We played on the same Provo city league softball team for two years. Fun guy. Great sense of humor.

He played right/center field for us. One time someone hit a laser beam between him and the right fielder. It looked like it might even clear the fence. Greg was running towards it and, of course with his long stride it looked like he was running in sand. It looked like he’d never get there. At the last second, he reached out with that 7’ wingspan and snags the ball. There was a collective gasp/sigh from both teams and their fans.

On one at bat, he hit the ball right on the end of the bat on a high pitch and it went straight up and started to veer towards right field. It had a crazy spin on it and you could see it wobbling back and forth while it just continued to climb. The right fielder was already calling for it, but, he started drifting backwards slowly as he tracked it. Greg was ticked and tossed the bat and started jogging to first to run it out. The ball just kept going, the right fielder backed up to the fence and watched helplessly as it fell behind him over the fence for a homer. Greg had already touched first base and started to turn to head towards our dugout when everyone started screaming and celebrating. He had this perplexed look on his face and the umpire walked towards him signaling it was a home run.

I was a Celtics fan since age 10. Was so geeked to have ainge, Kite, Roberts play for Boston. I’d graduated from BYu and lived in Milwaukee. I went to a Bucks/Celts game. I went early and went down near the court while the players were doing early warmups and I got Greg’s attention. (We hadn’t seen each other for a couple of years.) We chatted a bit and got caught up.

A few weeks later they came to Milwaukee for the playoffs. Greg called me and told me he had tix for me for the Friday night game. The next day they had no game and Greg wanted to do something besides just hang out in the hotel. I told him that the single adults in our stake were going to a Brewers game. He asked if he could join us. I told him I’d pick him up at the hotel and bring him to the game. When I called him that morning to set the time to pick him up, he said “Ainge and McHale want to come to. Can you pick us all up?” Uhhh….ya. No probs.

Well, in the end, they didn’t come because Ainge found out it was vs. Cleveland and he’d just been in MLB and knew they sucked and didn’t want to go to a boring game. Plus, at the time, he was a magnet for hecklers and didn’t want to have to listen to guff from Milwaukee fans.

The next day I picked Greg up and we went to church. On the way out of the hotel we passed Red Auerbach who looked at us and asked where we were going. Greg replied, “To church”. Red looked at me and said, “You take care of my boy”. He created a stir at church. The former bishop of the ward came up to him and introduced himself. (He was not a sports guy.) He looked at Greg and said “Man, you’re tall. You should be a basketball player.” Greg wasn’t sure how to reply and just smiled.

Greg invited me to come to any game in Boston. He told me if I did, he’d get me a press pass and I’d sit on the floor. (I would pose as a reporter from a newspaper in his suburban Houston area.) I used to go there on business a lot. But, never could make the timing work to attend a game.

Over the next several years, I moved to Chicago and, in short, would often go to games to watch the Celts and Bulls or go up to Milwaukee (90 minute drive) to see them play the Bucks. We’d often meet afterwards for a chat or a meal. A gracious guy and a good conversation always. Loved walking through arena crowds after a game and watch and listen to how people interacted with him. (Interestingly, his brother was in our stake and I got to know him through church assignments. Good guy also.)

They came to Milwaukee for the playoffs once and he got me tix to the game and afterwards we ate dinner at the restaurant in the marriott across the street from the Mecca. A bunch of Celtics fans were there and came over to talk to us. They kept asking questions looking at both of us while they asked. I wondered why they’d ask questions or make statements about the Celts saying “You guys” when it was just me and Greg. Greg told me “They think you are Gerry Sichting.” (Sichting, a Celts guard, was 5’11”, I’m 5' 10” and we were both blonde/balding.)

Lastly, after Greg’s 5th or 6th season in the NBA, I was hosting Phil Jackson who was the keynote speaker at a Cancer Society event I was hosting. I spent an hour one-on-one with him. I mentioned I knew Greg. He paused for a moment and said “Greg Kite is the hardest working man in the NBA. You know why Robert Parrish is as good as he is? He has to go against Greg Kite in practice every day.”

Loved Greg’s interview on the game last night. Said all the right stuff..and he did because he really means it. He’s a great emissary for BYU and the Church.