Patrick Patterson Is All About Hoops

Apr 12, 2013; San Antonio, TX, USA; Sacramento Kings forward Patrick Patterson (9) dunks during the second half against the San Antonio Spurs at the AT

Numerous UK basketball players have made headlines for not only the work they do on the court, but off of it. Visiting hospitals, nursing homes and schools lots of current and former UK stars have made a difference in Lexington and the communities they came from and moved on to. Visiting these places is one thing, but knowing what it feels like to be there is another.

For Patrick Patterson, visiting the Hoops Family Children’s Hospital at Cabell Huntington Hospital in Huntington, West Virginia (his hometown) was as much of a homecoming as a visit. When Patterson went to visit patients Thursday afternoon, he was greeted by a familiar face, Candie Armstrong, the nurse that cared for him in that very hospital 7 years prior. Patterson had spent a week in the hospital, undergoing treatments for cellulitis from an infection in his foot after a surgery. Patterson, his parents and Armstrong reminisced on his time at the hospital, recalling how they had to push two beds together to fit his then 6-foot-7 frame.

"“This isn’t just because this is my hometown, I’ve gone to Ronald McDonald houses and hospitals in Sacramento, but for me to come back here because I was a patient and I’ve spent time in these rooms — in surgery, in recovery, walking the halls — I’ve been where those patients are at right now. That makes this more of an emotional state for myself. When I first got here, I was scared and I was nervous, just because the fact that I was uncertain about everything, but right when I came here with the doctors and nurses, I started feeling love and a warmth — just a home feeling like what I have with my parents,” Patterson said."

Patterson posed for pictures and signed numerous items. One patient that stuck out was Skyler Miller, a 15-year-old football player. Miller was hospitalized for an ATV accident but while he was there, they discovered cancer. Miller is an avid sports fan and talked basketball for Patterson.

"“It’s just seeing how God works in mysterious ways, like Skyler, a kid who had a regular accident like kids do and finding out it was something more. That’s an act of God because he might not have known until it was too late. For me, I’m thankful that the families allow me to come in and spend time with them and that we get to smile together for a few minutes. It really means a lot, especially knowing I’ve been there in their shoes,” Patterson said."

This visit was after Patterson, who now plays for the Kings, hosted a basketball camp at his high school. We often see the negative headlines for athletes- crime and violence, but rarely do we get to see athletes making a positive difference in the community. It’s refreshing to see the athletes who do good with their fame and position they are in and make a difference for someone else. Of course, for Patterson, this trip not only took him home, but also hit home. Patterson was always a personal favorite of mine and stories like this only reinforce that, way to go P.Patt.