T.G. SPORTS REFLECTIONS OF SPORTS IN 2011 Part 1





Story by L.T. Willis

Chris Paul is traded to The Los Angeles Clippers.

All photos are by Eric Wade/T.G.Sports.

T.G.Sports this year have been part of some of the greatest sporting events in 2011 and would like to share with you some of those events we reflected on the most. Our number one memory was Chris Paul coming to The Los Angeles Clippers instead of to The Los Angeles Lakers. By the time Chris Paul had gotten off the plane here in Los Angeles, Clippers' tickets orders went thru the roof. With this trade The Clippers  have done something no one would have dream off spending money to get superstar talent on their roster to go along with their superstar Blake Griffin.This move has sent a message to the Clippers' fans that there is a new foundation being built. Now second on our  list wasn't the NBA All Star Game Weekend but the 12TH Annual NBA Legends Of The Game Brunch.




Magic Johnson



Jerry West.



Bill Russell











This event if you were a NBA student of the game then this would have been your ultimate event to be at. Many players on the night were honorees Lisa Leslie, Jerry West, Bill Russell , James Worthy, Bill Walton, Bill Sherman, Sam Perkins and the one and only Ervin 'Magic' Johnson. NBA greats George Gervin, Lenny Wilkins, Dave Bing, Shaquille O'Neal and NFL legend Jim Brown were just a few who were in attendance. Bill Russell and Bill Walton stole the show sharing with us their great sense of humor when Bill Russell was ask to be a Laker and said" Are you paying Wilt Chamberlain a lot of money to be a backup center?" Bill Walton had everyone laughing after his career at UCLA and in the NBA his parents ask him, "Hey Billy did you ever get a job yet?"




Rollie Fingers



Former NFL player Jerry Rice & T.G. Sports'
Nick Hamilton.





 



T.G.Sports' L.T.Willis,Nick Hamilton and Sugar Ray Lenard
and his wife Bernadette.



Kenya Moore.













The 11th Annual Harold Pump Foundation Gala for cancer is in our number three spot held at the Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles were a list of celebrities and sports figures came to support this great event to help raise money to fight cancer. Peter Rose, Jerry Rice, Jim Brown, Anthony Munoz, Ralph Sampson, Michael Ervin, Julius Ervin, Mike Tyson, Tim Brown, Jerry West, Sugar Ray Lenard and his wife Bernadette, James Worthy, Magic Johnson, Trevor Ariza and actress Kenya Moore are just a few names on this list that came out to support this great events.

Actor Tiny Lester having fun with finalist from the 20th Annual Watkins
Awards  Savon Huggins, Wayne Lyons, Kendal Thompson, James
Vaughters and Remound Wright.

Now The 20th Annual Watkins Awards produce by The National Alliance Of African American Athletes honors the best African American Athletes/Scholars in the country was held at the Omni Hotel. The selections process is regaris with the major factures of selection being grade point average, how do you impact your community as well as being a role model as well. To see young African American Men and their parents and everyone in their beautiful dresses and black tuxedos this by far could have been our number one event of the year.



Kendal Thompson &
actress Claudia Jordan.



2011 Watkins Award winner Kendal Thompson and his
parents Mr. & Mrs. Thompson.











The 2011 Watkins Award was hosted by actress Claudia Jordan and comedian Lamont King and celebrities that came out to support this event were Tiny Lister, Nick Cannon, comedian Alphonso McAuley and Tampa Bay Bucs' Gerald McCoy.This Award started back in 1992 name after Franklin D. Watkins a coach  in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania . The NFL has several Watkins Award winners playing Atlanta Falcons Justin Baylock, Tampa Bay Bucs Gerald McCoy and Arrelious Benn, Houston Texans Ben Tate, San Francisco $9ers Ted Gin Jr., Washington Redskins Lorenzo Alexander, Arizona Cardinals Robert Tate, New Orleans saints Darnell Dinkins, New York Giants La Varr Arrington, Oakland Raiders Grants Irons and Ronald Curry, Jacksonville Jaguars Mercedes Lewis just to name a few.






Pau Gasol & Justin Friedlander.



Ray Allen & LeBron James.



 









Kobe Bryant.



Dwayne Wade.











Now the NBA All Star Weekend is part of our list and what many people and fans don't get to see is how fun the players have during practice. You get to see a side of players that you don't see during games. Even the coaches have fun to say they have coaches some of the greatest players in the NBA is a real honor for them.  NBA players are human just like everyone else in the world and what goes on in their personal life should be their own business. It's nice when the players can come together and forget about their ups or downs and just focus on the moment of just being a NBA All Star. Now on our list is  Joe " Jelly Bean" Bryant coming back to Los Angeles coaching again in the WNBA.

Joe Bryant sharing some laughs with fans at the Sparks' Draft Party.



Joe Bryant.



Joe Bryant was back with The Los Angeles Sparks for a second time and the buzz was that he was back with us coaching once again. Early in the season when things wasn't going right with the Sparks. Joe took over for coach Gillom and everyone was hoping he could work his magic one more time and get the Sparks into the playoffs and back to the WNBA Championship. That was his goal but no one never figure that Candace Parker would get injured again and that change the season. Hiring a new coach on the road with no time time to practice and you are just starting out on a tuff road schedule was asking a lot of any coach and with new members on your roster. Hopefully if Joe Bryant is  back the Sparks' front office with all their draft picks they have including the # 1 pick they will get the players to compete for a WNBA title.

Stanford Cardinals  @ USC Trojans



The USC Trojans lost to the Stanford Cardinals 56-48 in triple overtime.





 Now the USC Trojans and The Stanford Cardinals football game will probably go down as was on of the best game in Pac 12 history as being number # 1 until  this game can be match or outdone. The Stanford Cardinals defeated the USC Trojans 56-48 in tripple overtime.  With so much action and finally the buzz was back at the L.A. Coliseum  about USC football and what Matt Barkley has done for his school by coming back for hos senior year look out college football. He has already a talent pool of receivers on his team with George Farmer and Marquis Lee Carson's Darrues Rogers will be a Trojan and Max Tuerk from the Division I State Champion Santa Margarita will probably be his left tackle protecting his blind side. Part 2 of our Reflection in Sports in 2011 we be coming up so stay tune. All these great photos were by Eric Wade /T.G.Sports and EW Gems Images.