Photos From Bob’s Basement

March 28, 2014 · No Comments

The events of these past few days has brought back to me a flood of memories. Beginning with Jim Kelly’s battle again with cancer, then the Irv, Rick & Tom reunion and finally the passing Ralph Wilson. All signified important moments and experiences in my career and reminded me of a box of photos I that still have in my basement. I decided it would be fun to share some of those photos on a regular basis and reminisce about some good times.

The photo I am highlighting today is one of Michael Jordan after a preseason game played in Buffalo, posing with Jim Kelly, Bruce Smith and Cornelius Bennett in the Bulls locker room. I posted this photo on Facebook and Twitter Thursday night and it created quite a buzz so I decided it was the right one to kick off “Photos From Bob’s Basment”.

The pre-season game took place in Buffalo’s Memorial Auditorium around 1990, not positive, but I can’t find a record of exactly what night it was played. The promoter of the event invited almost the entire Buffalo Bills football team and most the Bills players were on hand to watch Jordan in person. It was a unique happening in Buffalo since the NBA left in 1978 with the demise of the Buffalo Braves.

The classic photo of Jordan with Kelly, Smith and Bennett is in my possession because I took part in a half-time promotion that featured local media. The promotion had on-air personalities and reporters from the various radio and television stations shooting ten free throws. We were shooting on behalf of contestants who had voted for us and then had their names drawn from that pool. The personality who made the most free throws won a free trip and other prizes for the winning contestant.

I believe there was something like five of us in all who took turns taking ten free throws during the half-time promotion. I made 8 of 10 free throws and the young couple who had voted for me won a free trip to somewhere like Las Vegas. I got a hand shake.

I’m not quite sure who took the photo above, but I do remember it was given to me with a photo of me taking the free throws. Oddly enough, I no longer have the photo of me at the free throw line, but still have this great photo of the best basketball player ever with three of the Bills finest.

I also am able to say I shot free throws on the same night and court as Michael Jordan.

Filed under: Local Headlines, Photos From Bob's Basement