Last night, I went to the UNLV Rebel game. We lost the game, but the night was a special one for me. UNLV (finally) named the court after Jerry Tarkanian.
Jerry Tarkanian is one of the most successful college basketball coaches of all time. He coached UNLV through the glory years and really influenced the university and the city. He recently released a book called Runnin’ Rebel: Shark Tales of “Extra Benefits”, Frank Sinatra and Winning It All that is sitting on my night stand. Rebel basketball games were my favorite hobby while I was growing up. Last night when they renamed the court to “Tarkanian Court”, they showed some of the old games and players on the big screen. They handed out free white towels and put the shark outlines over the spotlights just like the old times. The whole crowd stood and broke into the shark clap. The only thing not there was the old realistic looking shark that would hang from the rafters with a towel hanging from it’s mouth.
The whole thing was actually quite emotional for me as memories of basketball, growing up, and times with my dad came flowing back. I think Candace was surprised to see me shed a tear or two…or three.
Well, I took a few photos. It was dark, and my seats weren’t real close, so they aren’t great. But I’m glad I took them because it was a good night.
