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You go to a Chicago Bulls game, and you expect to see at least one incredible play. With reigning NBA MVP Derrick Rose on the court, it’s like the days when Michael Jordan played for the Bulls — as far as anticipating at least one memorable moment from one of the game’s greatest players.
Minka Kelly over Zach Gilford any day as far as Friday Night Lights actors are concerned. Nothing personal, Zach.
The Bulls’ regular-season opener Jan. 1, 2012, was no exception. Except two memorable moments came from less likely performers:
* Center Joakim Noah hit what was descibed on the official play-by-play as a 19-foot jumper in the second quarter against the Memphis Grizzlies en route to a 104-63 route of the Memphis Grizzlies.
* Backup center Omer Asik hit what was described as a 4-foot hook shot after he recorded an emphatic dunk on the previous possession in the third quarter.
Even if those distances might be slightly greater than any official measurement, those were plays you don;t see every day. Or night. In fact, the sentiment here is the Noah basket should have been worth at least 2.5 points. Not quite good enough to be a three-pointer, but still …
And Asik’s shot? No telling what his shooting range is — other than it usually isn’t as distant as 4 feet.
Among other highlights of the evening was Chicago actor Zach Gilford being shown on the scoreboard video screen. He is the Evanston native who was on “Friday Night Lights” as quarterback Matt Saracen. Given a choice of actors from that football-themed show, some of us would have preferred Minka Kelly, who was cheerleader Lyla Garrity.
Speaking of Kelly, she and New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter reportedly have revived their romance — five months after breaking up.
“They looked much in love,” an observer told People. “They were always very, very close; very playful as a couple with each other.”
Jeter, 37, and Kelly, 31, had been a couple for three years before splitting in August.
Speaking of couples, LeBron James and longtime girlfriend Savannah Brinson are engaged.
Savannah Brinson in a photo she recently tweeted.
At a New Year’s Eve party that also celebrated his 27th birthday (Dec. 30), the Miami Heat star proposed to Brinson. She accepted.
“My girl, she’s very excited,” James said after he and the Heat beat Charlotte 129-90 Sunday. “She would love to answer more questions about it than me. But she’s happy, my family’s happy and that’s what it’s about.”
With a number of teammates and close friends looking on, James pulled off a bit of a sneak attack. He and Brinson had discussed marriage in the past, but amid the din of ringing in 2012, she didn’t expect the two-time NBA MVP to get on bended knee at that moment.
“It was beautiful,” Heat teammate Chris Bosh said. “I told him, `Good luck.’ It was nice. It was real nice.”
“It’s very nice,” said Heat teammate Dwyane Wade, who held the ring until the big moment. “Very nice. They have good taste. … To me, it felt like he was on his knee for an hour. It was probably like 35 seconds. It was great. I feel so happy for them and their entire family.”
Brinson and James are parents to two sons.
“I had no idea it was coming,” Bosh said. “I just heard some commotion, and yeah, there it was. It was nice. It was real cool.”
“It should be a surprise for any woman anytime something like that happens,” James said. “She was surprised. It was great that all the friends and family were there to bring in a new year. Even my kids were happy about it, so that’s good. … I feel good. I feel good. It’s a good point in my life right now.”
The audio-visual department at elliottharris.com has no footage from either Jeter and Kelly in Paris or of James proposing. There is some video from the Bulls home opener, however. Here is some of it:
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