Alright, let me tell ya ’bout this gal, Candace Parker, and her coach, Pat Summitt. It’s a story like you wouldn’t believe, real heart-warmin’ stuff.
Candace, she was a player, a real good one. Folks say she was dunkin’ the ball and all, makin’ history. First gal to dunk in Illinois, they say. Then she goes and wins a dunk contest, a McDonald’s one, no less! Heard she played for Los Angeles Sparks, for a good long while, 13 years they say. Won a championship, played in them All-Star games. Scored a heap of points, too. Folks say she was somethin’ else.
But before all that, she played for Pat Summitt at Tennessee. Pat, she was a coach, but more than that, she was like a mama bear to them girls. A big figure, they say, not just in Knoxville, but everywhere. Coached Candace and them Lady Vols to two championships, back-to-back, 2007 and 2008. Can you imagine? Two in a row! Must’ve been some kinda special team.
Now, Pat, she wasn’t just about basketball. She cared, you know? Like a good neighbor, always there for ya. Candace, she saw that, felt it. They had a bond, a real strong one. Even after Candace went on to the pros, she never forgot Pat. Kept her close to her heart.
- Pat passed away in 2016, real sad. But Candace, she made sure Pat’s memory lived on.
- Got involved with the Alzheimer’s Association and the Pat Summitt Foundation, helpin’ folks out.
- Even named her baby boy’s middle name after Pat, “Hartt Summitt,” they call him. Born on May 21st, I heard. That’s love, right there.
Candace, she ain’t just a basketball player. She’s a good person, always givin’ back. Helps out with PETA, them animal folks, and Loaves & Fishes, feedin’ the hungry. March of Dimes, D.A.R.E., Ronald McDonald House, No Kid Hungry… She’s everywhere, lendin’ a hand. Just like Pat taught her, I reckon.
And that win against Minnesota Lynx in Game 5 of the WNBA Finals? Heard it was a big deal. Folks were cheerin’ and hollerin’. Candace and her team, they did it. Made Pat proud, I bet, watchin’ from up above.
It’s a story ’bout more than basketball, see? It’s ’bout respect, ’bout love, ’bout rememberin’ where you come from and the folks who helped you get there. Candace, she never forgot Pat. And that, to me, that’s what matters most. Not the points, not the championships, but the heart. And Candace Parker, she’s got a big ol’ heart, just like her coach, Pat Summitt. That’s the truth, plain and simple.
Now, I ain’t no sports expert, but I know a good story when I hear one. And this, this is a good one. A story ’bout a player and her coach, a bond that lasted a lifetime, and a legacy that lives on. Makes ya think, don’t it? ‘Bout the people who touch our lives and make us better. Pat Summitt, she did that for Candace Parker, and Candace, she’s doin’ her best to pass it on.
Tags: [Candace Parker, Pat Summitt, Tennessee Lady Vols, Los Angeles Sparks, WNBA, Basketball, Coach, Legacy, Charity, Dunk, Championship]
