One member of the 1996 National Champions had a poignant message for fans Saturday night. After watching the Cats claw all the way back from down 14 to grab another huge win, Anthony Epps hopped on the radio and reminded us all why this thing of ours matters.
Epps grew up in Lebanon, Kentucky. Most people outside of the state have probably never heard of it. But there are a lot of little towns scattered around Kentucky, just like it. Hard-working folks doing the best they can, carrying their daily struggles, and rooting for the Cats.
The dream that became the reality for Anthony Epps
Epps knows what it's like to live out the dream most of us share. He grew up here. He played for Kentucky. And not only did he play, but he won a National Title. He knows what it means to put on the blue and white and go fight for the state you love.
He embodies what it means to be a 7-year-old boy in the driveway, dreaming up scenarios of last-second buzzer-beaters. There are hundreds of thousands of those moments happening every day in London, Hazard, Prestonsburg, Clay City, Buckhorn, Gracey, Mt. Vernon, and Tolu. But also in the major cities like Lexington, Louisville, Bowling Green, and Paducah.
The shared love of BBN is real. It's such a blessing to a state that often gets forgotten about or looked down on. Kentucky basketball means more to us here. It means hope. It means good times. It means friendship and connections. It means family.
Kentucky basketball is our family
I sat with my grandpa and dad when I was growing up, waiting for the local news to go off so we could watch the tape-delayed games. I had strategy talks with my other grandpa. I still talk to my dad today about what went right and what didn't in each game. I am sure a lot of you do too.
It unifies us in a way that few other things can. It's special.
Anthony Epps knows that better than anyone, and he hopes BBN can go on this journey with a team that is fighting for them.
Here is what he said on the radio:
"I’m a Kentucky kid; this right here is what makes Kentucky basketball special. A lot of you guys sitting at the very top get to come down after the game, it means so much to you, and it means so much to me… I just want to salute you guys. Being a Kentucky kid, you guys make us what we are. 30 years later, we can come into our palace… and still get the same love. No matter what goes on the rest of the season, win or lose, stay on the wagon because this is going to be a great ride."
Once you are in, you are in.
20,000 people pack Rupp Arena, many driving from hours away for a chance to sit in the nosebleeds just to scream when the Cats win. What a place this is.
For all that gets said about Kentucky basketball, no one can take away what it does for this state and its people. We are all blessed to be able to be called Kentucky fans, and Epps did his best to remind us of that tonight.
Somewhere right now, someone is in a driveway pretending they are Patrick Sparks against Michigan State. Or Anthony Davis against Kansas. Or Goose Givens against Duke.
Those are the moments that bind the fanbase together. Actually, fanbase may be the wrong word. Family is better.
Stay with this team, BBN. Fight when they fight. Continue to lift them up.
Maybe a season that most had written off can turn into a story your kids will tell their kids one day.
Maybe, just maybe, it can be the stuff of legends.