"Basketball is like poetry in motion, cross the guy to the left, take him back to the right, he's fallin' back, then just J right in his face. Then you look at him and say, "What?"
Jesus Shuttlesworth
He Got Game
Jesus Shuttlesworth.
He don't believe in Miami.
He's not about the bling. He's not about Southbeach.
He's not the kind of guy that celebrates championships with smoke and mirrors before winning one. He don't name himself "the king" for the sake of endorsements. I mean who names themself anyway. 9 years before actually winning anything?
Jesus Shuttlesworth, he practices. He gets up early and shoots jumpshots. When the last flickers of daylight are passing into night, he's still shooting. He doesn't eat no hamburgers from McDonalds. He keeps his body pure, like its a temple.
When he got traded from Milwalkee to Seattle he cried. George Karl trying to keep his job.
Yeah they got Gary Payton, but Jesus was the man in Milwalkee. Maybe their all time best player.
Seatle: Jesus was the face of the franchise. He battled with Kobe (Lakers). He set franchise records in most FG for one season. He was a role model on and off the court. He never averaged fewer than 23ppg.
But Danny Ainge rescued him from certain basketball oblivion.
The cost? Get this. DRAFT PICK Jeff Green, Wally Szerbiak and Delonte West. They were traded for him.
Boston.
The House that Red built.
The Truth.
KG
and Jesus.
2008: Banner 17
Doc
KG laughing, while Gino dances.
All his UCONN connections. All New England Cheering for him.
Family.
The Real Jesus Shuttlesworth doesn't leave that to go play for Pat Riley's Heat.
Nope.
There is a loud chorus. The same chorus that cheered Russell when the two Goliath's met when Wilt came to town for the first time. The kind of chorus that defeaned Cedric Maxwell's ears on Havlicek Weekend in Boston, back when Ernie D was throwing behind the back passes in Hondo's waning hours. The kind of noise that made Larry Bird play to a higher level.
Jesus Shuttlesworth sat with KG and the Truth, when the Celtics were down by 20. He heard the same crowd that cheered for the players that wore all the numbers that hang next to the banners. Down by 20! They cheered even louder.
Jesus Shuttlesworth knows all this.
Remember
"....When making a business decision, the only color that matters is green...
Celtic Green!
Jesus knows this. He tightens up his basketball sneakers. And continues to shoot jump shots.