True greatness can mean the willingness to humble oneself1 min read

By
Jeff Bear
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Spencer Haywood was like a god to me when I was 10 years old.

A 6-foot, 8-inch, slammin’, jammin’, basketball playing god.

In the 1969-70 season Haywood averaged 30 points and nearly 20 rebounds a game for my favorite team, the Denver Rockets [who later became the Denver Nuggets] of the American Basketball Association.

The ABA was still a fledgling league at that time, but its wide open style of play, 3-point shot, and red, white and blue basketball appealed to fans; and ultimately, popular ABA stars like Julius “Dr. J” Erving, and David “Skywalker” Thompson helped to force a merger with the older, more established NBA.

But in those early days of the league, security was pretty relaxed around the players, and they would let us kids run on the court to get autographs when the players came out to shoot their pregame warm-up shots.

Waiting on the sideline, clutching my little notepad and pencil, I waited patiently with the other kids for the signal to head onto the court. When it came, I took a moment to get up my gumption, then I made a beeline for Haywood.

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Star athletes are larger than life to most fans, and I’m sure Haywood would have seemed large even to the adult version of me, but from my 4-foot, 2-inch perspective, he might as well have been a giant.

For the full story, please see the Wednesday, July 24 issue of the Sedona Red Rock News.

Jeff Bear

Jeff Bear began his journalism career in 2003 as a graphic designer and sports reporter at the Weekly Register Call in Central City, Colorado. In 2007 he began working at the Canyon Courier in Evergreen, Colorado, as a graphic designer, but soon transferred into the editorial department where he worked as a copy editor and sport reporter under Editor Doug Bell. After a stint as a graphic designer at American Classifieds in 2009-10, Bear began working in 2011 as a copy editor at the Arizona Daily Sun, in Flagstaff. While at the Daily Sun, Bear was tapped by the late Randy Wilson to report on local sports including Northern Arizona University and Olympic medalists training in Flagstaff for the 2012 Olympics. In 2013 Bear began working at the Red Rock News in Sedona, Arizona, where he was an assistant editor and sports editor. Bear has two daughters, Angela and Jessica, with his wife Nina. He is a singer and guitarist, an avid cyclist and hiker, and enjoys camping with family and friends.

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Jeff Bear
Jeff Bear began his journalism career in 2003 as a graphic designer and sports reporter at the Weekly Register Call in Central City, Colorado. In 2007 he began working at the Canyon Courier in Evergreen, Colorado, as a graphic designer, but soon transferred into the editorial department where he worked as a copy editor and sport reporter under Editor Doug Bell. After a stint as a graphic designer at American Classifieds in 2009-10, Bear began working in 2011 as a copy editor at the Arizona Daily Sun, in Flagstaff. While at the Daily Sun, Bear was tapped by the late Randy Wilson to report on local sports including Northern Arizona University and Olympic medalists training in Flagstaff for the 2012 Olympics. In 2013 Bear began working at the Red Rock News in Sedona, Arizona, where he was an assistant editor and sports editor. Bear has two daughters, Angela and Jessica, with his wife Nina. He is a singer and guitarist, an avid cyclist and hiker, and enjoys camping with family and friends.