Daddy vs. Jack Ryan

Today, Scout and I ventured over to daddy's school to watch him complete in a basketball shooting competition against Jack Ryan. He was there to perform as a special conclusion to the school's fundraising campaign. Unfortunately, we didn't get there in time to see Daddy shoot against Jack but did get to see his fantastic display of basketball skills. He did a great job of involving the students and interacting with the crowd. He also had a great message of following your dreams, etc. In case you are wondering, Daddy lost the competition. But that is understandable, just take a look at Jack Ryan's biography (from Wikipedia). You can also click on his name to take a look at his website.

Jack Ryan, aka "Black Jack", aka "Water", is an American streetball player from Brooklyn, New York. Ryan's basketball exploits began at John Jay High School, where, as a senior, averaged 26 ppg. Ryan later took his game to East 5th St. Park in Brooklyn, where he mastered the tricks and shots he became well known for. In his first season in a recreational league at West 4th, Ryan played one game against former Detroit Piston Phil Sellers and scored 44 points.^[1]

Ryan is also known for his very proficient 3-point shooting. According to an article written by Bobbito Garcia about Ryan in Slam Magazine Streetball Special Collector's Issue, Chris Mullin once described Jack as the best shooter he'd ever seen who hadn't played in the NBA.^{[citation needed]} The article also states Peter Vecsey got Ryan a tryout with the New Jersey Nets in 1990, but was the second-to-last man cut, ending Ryan's NBA aspirations. Yet, Ryan still proved his mastery of the 3-point shot when he won the 2005 City Slam 3-Point Shooting Championships, which aired on ESPN. In a close final, Ryan edged out fellow streetball sharpshooter Deshun "Father Time" Jackson to take the title. In the media, Ryan was featured on the cover of the New York Times Sports section on December 3, 2003, and in May 2003 was named as one of "Slam Magazines Greatest Playground Ballers of All Time."^[2]

Aside from streetball, Ryan is also known for performing during halftime shows at NBA arenas with the basketball performance group "Project Playground".

Anyway, here are a few pictures from our little visit.

Sweet Scout and Daddy Watching the Show

Jack Ryan Spinning Nine Basketballs

Daddy, Scout, Jack Ryan
(Scout's First Picture with a Guinness Book of World Record Holder)

Daddy and His Buds Hanging Out with Jack

Scout Teaching Class with Daddy
(She put on a show for them)

Lunch with Dad

Have a great Wednesday!