There have been a lot of negative stories in the news recently about police officers and professional athletes, but here’s a story that sheds some positive light on both groups. A Gainesville Florida police officer responded to a standard disturbance call involving kids and noise. Officer White handled this potentially volatile situation in a way not too many people would have thought of. Instead of breaking up the crowd, and possibly creating more disruption, he challenged the kids to a game of basketball. By the time the game was over, Officer White had earned the respect and made quite a lasting impression on some young people at a very impressionable age. After the game, Officer White told the kids, the next time he comes over to play basketball he was going to bring backup. The reaction from the kids let him know that they were looking forward to a rematch!
True to his word, Officer White came back for a rematch. His backup was Shaq! They played a little ball, had a lot of fun, and everybody listened to Shaq’s words of encouragement. Listen to the positive mantra he made them all repeat at the end of their game. The unselfish gestures of both Officer White and Shaq may have just changed the lives of these young people.