Personal Note On ' The Door Knob '

Sticky’s passion for basketball was the only thing that kept him going. It was the only thing he lived for. He dreamed of joining the NBA and going to the top universities, UCLA in particular. Sticky put in hours and hours at Lincoln Rec of tireless hard work. Even when Sticky had lost a finger, he still didn’t give up, “Sticky thinks maybe all that magic in his right-hand fingertips might be gone” (268). Yet still Sticky dazzles the coaches when he is invited to the training camp. The loss of Baby and the numerous switches of foster parents gave a notion of disappointment in Sticky’s life, but when it came to

Stephen Curry Parker A. Weirich Mr. Jon Peterson E.L.A. 7-4 A-H-S-T-W Middle School Stephen Curry “I am, I will, It’s done,” -Stephen Curry. Stephen Curry never gives up. In this paper you will learn three examples of perseverance in Stephen Curry’s life: his bad ankles, determination and seeking perfection. Stephen Curry has shown perseverance in his life many times.

Hoop Dreams, directed by Steve James, is an outstanding documentary that gives the viewer a perspective on several different elements on the life of a teen basketball player. The film follows Arthur Agee and William Gates, two basketball stars, who live in the rough Chicago area. The inner-city boys get noticed for their skills, and they are recruited to play for dominant team. The audience follows the boy’s journey with basketball, school, and general life matters. The film dives into the reality of living in the hood and chasing a dream of playing professional basketball. The corruption of the school system and sports are examined throughout the film. The audience follows Agee and Gates through their triumphs and failures in their chase to the top. The director, Steve James, uses the film genre of documentary for the story of Arther Agee and William Gates because it highlights the raw moments of their lives.

In 1999, when this essay was published, something as simple as a cellphone was a revolution to the American people. Conversations anywhere with no wires involved! Wow! Looking back now, American seemed pretty simple in 1999. This is the same for Michael Jordan – once upon a time, Jordan was JUST a basketball player. LaFeber’s essay illustrates for us the rise of the young Jordan from his middle-class family in racist North Carolina through his college years and eventually into the NBA where he became an international sports icon. LaFeber tells the story of how Jordan caught the eye of Nike CEO Phil Knight and goes on to explain how Knight transformed Jordan into the face of a multi-billion dollar international corporation. LaFeber also fills us in on race and sports issues surrounding Jordan and how that played a part in Nike’s growth. LaFeber shows us how race effected middle-class Michael Jordan at a young age and how he was able to overcome this and grow into the star he is today.

My topic is about the full impact LeBron James has had on the NBA and society. He is known as a modern-athlete activist, he has never been shy to express his thoughts on social issues outside and inside of the NBA. LeBron James has played such a major role in the Black Lives Matter movement. For example, in the opening of the 2016 ESPYs, LeBron mentioned all the recent police shootings that have been occurring, and expresses his feelings on how he wants change. My topic will also talk about the impact he’s had on the economy, not only the impact inside of the NBA but thing’s he’s done outside of the league. Overall, I’ll explain the overall impact that he’s had on the world, and how much of an influence he has been in the African American community.

During the 1980s and 1990s the new HIV disease began to emerge in society and with it came harsh stereotypes and discrimination against those who contracted it. Simultaneously, one of the most talented and influential point guards in basketball was dominating the sport: Earvin “Magic” Johnson. Throughout his career Johnson gained three Most Valuable Player (MVP) awards and was admitted into the Basketball Hall of Fame (“Magic Johnson”). However, on November 7, 1991, Johnson announced his diagnosis of HIV and his retirement from the National Basketball Association (NBA). Following this abrupt and unexpected event, Johnson became one of the leading figures in the fight against AIDS. The Magic Johnson Foundation was founded and is still dedicated to educating communities about AIDS. The charitable and influential work Johnson contributed to the research of AIDS revealed him as not just an extraordinary basketball player but also as an extraordinary human being (“Magic Johnson”). A few years after Johnson’s diagnosis, he released his autobiography, My Life. My Life describes the childhood and competitive basketball years of Johnson as well as his announcement of contracting HIV. In the article, “New and Noteworthy Paperbacks”, by Laurel Graeber, reviewer Harvey Araton describes Magic Johnson’s autobiography, My Life, as “best when he shares his insights about his coaches and fellow players” (Graeber). The article has positive things to say about Johnson’s autobiography such

“After God and my father, I respect Larry Bird more than anyone,” said basketball legend, Earvin “Magic” Johnson. With the odds set against him, a country boy from the basketball hotbed of Indiana, Bird was able to make a name for himself and has left an impact on the basketball world like no other. Creating an image was hard for Bird; he dropped out of Indiana University after just twenty-four days because he was unable to adjust to the crowded university culture. Bird worked as a garbage man after he dropped out, forgoing his basketball career to spend time at home. Bird loved his time as a garbage man, where he learned to enjoy the simpler parts of life. Bird’s father committed suicide during this time, forcing him

The purpose of the documentary “Hoop Dreams” directed by Steve James, is to show how people from different backgrounds can create their own destiny based on the choices they make for themselves. The beginning of the documentary introduces the viewers to William Gates and Arthur Agee’s aspiring dreams to become NBA basketball players. Steve James uses rhetorical and cinematic techniques to achieve this purpose.

After retiring from professional basketball, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has become a lauded observer of culture and society. In this book, he shares his unique perspective on politics, racism, religion, the media and other topics, focusing on the need for objective thinking and our need to include diverse and conflicting perspectives in order to protect freedom. He also offers solutions to problems such as racism in sports while speaking candidly about his experiences on the court. Jabbar did not judge or wrote in an anger way. In fact, He provides practical advice to address each of the issues in very nice way. He believes that it is necessary to look for solutions that are grounded in reality. I felt like whenever he provided a solution for an issue,

“Step on a crack, break your mother’s back”. Who would have thought those few words could change a person's life forever? In the book, Kissing Doorknobs, fourteen-year old Tara Sullivan tells about how OCD ended up coming into her life and taking over for a time. When Tara first started getting the symptoms of OCD she did not understand what was happening to her. All it took for her to be completely consumed by one thought was that one phrase, “step on a crack, break your mother’s back”. In “As Good As It Gets”, sixty year old Melvin talks about how he was a cranky old man who had shut everyone and everything out of his life due to him having OCD. Melvin was a single man who had lived alone for as long

He possesses the appearance of power and strength. Notice that this is an ESPN magazine sports cover which is highly viewed by sports fans, especially young black males. This picture alone holds the power to not only impress but to entice those who want to be depicted this way. The sports media industry does not directly state that black athletes dominate sports. “They just show an endless highlight reel of slam dunks and touchdown runs, and the pictures speak for themselves.” (fulwood). In fact the “media creates false perceptions about black athletes in America” (Munir). I was also informed through research of a cartoonish illustration “of people with overt racial and ethnic features apparently swimming in a cash-filled house.” (fulwood). I can imagine the thought process of not only the young black males who came across this picture, but also of the family of these males. They saw money, lots of money. From my own personal experiences I have heard parents say to their boys, “You’re going into sports.” Or “You’ll make a lot of money as an athlete.” But this is not the parents fault. Glamorization is never seen with black males in other profession besides sports. The first image on the left, depicts this professional basketball player as somewhat inhuman as he is seen dunking a ball and boasting this act of achievement in mid-air. The image on the right is the famous Labron James. His strength is shown through his muscles, which are covered in tattoos. These images are how the mass media target and pull in viewers. Munir revealed in his article that these images of the “black athletic form produces a black athlete as post-human” (Munir) and that they are also portrayed as “strange creatures” (Munir) with “sub-human abilities to jump higher, hang in the air longer, punch harder and run faster.” (Munir). In a nut-shell African-American athletes are projected as

Reigning NBA champions, the Golden State Warriors, refused to attend the customary tradition of visiting the White House after their championship victory. To make a statement, the team took young kids to an African American history museum; this decision made in hope to inspire the public that sports and athletes can impact change. Recurring issues involving racial profiling, discrimination, and police brutality, have fueled a historical timeline with professional athletes protesting social oppression. The position of fame held by an athlete intensifies the athlete’s performance, words, or actions, drawing a wide range of the world’s attention. The athlete’s voice, when amplified onto a public platform, is imperative in shedding a light on social

The story going into this match was Timothy Thatcher wanted to unseat Gargano as the Ace of EVOLVE. The story of the match became Johnny Gargano trying to prove that he could survive and thrive in the technical jungle that EVOLVE has become over the last year; for most of the match he succeeded. Thatcher slowly shredded Gargano’s left arm while Gargano worked Thatcher’s leg. Unfortunately, the Ace did not have the patience to continue the assault on the leg and instead turned to his trusty Gargano-Escape. The preceding damage to the arm prevented Gargano from ever locking in the hold and Thatcher escaped, and shortly thereafter submitted Gargano with an armbar to secure the victory and title of Ace.

After 3 rounds Benson ate boneless wings from Zaxby’s and John Cena ate 2 chicken sandwiches. The last round Benson and John Cena ate chili dogs and drank a two liter of coke.

Moments later, while I was out-of-it, the little guy with the big round glasses who seem more of a nerd than me enters the gym from the maintenance stairs. So I’m told. It’s so dark that he tripped over me and broke me out of my unconsciousness. He asked what happened. I asked if he hopped on my back. Of course he said no, then I told him the only thing I remembered was screaming like a four year old girl. He asked if I knew that I sitting on the floor in my tee shirt and boxers.