Celebrity-Athlete of the Day: Shannon Brown

I got away from my Celebrity Look-alike series for a few days, but I’m back this week with some really good ones.

Today’s Athlete: Shannon Brown, reserve guard for the LA Lakers.

• I just had to get this one off my chest; it’s been bothering me since the 2010 NBA Finals. I’m just gonna put it out there: dude looks like Chris Brown. There, I said it; you’d have to be blind not to agree with me.
  
  Every aspect of his person just screams Chris Brown. They’re both freakish athletes, have no problem getting the girl and made a serious comeback in 2010. (Did I mention that they share the same last name?)
  
  Everybody knows the story with Breezy; he got a little too animated with his girlfriend and things got ugly. Shannon Brown was a competitor in the 2003 McDonald’s High School Dunk Competition – won by LeBron James (maybe you’ve heard of him) – but tanked in this year’s NBA Dunk Competition. After that abysmal display of wackness, he faded of the NBA radar for a while.
  
  This year, both of them re-emerged in their respective genres as stars. Chris Brown cleaned up his act, grew a goatee and danced his way back into young women’s hearts. Shannon Brown dunked on Mikki Moore so hard that he might have even received an all-star vote - even though it was during the '09 Preseason - and his performance in the finals was impressive as well. The high-flyer also made an appearance as the love interest in Monica’s new music video “Love All Over Me”.
  
  
  
  Breezy is a huge basketball fan and has participated in numerous charity basketball events in the past. Shannon Brown, likely, has no singing talents – although he might be a pretty good dancer, I’m not sure. What Shannon does have is his connection to R&B Diva, Monica; his alleged girlfriend (so back-to-back NBA Championships weren’t enough? You had to go and take Monica from us too? The nerve of athletes these days.)
  
  I’ve done ten of these celebrity-athlete pieces now, and this one is, by far, the closest. THEY HAVE THE SAME LAST NAME DAMMIT! I’m just going to start the rumor myself – in case it hasn’t been started already – they’re second cousins. HA! Now just try and prove me wrong (just so you know, even if you could prove me wrong – which you can’t – I wouldn’t believe you).

By Aaron Hilton
Follow me on twitter @Way_2_Tall401

He-Artest and Soul

When I was about 10-years-old, my dream was to play professional basketball. At 13, that dream changed to playing for Duke University; and, at 16, I finally knew what I wanted to do: become the sports journalist.

That last line (become the sports journalist) – wasn’t a typo; there’s a difference between ‘the journalist’ and ‘a journalist’. I wanted to be the best; to transcend the genre and make it better. I was willing to sacrifice a bigger paycheck outside of college, if it meant I could wake up everyday and do what I loved: watching, writing and talking about sports for a living.

I’m still embarking on that journey, and I’ve hit a few bumps along the road. My time in St. Petersburg, with my fellow Sports Journalism Institute (SJI) classmates and world-class editors, showed me what it meant to be a journalist. They helped me to understand what it meant to pay my dues, as well as to "be heard by listening," (I promise that’s my only Confucius-style line).

My experience at the SJI was humbling, but necessary; and, in the long run, it will make me a much better journalist than I would have ever been had I not had the opportunity to attend. Sitting at my desk this afternoon, reflecting on having had such a rewarding summer, I felt on top of the world! As a student, internships don't get much better than this: I love where I am and I love what I'm doing. Totally inspired to start writing my next piece, I began to think about my favorite subject, basketball, and who really transcends the game.

Ron Artest, small forward for the LA Lakers, has been labeled as a ‘bad guy’ in the league ever since the brawl at The Palace in Detroit. I see him differently. The Artest I see loves the game with a fervor and passion that is unparalleled by any other player. He’s not as athletic as LeBron, nor as skilled/cerebral as Kobe, but he loves his craft just as much - if not more.








Just check out the Q & A he did for ESPN the Magazine (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=5417748). I assure anyone who reads it, this article will teach a person more about Ron Artest than the fight in Detroit would.

After that incident, people often asked, “What would Ron Artest do without basketball?” I’d like to ask them, “What would basketball be without Artest?”

He exemplifies the game in its purest form: fun. Sure, this is his job and he has made business decisions in the past to prove that; but, who has more fun playing than Ron-Ron? Did you see his post-game conference after Game 7 of the NBA Finals? He looked like he had just lost his virginity or something. He was exhausted, excited, speechless, and couldn’t stop smiling - all at the same time.



When he’s on the court, he has fun. He’s not the angry, tortured athlete that he once was for Indiana. Sure, his bleached hair during the NBA Finals reminded you of Samuel L. Jackson’s ghastly hairstyle in the movie “Jumper”; but, you couldn’t turn away from watching him play.

Just yesterday, I spent half my life reading a Bill Simmons blog/dissertation on the boredom MLB fans have to endure, especially in Boston. Guys like Ron Artest prevent that from happening in the NBA. Not all the attention he gets is good attention, but he almost always means well.

At the Sacramento Bee’s weekly intern lunch today, we got to speak with columnist, Ailene Voisin. She said, “Ron Artest is one of the most genuine, all-around, good guys you’ll ever meet.”

I couldn’t agree with her more (although, I never met him).

How can you not absolutely love this guy? He’s not shy towards the media nor his teammates, and he has provided some of my favorite quotes of all-time.

Would you have guessed, in a million years, that his favorite movie would be “Titanic”? How about the fact that his dream collaboration for his next song is Celine Dion? I dare you to drive to Queensbridge, NY with a copy of Titanic and a lifetime collection of Celine Dion CDs and just see if you make it out alive.

The individualism that he brings to basketball, without losing the teamwork aspect of his game, is what makes him different. The haircuts, tattoos, pre- and post-game press conferences, all contribute to what makes him one-of-a-kind.










He’s one of the few players with his own personality. The only person who Artest changes for is himself – oh, and also his family (but that’s like, a group). He is who he is and I love him for it. He paid his dues in having played for bad teams, and has made some bad decisions; but he has been rewarded later in life.

In a day where most athletes say one thing and do another, my favorite quality about Artest is his honesty. I’m a ‘keep-it-real’ kind of guy. Ron Artest keeps it realer than anyone else in the NBA today.

“When you need a stop, who you going to call?” Artest said in the ESPN the Magazine Q&A. “Not the goddamn Ghostbusters, I'll tell you that. You call me.”

Ron Artest might not be the face of the NBA, and he’s definitely not its best player; but he is, by all means, its heart and soul.

No doubt, he is one of the many athletes that inspire me to become the sports journalist.

By Aaron Hilton
Follow me on twitter @Way_2_Tall401

Celebrity-Athlete of the Day: Robert Horry

All this week, I will be using the input from some of my close friends and followers of the blog for the Celebrity-Athlete series. Some might be better than others; however, I have made sure that all the ones used will at least be, somewhat, believable.

Today's entry comes from my roommate/co-worker out here in Cali, @kylegrantham. Kyle's had some pretty good suggestions, so this might not be his only appearance in this weeks fan vote.

Today’s Athlete: Robert Horry, former Spurs, Lakers and Rockets power forward.

• Horry is a 7-time NBA champion and has won, literally, everywhere he’s been – with the exception of a brief, 32-game stint with the Phoenix Suns. His ability to succeed, no matter where he’s been, or what his role – along with his goatee and satellite ears – are what make him a ringer for Will Smith.
  
  In almost all of his movies, as a few of my good friends pointed out, Smith plays the hero. Whether it’s a comedic role, such as: Men In Black and Hancock, or a more serious role, such as: Ali or Seven Pounds; Will Smith has always saved the day and destroyed the box office. So, in many ways, their personal careers have mirrored one another as well.
  
  Horry was never the headliner for any of the championship teams he played on; however, he was always remembered for his willingness and desire to be the hero. His heroism and calm demeanor under pressure earned him the moniker, “Big Shot Bob”. Smith has done the same thing, but his nickname is way cooler: “The Fresh Prince”.
  
  Neither has swept an award show or been named an MVP/Best Actor – although Smith has come close a few times – but each man embodies versatility and a winning attitude. The two of them together could probably pick up all the DirecTV HD channels by tilting their ears a little towards the east, and maybe even hear your thoughts.
  
  These two guys are probably the most alike out of any pair I’ve done so far, simply because their similarities go deeper than their nappy, mini-fros. I’m not sure if Horry’s wife is anywhere near as beautiful as Jada; but that’d be asking too much anyways.
  
  I don’t know if Horry can rap (actually, I’m really not sure if Will Smith can rap), but his championship rings speak for themselves. He’s one of only two players, all-time, who have won a ring with three different franchises; Smith is one of the very few Hollywood stars to successfully transition from rap, to television, to the big screen – also three different franchises.
  
  The list of similarities probably goes on and on, but the point is that I’m not even sure, at this point, that Horry and Smith aren’t the same person. Maybe Will is secretly 6’10” and used some of the movie magic that he learned in Hollywood to disguise himself, albeit ever so slightly, under a sharp-shooting alter ego: Robert Horry. Hey, it could happen.

By Aaron Hilton
Follow me on twitter @Way_2_Tall401