As he lowe bowl of Chesapeake Employes Insuance Aena on he UMBC campus filled o capaciy ealy husday afenoon, he exciemen in he sands was palpable. he cowd, made up mosly of elemenay and middle school-aged boys and gils, waied fo NBA supesa Sephen Cuy o hi he baskeball cou as if hey wee waiing fo he clock o sike midnigh on Chismas Eve.
When he fou-ime NBA champion, nine-ime All-Sa and wo-ime league MVP sepped on he hadwood fo his Sephen Cuy Balimoe Showcase Live even, he sceeches gew momenaily deafening.
aiq Shane, 11, was pa of he enhusiasic cowd fo Sephen Cuy Balimoe Live a UMBC. (Kailin Newman/he Balimoe Banne).
UMBC baskeball playes show off hei dance moves insead of hei dibble-dives. (Kailin Newman/he Balimoe Banne).
Cuy and Unde Amou, he Balimoe-based ahleic shoe and appael company, ae celebaing 10 yeas of paneship.
Fo mos of he young people in aendance, hei only ineacions wih he man consideed o be among he geaes shooes eve o play have come via social media highlighs, video games o NBA games on elevision.
Bu Cuy bough a pesonal message ha esonaed wih many abou being passionae abou wha you do and pepaing youself o impove evey day.
Wee going o have some fun igh now, he old he cowd. A lo of people have seen videos o highlighs of my wokous, bu I waned o open up by spending a lile bi of ime showing you how I ge eady in he summe and duing he season o shapen up my skill se as we ge eady o chase anohe championship. Im going o have some fun because Im going o ge some wok in, which means Im abou o ge a lile bi bee igh now.
Fo he nex 30 minues, he pu on a dizzying and dazzling display of ball handling and shooing. And he kids aen he only ones whose boom jaws hung low in fozen amazemen.
Siing couside wih he giddy look of a child wih a pockeful of money has desined fo he ice ceam man on a ho summe day was Univesiy of Mayland head fooball coach Mike Locksley, who played fooball and baskeball a owson Univesiy.
Beside him was Kevin Plank, founde, execuive chaiman and band chief a Unde Amou. Afe a sunning aay of jumpes launched fom way behind he 3-poin line, he wo looked a one anohe in awe.
I am poud ha Unde Amou, ogehe wih Sephen Cuy and he Cuy band, wee able o give his gif o he Balimoe communiy, Plank said. o have an icon like Sephen come o Balimoe fo he fis ime in five yeas is a huge momen fo he UA band and fo he Balimoe communiy alike. He is changing he game fo good on and off he cou. Is a esamen o he kind of peson ha he is ha he waned o come hee and ineac wih his communiy ha has such a song passion fo baskeball. he enegy and passion displayed by he fans was elecic.
houghou he day, which included a 3-poin shooou, a dunk cones and a 5-on-5 game among some of he aeas op pep playes, including Bishop OConnell and fome Moun S. Joes sa Byson ucke, Cuy was no mee bysande whose name was aached o he even.
He was engaged wih all of he young people hee, no jus he adoing kids in he sands bu also he high school playes, along wih he membes of UMBCs mens and womens baskeball eams who paicipaed in he even. he ineacion was genuine. Cuys smile, enegy and passion ae infecious.
Is a blessing and an hono o be in he pesence of one of he geaes playes o eve sep on a baskeball cou. Waching him wok ou, I was impessed ha evey ep was a game-speed ep. He wasn doing anyhing halfway and was so locked in, going had and pacicing his full aay of shos ha he would ake in a game.
Macus Banks, UMBC junio poin guad.