The Rest of the Story

Today I heard a Gordo story for the first time. He was talking basketball with my son, Ricky. They were talking about ... how they favor Memphis over the Clippers. Ricky just likes the team, but Dad pipes up and announces his reason ... that he was friends with their head coach ... Lionel Hollins.
OK ... can't wait to hear this one.
Back in 1988 ... Gordo lived in Phoenix, AZ. He worked for the "Bureau of Land Management" ... an agency for the federal government. He befriended a young black man who had just graduated from college. Through their many conversations ... dad asked him if he knew who Bessie Smith was. This young man did not. 
FYI ... Bessie Smith was "The Empress of the Blues". She was a black woman who was the most popular female blues singer of the 1920s and 1930s
So ...  dad gave him the tape to listen to. He took the tape home and young man's father heard him playing it and asked his son ... how he learned about Bessie. He tells his dad ... "some old white guy from work". His dad was so impressed that he wanted to meet him, so his son invited Gordo to a Phoenix's Sun's game. Great front row seats ... where the owners sit. What my dad didn't know ... was ... the young man's dad was Lionel Hollins and (at that time) the Sun's assistant coach.
Needless to say ... Dad attended many more games after that.
That explains why Gordo has a gazillion Phoenix Suns shirts.
Now... you and I know ... the rest of the story.