florida State this Sunday, March 28th. Check your local listings for time and channel. Home Skillets, I must take this time to apologize to Mr. Shocked the World because, in my last blog, I mentioned that Izzo should teach younger Juwan how “it’s done,” but Michigan State got eliminated before I could get my second stimmy. So, Mr. Shocked the World or Coach of the Year, I am sorry that I doubted your coaching ability. I must have gotten you twisted up with someone else. What’s the name of that coach that coaches the Detroit Pistons? Never mind. Home Skillets get ready for the Detroit Tigers opening day on April 1st. The weather should be nice; hopefully, it can be 70 degrees one day and 30 degrees the next because you know Michigan. Stay safe!

– Klassy K’s Sports Korner: A contributor writer for http://www.aheartfullofconversations.com

A Historic Moment by Klassy K

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HOME SKILLETS!! I’m so pumped as I write this. The NBA All-Star game was this past Sunday, March 7th. I was NOT expecting the NBA league to dedicate this game format in honor of HBCUs! The Team Lebron vs. Team Durant competed to raise money for the Thurgood Marshall College Fund and United Negro College Fund. Team Lebron beat Team Durant 170-150, which I was trying to understand why they named the team “Durant” because he did not even play. Well, it was rumored that he caught the “Rona,” and due to “health restrictions,” he was not going to play, but in my Ms. Benita Butrell voice, “I ain’t the one to gossip, so you ain’t heard it from me. But I hope it is not valid. I wouldn’t want my worse enemy to have the Coronavirus; it’s still causing people to die. 

The All-Star game took place in Atlanta, GA, “HOTLANTA,” and you would think with the Coronavirus lurking, people would not be outside partying, going to the clubs, or turning it up. However, people could not contain their excitement, especially when something was exciting happening in their hometown. The All-Star game, but I renamed it the NBA, finally acknowledged the Historical Black Colleges and Universities game, a historical event. I could not contain my excitement!

I give a shout-out to everyone that participated in coordinating this historical event because the NBA has NEVER, I mean never showcased a historical event such as this. I mean from the Battle of the Bands via a screen when introducing the NBA players in the background from Florida A&M University (FAMU) and my alumni rivalry Grambling State University (GSU). Top athletes and referees that graduated from HBCUs were showcased, and black artwork was displayed on the basketball court. HBCU students watched history unfold in the comforts of their homes. I mean, it was great, from the beginning to the end. I could not help but reminisce about my days on campus at Southern University and A&M College in Baton Rouge, LA, a skinny kid from the D enrolling as a Freshman in the Fall of 1992. 

I am a proud HBCU graduate, and when you hear that a person attended or graduated from an HBCU, just know that it is black excellence. Educated black people founded black colleges and universities. Some of the greatest sororities and fraternities were founded at HBCU’s by educated black people; some of the most outstanding athletes attended an HBCU, as well as inventors, teachers, and doctors. Even the first Madame, excuse me, let me get it right, 1st African American and Asian Woman Madame Vice President.

And for you PWI’s (private white institutions) graduates, do not hate, just know that our marching bands are way better than yours will ever be. And speaking of PWI’s, Michigan State University beat the University of Michigan, and March Madness is just around the corner! Home skillets, do you think Juwan Howard can take U of M all the way, or do you think Mr. IZZO to the IZZY show Youngin Howard how it’s done? Well, speaking of done, Blake Griffin is no longer a Detroit Piston, signed to the Brooklyn Nets, and his “double-cross” show is set to air next week. That is so fitting, isn’t it?

– Klassy K’s Sports Korner: A contributor writer for http://www.aheartfullofconversations.com