Kenny SKY Walker, and my baseball cards

Today I was approached by my 8 year old nephew, who wanted my baseball cards. Now I don't have as many as some people, but I have quite a bit, some complete sets and some packed in boxes. I decided that this was a good way to pass this tradition on, so I let him have the loose cards packed in the boxes. I had been buying him some cards, just whenever I was in a checkout line and thought about it. But as the wide-eyed boy, and his nephew, looked through the cards, there was a framed autograph on notebook paper with a basketball card.

I am sure you can tell by the title it was Kenny Walker's Knicks card the year after he won the slam dunk contest. While Mashburn and Pitino might have brought Kentucky back to relevance in the 90's, Walker and the twin towers battle in Seattle were my earliest experiences. My dad took me to the UKIT's, which I hate that they decided to end, when I got to watch two games in person. Granted we were in the upper section, but it was Rupp and UK.

One summer, my older sister took me by Wildcat Lodge. Of course with it being summer in the late 80's, there was hardly anybody there. Someone went to go see if they could find anyone for the 8 year old to get an autograph, exit Wildcat Lodge, Kenny "Sky" Walker.

While it probably was only 15 minutes, it seemed like he talked to me for hours about basketball, baseball, and the upcoming 3rd grade. While there were times this year I did not agree with him on the radio after games, I have still never forgotten how he spent his free time talking to a little cat fan after signing an autograph. He is still my favorite player to this day because of it. While there is plenty of other news such as the walkons being dismissed or Patrick Patterson's Q&A with CoachCal.com, a trip with some baseball cards down Memory Lane seems to dominate today's mail route. A trip I enjoyed and hopefully gives you a chance to remember you own trip with a Cat. I am your mailman, and that's some mail I enjoyed delivering. And if Kenny Walker ever reads this blog, Thanks Sky for you time all those years ago.