Celebration for a King

The triumph of every hero is preceded with struggle. The strength and resiliency required to succeed is what separates that hero from everyone else. Their dreams are our dreams. Their struggles entail aspects of our own.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is just that – a hero. He had a dream, a goal, and a desire to achieve justice in the face of adversity and strife. Today we celebrate his achievements that had such a profound impact on the world; the struggle he was a part of has led to progress in the United States’ attempt to truly hold that “self-evident�? truth, that all men are created equally.

Dr. King obviously met challenges along the way – whether it be his house being bombed or numerous death threats, his path wasn’t easy, but it led to his dream. The man didn’t give up, even if the odds were against him.

The Laker family has a King of their own whose personal journey and struggle inspire us – a Yakama Sun King. Ronny Turiaf’s battle to achieve his dream of playing in the NBA for the Los Angeles Lakers doesn’t have the national or historical resonance of Dr. King’s ordeal, but the same valuable lesson can be learned, nonetheless. Turiaf didn’t start a bus boycott or lead a march on Washington, but what we as fans witnessed was a man have his dream taken away because of something he could not control and then will his way back to that dream.

This wasn’t the route Turiaf thought he would be on. After signing a guaranteed two-year contract just days after being drafted, one can imagine the elation, jubilation, and exhilaration Turiaf must have felt. Literally days later, though, that glee was tarnished – Turiaf was diagnosed with a heart ailment that jeopardized his NBA career and shattered his opportunity to achieve his dream.

Our Sun King will never have the social impact that Dr. King did. He just plays a game. But what makes this game so special isn’t what happens during the 48 minutes the game is being played – the stories that make these men real, the ones that happen off the court, are what matter sometimes.

Challenges in life aren’t always foreseen and anticipated; that left hook that you’ve never seen will knock you down. Ronny Turiaf is teaching us the lesson that every fairy tail, Disney movie, and sappy after-school special has attempted to weave into the fabric of our character: get back up.

When enjoying your holiday today, think of all the people you can who have succeeded through perseverance and endless hours on the path to their dream. Maybe it’s your mom or your best friend or the old man down the street. Maybe its Lance Armstrong or Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

You’ll see the common thread amongst all of our heroes is their relentless pursuit of their dreams. As we welcome Ronny back into the fold of purple and gold and call him an inspiration for his amazing achievement and perseverance in the face of contretemps, we all should step back and really learn the lesson.

Never give up on what’s important to you.

Dr. King didn’t – he changed the world. Our Sun King didn’t – he gave us hope.

“Today is just another setback, another hurdle I’ll just have to jump over,�? said Turiaf on July 22nd.

Thank you to our Kings for having the courage to jump.

- bhatta

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