While NBA fans are busy doodling with ESPN's trade machine before next week's deadline, the world keeps spinning and spinning. For the Boston Celtics, plenty of undeniably pure and good moments have happened this past week, so take a break from the rumor mill and enjoy:
Wyc and Corrine Grousbeck are in the process of making a young New Zealander boy's dream come true. Louis Corbett is a 12-year-old New Zealander, but has a condition called retinitis pigmentosa, which means he is quickly going blind due to the degeneration of cells in his retina.
But Louis' wish is to see the Celtics play live before he loses his eyesight.
So, the Grousbeck's caught wind of his story and invited him to the Celtics-Warriors game on March 5th. Details haven't been finalized just yet, but he will sit in the luxury box, and all expenses will be paid for.
Basketball match high on wish list of brave boy - Life & Style - NZ Herald News
Since his diagnosis last March, Louis' family and friends have been helping to build what they've dubbed a "visual database" for him - introducing him to as many environments, colours and graphics as possible before he goes blind.His parents, Catherine and Tim Corbett, have made a website about their son's life and a Givealittle page has also been set up to help the family get to the US to watch the Boston Celtics team play live.
Louis loves basketball and the Celtics are his favourite team.
Mrs Corbett wrote on the website that although it had been difficult to accept their son was quickly losing his ability to see, they had pushed hard to make sure these few months counted.
"We realised that Louis' vision was deteriorating in a way, and at a pace, that neither of us was prepared for.
"We sat Louis down and asked him: 'What do you think would be really cool to see and do?'"
He said: 'I would love to see all the best beaches, waterfalls and sunsets ... and I want to play more sport, please'."
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At 6-foot-11 and 245 pounds, Andrew Smith played a large role on Brad Stevens' Butler teams that made back-to-back appearances in the National Championship.
But Smith, now 23-years-old, was sadly diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, and is undergoing treatment back home in Zionsville, Indiana.
Showing his loyalty and friendship with his former players, Brad Stevens took time out of his busy schedule to visit Smith.
Once a @butleru Bulldog, always a Bulldog. Thanks for flying in, @BCCoachStevens! pic.twitter.com/ttdWGvlDMM
— Samantha Smith (@Samantha44Smith) February 11, 2014
For years, Butler University has used a term called, "The Butler Way," which preaches humility, passion, unity, servanthood, and thankfulness.
As Andrew's girlfriend Samantha said in her tweet: "Once a Bulldog, always a Bulldog."
Clearly, Coach Brad Stevens hasn't forgotten where he came from.
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Basketball Insider's Jessica Camerato has a knack for finding some of the best stories in the NBA, and she did so again with her feature on the relationship between Jared Sullinger and his father, Satch. Click here to read the whole story, but here's an excerpt:
Father’s Tough Love Turned Around Sullinger’s Season | Basketball Insiders | NBA Rumors And Basketball News
Satch didn’t like what he had been seeing during games. The attitude, the expressions, they were not up to the standard he had set for his children when it comes to professionalism. Just weeks after leaving from a month-long stay, he returned to Massachusetts to let his displeasure be known."He came up and cussed me out," Jared Sullinger told Basketball Insiders 0f his father. "I was thinking he had to tell me something or he wanted me to talk about how everything was going because he seemed worried about me. But instead the conversation just started off – well, his conversation started off – and I was just saying, ‘Yes sir. Yes sir. Yes sir.’ I was kind of in shock. He was telling me my body language sucks, my attitude sucks, I’m disrespecting the Sullinger name the way I’m acting on and off the court, and when he says off the court he means on the bench."
Later on, Sullinger talks about how he learned to just let things go, and not dwell on mistakes or negative moments. Psychologically, this is a valuable tool to have, especially when your profession requires you to move on quickly -- sometimes as soon as the next play.
Satch clearly plays the part of both Coach and Dad when talking about basketball with Jared, because those lessons can be used on the court, just as much as they can off of it.
As fun as it is to root for the Boston Celtics, these three stories really put things into perspective: there is more to life than basketball.