It was 1988, and my dad and I were headin’ to downtown St Louis on our annual trip to the Checkerdome to see a real NBA team play an exhibition game. We had seen several different teams play over the years, but had never seen our favorite team THE LOS ANGELES LAKERS. This year the match up was the defending champion Detroit Pistons vs. the LOS ANGELES Clippers. Yeah, that’s how we felt to. Anyway, this wouldn’t be a total bust because I had a bunch of Fleer basketball cards that I was planning to get autographs on. Plus, the Stankers i.e. Clippers had picked Danny Manning as their first round draft pick and word was he’d be at the game and might even suit up. See the Checkerdome was an old venue so if you knew the ropes you could get right up to the railing by the tunnels where the players came out and you could get pretty close. You were high up with soccer players(St Louis Steamers), but with NBA players you were face level, and could ask for autographs.
My dad and I were about halfway up on the side of the court opposite the team benches. We got their early so I could get some cards signed. So dad stayed at our seats and I went down to the tunnel entrance and waited for the players to come out. I got some okay signatures that night. I got Winston Garland, old James Edwards, Loy Vaught from Iowa, and a promise from a pre-tattoo pre-piercing Dennis Rodman to sign after the game. While I was standing there a young man came up and asked me who I was waiting for, and I said, “Isaiah Thomas or Joe Dumars”. He said, “Do you know them?” I’m thinking, “What a stupid question, of course I know Isaiah, I’ve watched him since Indiana, you dunce.” So I say, “No, I just wanna get them to sign their card.” He says, “I’m an old friend of Danny Manning’s.” “Really,” I say. “Yep,” he says.” We were roommates. . .” or some other blah, blah story, the point is he was blathering on, and on about his good buddy Danny Manning. I was impressed, I admit it. I was a huge Kansas fan that year and I really liked Manning. So as the Manning guy keeps going with all his witty anecdotes that proved he and Danny were best buddies I notice a really tall, well dressed black man with a Geri curl. This man was sharp, I mean dressed to the nines, and jewelry, oh man the jewelry. A huge ring on one hand that looked as big as any Championship ring but I couldn’t tell. He was on the other side of the tunnel and I kept looking right at him. I knew that guy. I mean the face meant something to me, I just couldn’t place it. Then as Captain MeKnowDanny was finishing a story about something funny his friend Danny Manning had said I asked him, “Is that tall guy with the jewelry Elgin Baylor.” One of the greatest players in NBA history I might add. The Kansas punk looks at me like I’m an idiot and says, “No, Why would Elgin Baylor be HERE?” Then the guy I thought was Baylor walks over and stands almost face to face with me. He turns around and I am staring at the back of his Geri curl, and smelling his wonderful cologne. He was there for at least 5 minutes during which time I turn around and look up to where my dad is sitting and he’s waving his arms like a mad man and yelling something. So I wave back and try to give him a sign that lets him know I am waiting to get Danny Manning’s autograph because schmucko here next to me knows him. Dad didn’t understand my sign, and just kept waving and pointing like the bridge was out. I figured he’s just old, I was thinking “Poor guy, he doesn’t get out much.” Next thing I know Danny Manning walks over shakes hands with the Geri curl guy, and starts talking to this guy next to me who claimed to know him. The guy was telling the truth. He did know Danny and he got me an autograph and a hand shake. I walk away happy.
As I get back to my seat my dad says, “Did you see’em?” I said, “Yeah, I got his autograph.” Dad says. “I was waving and yelling like crazy hoping you’d ask him to sign. Let me see.” So I show him the Manning autograph, and he looks up at me horrified, and says “No, did you get Elgin Baylor’s autograph? He was standing right next to you!” I said, “That wasn’t Elgin Baylor dad, besides why would Elgin Baylor be at a preseason Clippers, Pistons game anyway?” My Dad says. “He’s the Clippers GM and you were standing right next to him!” At which time the PA announcer came on to introduce one of the NBA’s all time great players, you guessed it, the Geri curl guy otherwise known as “Hall of Famer Elllllllllgiiiiiiiiiin Baaaaaylorrrrrrrrr.”
To this day I hate Kansas basketball, and KU fans, even if Danny Manning is on the coaching staff.
