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NBA Player Asks His Former High School Coach to Be His Roommate - And the Reason Why Is Heartwarming
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NBA Player Asks His Former High School Coach to Be His Roommate - And the Reason Why Is Heartwarming

High school coaches are the real MVPs. They're not "just" coaches. They're surrogate parents, counselors, and role models, providing support that goes way beyond the playing field. These mentors play a starring role in shaping not just the athletic abilities of their students, but also their character and life skills. Even when high school athletes go pro and hit the big leagues, many of them never forget the ones who stood by them, cheering them on from the sidelines, long before the spotlights and fame.For 25-year-old NBA Knicks center star, Mitchell Robinson, his high school basketball coach had a profound impact on not only his career but on his life as well. So when his former coach lost his wife of 31 years to cancer earlier this year, Mitchell stepped up and delivered a slamdunk — inviting the grieving man to live with him in New York so he wouldn't be alone. Who Is William "Butch" Stockton?Mitchell Robinson's journey to NBA stardom began in the hallways of Chalmette High School in Louisiana back in 2015. The story goes that Butch heard about the new "tall kid walking in the neighborhood" after Mitchell moved to St. Bernard Parish with his family.Butch, sensing a rare opportunity, actively recruited Mitchell to attend the high school and play for his basketball team.He coached Mitchell from 2015 to 2017. But the two bonded over more than just the game. "Mitch was just so shy and quiet and my wife just took a liking to him a lot," Butch told ESPN. "At first, when I told her about Mitchell coming to the school, [I said] 'there's something special about him, just his demeanor, and I think we could really help him later on in his life.' And my wife said, 'We're definitely going to do that.' And from that day on, my wife really became very close to Mitchell."And when the basketball star got drafted by the New York Knicks in 2018, Butch and his wife, Dawn, were cheering the loudest of all. When Tragedy Strikes, Mitchell Proves He’s the Real MVPEven after Mitchell became "one of the NBA's #1 top shot-blocking big men" and signed a whopping 4-year, $60 MILLION contract in 2022, he still never forgot his roots.When Dawn, 70, was in the final stage of metastatic cancer and entered the hospital in August, Mitchell never left her side. He visited her every day. After her death on September 13, he posted a heartfelt tribute on social media to the woman he called "Momma." And after her funeral, he didn't stop being there for her and his former coach. During the New York Knicks game against the Detroit Pistons last Thursday, Butch shared that after the death of his wife of 31 years, Mitchell invited him to New York to live with him."He said, 'Coach, there's no reason for you to stay in Louisiana anymore. You come to New York with me and enjoy yourself,'" Butch told MSG Network’s Rebecca Haarlow. "Get your mind back straight because you know how much you loved your wife. I loved your wife."How an NBA Star Is Paying It BackButch took him up on his offer and the two have been unlikely roommates since the start of the season.“It’s just been a great situation, to be honest with you,” Butch said.Mitchell agrees. "He's a great guy who helped me get to where I'm at," the NBA player said. "So you know, I'm bringing him along with me after everything that happened over the summer. It works out for the best. I can help him out. He helped me."The plan is for Butch to stay until the end of the season. In the meantime, besides their obvious love for the game, the two are enjoying watching Christmas movies together and hanging out with Mitchell's dogs. For years, Butch was there for Mitchell, helping him to get to where he is today. And now? When Butch needs him the most, Mitchell is happily returning the favor. “It’s the least that I can do. It’s been cool.”Mitchell RobinsonMitchell may be the MVP on the court, but it's obvious that he's an even bigger one off it. More from Goalcast:Dejected Teen NBA Prospect Can’t Find Prom Outfit – So Shaq Does Something AmazingPhoenix Suns Star Bismack Biyombo Gives Away His Entire NBA Salary to Build a New Hospital for an Inspiring Reason9-Year-Old Receives a Package He Didn’t Order – The Note Inside Makes Him Scream

Which Life Event Would You Remove? Viral Reddit Thread Offers Raw Lesson About Gratitude
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Which Life Event Would You Remove? Viral Reddit Thread Offers Raw Lesson About Gratitude

The last few months have given us all plenty of time to reflect on ourselves and our lives. What am I proud of?What changes do I have to make?What new skill can I learn?What do I want my life to be defined by?Recently, someone on Reddit tossed out a hard-hitting hypothetical question that went viral and racked up over 31,000 comments:If you could remove one event from your life, what would it be?A pretty intense question. Expectantly, it garnered some pretty intense answers. Yet found even within the most unimaginable trauma are lessons of gratitude. (Editor's note: Trigger warning -- the following content might be difficult to read and contains references to sexual abuse and other traumatic events.)Loss of a loved oneTo visit the page is to scroll through some of life's greatest suffering imaginable. Few life-wounds fester like losing a loved one. For many of us, the souls on the planet who will love, embrace or accept us as much as family or cherished friends are rare. My wife passing away. Let's just remove that part and have her sitting next to me right now talking about the ham she's going to make for Thanksgiving-LollipopdreamscapeMany wondered how different (read: better) their life would be if their mother, brother, sister or father was still around.RegretGuilt and regret -- the first cousins of loss. It was a pervasive theme in the thread, with many of those wounds still very fresh for some users.In one case, one user didn't have the chance to bury the hatchet with his grandfather before he died. "I'm sorry grandpa, I shouldn't have been so harsh on you. You were just trying to pass down your beliefs to me.. I'm sorry."Another Reddit user was mourning from losing her sister to brain cancer one month before her 18th birthday: "I feel constant guilt that she didn't get to be here but I am, and shame that I'm wasting it"Suffering abuseFrom physical, sexual to mental abuse, including one person whose father would tease him about his weight as a child which "absolutely ruined his sense of self", there were many humans broken at the hands of other humans sharing their experiences on Reddit. Other life events people would remove included being robbed by a good friend, witnessing a murder and "my first cigarette".The human spirit shines throughBut there is beauty to be found in the darkness. As moving as reading the many tragic events was the sheer outpouring of empathy and support from the Reddit community in practically every post. "Good friend of mine had this happen to him. He was the nicest and coolest guy and still is. Keep your head up mate, and know your friends and fellow redditors are here for you""I lost my dad and sister both in 2019. Hugs to you."Inspiring still was the ability for some, despite going through unspeakable tragedy, to focus on the positive in their lives.I would say my marriage but it brought me my best friends that helped me after it ended. Also she got me to volunteer with her to help rehabilitate baby song birds at the university. Something I never would have thought of doing on my own.-GrimmlanI lost my dad when I was 3 so I really didn’t have any memory of him but I always wonder what my life would be like if he was alive. I used to get really down about it but I’ve found that it’s helped shape me into the man I am now along with my amazing mother and that it’s better to turn it into something positive. I hope you’re doing well.- WumbopowerLook for something positive each day, even if somedays you have to look a little harderThere's no getting around it: Some of the events described were horrifying, and unfathomable to imagine.However, just like a flower sprouting through the crack of a cement sidewalk, there was also something special taking place. By coming together, many complete strangers managed to cultivate an attitude of gratitude -- despite their difficult life experiences. By not only having gratitude, but also expressing it to others, we can help each other heal. More uplifting news:Brooklyn Landlord Cancels Rent For Hundreds Of Tenants, Setting An Unprecedented Example For OthersA State Trooper Pulled Over A Doctor For Speeding But Gave Her N95 Masks InsteadLandlord Saves Family From Homelessness After Father Lost His JobDoctor Couple Cancel Their Wedding to Keep Fighting Coronavirus Together