I took two of my kids to enjoy the NBA All-Star festivities in February at the Super Dome in New Orleans. While taking a break from the action to grab popcorn with my nine-year old daughter, we encountered Coach Dee. I felt we already knew each other, just from our eye contact. We briefly greeted one another and Coach Dee asked if I had attended the All-Star festivities in Toronto, as I looked familiar. I shared this was my first NBA All-Star event I’ve ever attended, and next thing I knew he was engaging with my nine-year old about her love of basketball. He gave me a card and told my daughter he would send her a package of Jr. Brooklyn Nets gear when he returned home after the festivities. During our conversation, Coach Dee opened up about the recent passing of his mother, and shared that in these types of connections, his mother is always with him.