Wow.
I don't really know how to react to yesterday's news that Chris Lofton spent last off-season overcoming testicular cancer. It explains a lot, like why he could no longer take the ball to the basket successfully, started the season shooting so poorly, spent no time in the off-season becoming a point guard (which is what I expected he would do in order to have a shot at the NBA), etc. The guy was going through chemo. He was puking his brains out. He was shedding pounds and strength.
What an off-season for the Vols - two of their superstars (Duke Crews being the other) had major, life-threatening health issues. It makes the season seem much more successful, doesn't it?
You can look in the archives of my season-long postings to see the frustration and bewilderment towards Lofton's lack of progression last year. He was good, but not great anymore. There was a feeling that once he got going...but also a feeling of something just isn't right here.
Think of all the theories for his senior season - no Dane Bradshaw anymore, more distribution to other scorers, shooting it too flat, too much pressure as an All-American, etc. I don't remember ever guessing cancer.
What kind of guy goes through the season Lofton went through and keeps the whole thing a secret? You know he wanted to yell, "I had cancer!" at some point when people questioned his shooting slump. What type of person has such a valid excuse for failure and decides not to use it?
I'll tell you what kind of guy - a special one. Not to get overly cheesy, but it really does make you proud to associate with a kid like that, even if the association is simply cheering him on twice a week from the sofa. You don't come across Chris Lofton's very often on the court with his skill set, but it is even more rare to come across one off it. I love the guy.
To any NBA team out there reading the Scenic City Sportsblog, this is the type of guy you want on your team. This is the type of guy you want in the foxhole with you. Instead of wasting your 2nd round pick on a prima donna thug with a posse and Escalade, grab Chris Lofton and go into battle with this kid.
Stay healthy, #5.
Posts
2 comments:
Wow...just floored by this. I can totally understand why he kept it a secret though. You know it would have been the dominant story of the season if the news got out. Questions about it before every game, "Chris how are the cancer treatments affecting your shooting?" Mini segments before any nationally televised game. Chris is the man...I feel like a jerk for all of my questioning of his "regression" this past year. I guess we have another "what if" for last year as well. Oh well. Lofton is the man
I left this out of the article, but apparently there was serious talk about red-shirting him. I think we all would have gone nuts if it had happened (until we found out why), but think what we would have coming back this year...
Post a Comment