About 20 years ago, I somehow got involved in a full court 4 on 4 game at LA Valley JC in Van Nuys. Normal type pick-up game, nobody too great.
However, working out in the gym at the same time was Orlando and another NBA guy -- my memory it was Otis Thorpe. One of our group asked Orlando and Otis if they wanted to make our game 5 on 5, and surprisingly they said they would. It was one of those good days where I happened to be shooting pretty well. After the first game, Orlando pulled me aside and said that he would do all he could to get me shots -- ball screens for me, or whenever he was doubled. He said everyone would be so worried about him that if I moved around he would get me plenty of shots. He said "you just keep shooting and we will wipe them out". That is exactly what happened. He kept getting me shots, I (luckily) kept making them, and we wiped them out. He was so excited when his plan worked, and had this big smile each time we won another game.
I never saw him in that gym again -- next time I saw him he was probably wearing number "0' for the Lakers and throwing down great dunks. Needless to say, I always rooted for him. I am sorry to see that he struggled after his career was over, but I will always remember this bigger than life NBA guy high fiving me as we went back on D after he kicked the ball out of a double team and I did what he had suggested.
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