Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, May 6, 1994 TAG: 9405060105
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
He talked with the children about basketball, but he came mainly to tape a public service announcement on drugs and education.
Lynch, a Roanoke native who plays for the Los Angeles Lakers, attended Hurt Park as a boy. The neighborhood has high crime and poverty rates, but Lynch has fond memories of the school and his teachers there.
He remembers the names of all his teachers, calling them off by grade. He hugged Rae Scott, the school secretary who remembers him as a typical, mischievous kid.
"There was nothing to make you think he would go on to do what he has done,'' Scott said.
Lynch was a star player for Patrick Henry High School and the University of North Carolina before becoming a professional with the Lakers.
Ten third-graders got to pose with him in the 30-second spot, taped by television station WDBJ (Channel 7).
The children knew Lynch and peppered him with questions as he waited for the television crews to set up.
Does he get paid a lot of money to play for the Lakers? Yes, he said.
Does he know Magic Johnson? Yes; Johnson coached the Lakers for the last part of the basketball season.
Has he ever been benched? Yes, he was a substitute during the early part of the season, but he was a starter by season's end.
Have the Lakers ever scored 100 points? Yes, Lynch said. Some say there's no defense in professional basketball, but there is, he said - it's just a different kind of defense than in high school and college.
Neville Swain, 9, asked Lynch if he knew Shaquille O'Neal, the star center for the Orlando Magic. Other children asked him about former Chicago Bulls star Michael Jordan and other players.
Lynch patiently answered the quesions, towering above the children at 6 feet 7 inches.
In the public service announcement, Lynch said that not every child can grow up to be tall and play on a national championship team at UNC and with the Lakers. But each child has a special talent that can be developed, he said.
As he was growing up, Lynch said he saw some of his friends benched by drugs, violence and lack of hope.
"Education and determination can take you places that you never dreamed of," Lynch told the children as he looked into the television camera.
Lynch is back in Roanoke making plans for his basketball camp for youngsters in late July. He said he also will spend part of the summer in Chapel Hill, N.C., where his mother lives.
He told the youngsters that the career of an average player lasts only a few years. He said basketball players need a good education so they can get a good job after their playing days are over.
Lynch said he enjoys working with children and likes coming back to his old schools and visiting friends whenever he's in Roanoke.
by CNB