by Lisa Leslie
Our girls, Mikaela and Gabrielle, loved having a little sister. They were really excited when the baby was born, and they were very helpful. They took pictures of Lauren all the time. We wanted to spend more time with the girls, but that was difficult with Michael based in Miami, me in L.A., and Gabrielle and Mikaela with their mom in Dallas. So Michael and I decided to build a house in Dallas. We were all looking forward to going there after the Sparks’ season ended because then we would be able to take the girls to school and pick them up, plus Gabrielle and Mikaela could come home to their other house and do their homework. I think they really liked that idea. I was lucky that the girls and I liked each other from the start. I know that it is not always that way with stepfamilies. I understand that the girls have existing relationships with their mom and their friends. I just want to be an addition to their family, and so far, it has worked out very well for all of us.
The girls are already asking about when Michael and I are going to have the next baby. Truthfully, it would be nice to have a boy, but I want to play some more basketball before I think too seriously about it. For now, I am very content with my baby girl.
After Lauren and I had been home for a few weeks, I started really looking forward to getting back on the court. I worked out a few times during my pregnancy, but for the most part, I had been sitting around for about six months. The doctors told me that I had to wait six weeks after Lauren was born before I could start working out. I was only allowed to walk, and I did a lot of that, but it got to be really boring. After five weeks, I got cleared to start swimming, but I could not wait to lace up my sneakers and get back to basketball.
I think it is good for the WNBA when our players get married and have babies. We are professional women in sports. It is a good thing for people to see that female athletes can have family lives, just like other working women. A lot of us have gone to college and have advanced degrees. Many of us are wives and mothers, and we can identify with any woman who has a busy job and tries to get home by bedtime each night to be with her family. We are great role models, and more women can identify with us than people probably realize.
There is that nagging stigma, of course, about rampant lesbianism running through women’s basketball. I do not know if people avoid the WNBA because of this perception, but if that is the only thing keeping someone from coming to a game or tuning in on Saturday afternoons, then that is just silly. A lot of people were shocked when Sheryl Swoopes came out of the closet. Obviously, I have known Sheryl for many years and I know her better than the average fan, so her news was no secret to me. But who cares, anyway? Let he who is without sin, cast the first stone. I think, statistically, there are more straight women in the WNBA than gay women. But really, who cares? As long as a player comes to work and does her job, she can live her life the way that she chooses.
That said, the players are responsible for the WNBA’s image, and I believe the best and strongest image is one that shows the unique beauty and strength of women. I think it is important for us to have our hair combed and to look presentable when we go out on the court. We are not playing in little gyms anymore. We are playing on a national stage. I think we need to take responsibility for the way that we present ourselves. What happens in the bedroom needs to stay in the bedroom, regardless of a player’s sexual orientation. Just focus on upholding the integrity of the game and the positive image of the league. If more players took that approach, the WNBA could flourish indefinitely.
While on maternity leave, I went to several of the Sparks’ games at Staples Center, and it was really different for me. It was strange being out of uniform and sitting at the end of the scorer’s table, holding Lauren, instead of running in with the team. I wondered for a moment if I wanted to continue to play basketball, but the more I watched, the more I realized just how much I loved the sport and how much passion I still had for the game.
During one game, the Sparks were getting knocked down and pushed around. It was hard to watch. I was not going to say anything, but one of the forwards, Jessica Moore, saw me sitting in my seat and shaking my head. She came over, kind of teary-eyed, and asked, “Lisa, what do you see?”
“Do you really want to know what I think?” I asked.
She nodded.
I handed Lauren over to Michael, got out of my seat, went over to the team huddle, and told the team exactly what I thought.
“First of all, you are just letting them shoot jumpers,” I began. The players seemed to be paying attention, so I continued. “It’s just a real shame that you are gonna let this team come in here and kick our butts on our court. You are doing a disservice to our crowd. It is one thing to lose, but at least lose with some fight, and let the other team know that they are in our house. Come on now. Show some heart.”
It was really hard to sit on the sidelines and watch the Sparks struggle through the 2007 WNBA season. There were certainly reasons for their problems, but reasons cannot be excuses. In the past, when teams played in Los Angeles, they always knew that they were going to have a battle on their hands. That was something that we had established, and to me, that was what the Sparks lacked most in 2007. When I looked at our team, player by player, I did not feel that it had the kind of heart and fight that we needed to be successful. This made me even more eager to get back in the gym.
I started going to the Sparks’ practices the moment I was cleared to do so, but it was a slow beginning. I started by shooting about two hundred jump shots in each practice. Michael was my rebounder. It was a relief when I realized that I could still shoot. Then I started taking hook shots and doing ball-handling drills with Chris Mihm, Brian Cook, Kwame Brown, Andrew Bynum, and some of the other Lakers players. It was good to get in some work and get my heart rate up. Thirty-five minutes was all I could handle when I first got back on the court, but it was fun.
I went to my first official practice with the Sparks when they got back in town in August 2007. The team was already on the court when I got to the arena. I was ten minutes late because I had been pumping my breasts, so I went straight to the locker room and started putting on my gear. It was exciting. I walked into the gym and went over to Coach Cooper. He looked at me and said, “Smooth. How you feeling?” He gave me a high five and was really excited to see me. I gave high fives to everybody and then hopped on the elliptical machine to warm up.
Before I knew it, I was out on the court, doing full-court press breakers with the team. The action was moving a little quicker than I had anticipated. I could not really move that fast right away, but I still had my technique. I was just trying to help the team, and it was fun to be out there with the girls. I did block a shot by Sidney Spencer, the Sparks’ rookie out of the University of Tennessee, so there was a glimpse that I still had some game. I was pretty excited, until Taj McWilliams-Franklin blocked one of my shots. I was finding out exactly where I was physically after having a baby, and where I was now was nowhere near where I wanted to be.
I was glad that Taj was there, because that meant we had great veteran leadership. I looked at Mwadi Mabika. We had come into the WNBA together when the league began in 1997, and when the 2007 season was over, there were only five other “originals” remaining: Sheryl Swoopes, Tina Thompson, Tamecka Dixon, Wendy Palmer, and Vickie Johnson.
We had all been around at the beginning, but it does not seem quite right to me when people say, “Lisa, you are a pioneer in women’s basketball. You have really paved the way.” Not really. The true pioneers in women’s sports are people like Babe Didrikson Zaharias, Billy Jean King, Althea Gibson, Ann Meyers, Evelyn Ashford, Nancy Lieberman, and Pat Summit. There was no Title IX to bar gender inequality for these women, and they battled the worst kinds of discrimination. The rest of us are riding on their coattails, and we should appreciate them every day.
If I had grown up in Compton without Title IX, I do not believe that Lisa Leslie the basketball player would exist. I could have gone to Morningside High, scored 101 points in a game, and receiv
ed a lot of national recognition, but then what? Would the doors have opened for me to play professionally? Probably not. What about modeling or broadcasting? Those would have been unlikely, too. I might have been just another tall lady.
But I had great opportunities and was able to pick from all the colleges in the entire nation. I got to play all over the world. I really did not pioneer anything. I just reaped the benefits of the work that so many female athletes had done before me, and I kept my head on straight through it all.
Epilogue
I still write down the goals that I want to accomplish, and one of my big ones in 2008 is to help the Sparks get back to their championship level. I also want to contribute to renewed success for USA Basketball at the Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. That would be my fourth Olympic appearance, and to win one more gold medal would be phenomenal. Sometimes I ask myself why I continue to play so hard. But that answer is easy: my passion for the game has not diminished. I like to compete, and I have a drive to win at the highest level, and there is the extra incentive from knowing that our U.S. team settled for bronze when I was not with them at the 2006 world championships.
It is also important to me to mentor some of America’s younger players. USA Basketball, on the men’s and women’s sides, has been getting away from what it used to be. I hope that I can help us put less emphasis on individual skills and more on the team concepts that have made USA Basketball so formidable for so many years in international competition. Beijing will be my last Olympics. I want to make it my best one. I want to stand on the podium again and hear our national anthem playing as the Stars and Stripes are raised. I want to feel that Olympic gold medal around my neck one more time, and I want to prove once again, to every little girl or boy that has goals and works hard, that they can do and achieve anything. Absolutely anything.
I am who I am, and where I am, by nothing but the grace of God.
Acknowledgments
From Lisa:
I am in such awe of my Lord and Savior, and I am thankful that He has allowed me to share my story at last. The many blessings I have received from Him are humbling, and I am grateful for all of the experiences, both good and bad, that have brought me to this point in my life.
I am very thankful to my mother, who has always been my own personal shero. Mom, I am the woman I am today because you made a conscious decision to love me and to reinforce that love from the inside out. Your commitment to teaching me to think positively and always to stay away from negativity allowed me to achieve success even when times got tough. You are a special person who loves all of God’s children, and your warmth and sensitivity make it sometimes seem like you have never met a stranger. You have made sacrifices for all of your children, and you represent what a mom and a dad should be. You are a wonderful role model, and I am so thankful that you taught me to see the beauty in myself. You are a soldier, and I pray to be a great parent to my children, as you have been to me. Thank you for being my rock. This book salutes you, Mom, for a job well done. I love you to the core of my soul, and I thank God every day for choosing you to be my mommy.
To my big sister, Dionne, I love you and I will always have a special place for you in my heart. If we could turn back the hands of time, I would try to make all the wrongs right.
To my baby sister, Tiffany, God knew how much we needed each other growing up—not only to survive, but to love and nurture one another. Everything I have given you in life you have given right back to me. Thank you for always being by my side and truly having a sistah’s back. You will always be my “ride or die” chick!
To my entire family, it really does take a village to raise a child. And my village has been truly instrumental in molding me. Thanks to all my aunts, uncles, and cousins, who have loved me unconditionally and have supported me over the years. And thanks to Grandma Dear for producing the whole clan!
Special thanks to my wonderful daughters Gabrielle and Mikaela. It has been a God-given gift to have you both in my life. Thanks for being so sweet and for welcoming me into your lives. May God continue to bless our family as we grow together.
To baby Lauren, Mommy is so thankful for you. Your smile is heaven-sent. I pray that God keeps a hedge of protection around you. May you become all that Christ intends for you to be. You will undoubtedly be tall, but it is a unique and beautiful gift. I hope that you will embrace it, because along with being tall, you will also be tan and terrific! So take all your gifts, and turn them into your successes. Mommy loves you!
I am deeply appreciative of all my coaches that helped me become the player that I am. Thanks to Coach Scott for being so fatherly to me and for protecting me during my wonder years. Thanks to Coach Stanley and Coach Thaxton for teaching me how to give the game my all. Your incredible work ethic has been invaluable to my career. Thanks to Tara VanDerveer for pushing me beyond my limits and to the next level. You are truly an amazing coach. Thanks to Coach Cooper for your time and efforts. I am thankful for the time you took to help me turn my weaknesses into strengths. Thanks to Coach Thompson for always telling me what I needed to hear and not what I wanted to hear. The truth always brought out the best in me. You are missed.
Thanks to Larry Burnett for working so closely and diligently on this book. It took several years to get it together, but we did it! Thanks for all your hard work, L.B.
I also want to extend a very special thanks to Rakia A. Clark at Kensington for her hard work and professionalism. Thanks for adding the golden touch, Rakia. You are awesome!
And last but not least, my bone of bones, my Luv Bug: Michael Lockwood. I am so thankful that my loving husband found me. Our steps have been ordered, and it is wonderful to have a man who knows how to lead. Thank you, sweetheart, for encouraging me to share my story. I could not have done this without you. Love, your Lucy!
From Larry:
Many thanks to Lisa for her time and effort, and for trusting me with her life story. Her openness and candor made this book more compelling and exciting than I had even imagined. Thanks to Lisa’s husband, Michael, and her mom, Christine Leslie-Espinoza, for their contributions as well. And a big thank you to Frank Scott, Lisa’s high school coach, who was a tremendous help to me.
On a personal level, I send gratitude to my mom, for teaching me about words and language and love, and for always reheating those many dinners when, as a kid, my games and practices ran late. Thanks to my dad, who taught me a love of sports, and to my brother, Ray, who put up with little brother tagging along and butting in.
I want to thank my wife, Barbara, for not hitting me over the head with a frying pan while I was constantly typing away on the computer until 2:30 AM to get this book finished. Also, thanks to my daughters, Katie and Jenna. Katie was my proofreader on this project, and both girls are a constant source of pride and happiness to me.
Thanks to Mrs. Schwartz and Mrs. Dickerman, who taught me that “creative” and “writing” were not mutually exclusive terms.
You would not be reading this book right now if not for the incredible efforts of Frank Scatoni of Venture Literary. I am so pleased that Kensington “got” the significance of Lisa’s story and that no matter what, our tireless editor, Rakia A. Clark, was 110 percent behind this project from start to finish.
So many thanks go out to so many people, such as Earvin Johnson, Michael Cooper, Kobe Bryant, Bill Walton, Carla Christofferson, Kathy Goodman, Craig Miller, Caroline Williams, Jenny Maag, Marianne Stanley, Tara VanDerveer, Mark Scoggins, Tammy Warren, Catherine Sebring, Karleen Thompson, Lon Rosen, Tim Tessalone, Darcy Couch, David Tuttle, Matt Bialer, Jonathan Daillak, Karen Case, Ron Howard, Margaret Kendall, Jimmy Clark, Linda Dodge Reid, and Bev Smith, for helping to make this book and this dream a reality. One more goal written and accomplished.
DAFINA BOOKS are published by
Kensington Publishing Corp.
850 Third Avenue
New York, NY 10022
Copyright © 2008 by Lisa Leslie
Foreword copyr
ight © 2008 by Earvin “Magic” Johnson
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the Publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.
Dafina and the Dafina logo Reg. U.S. Pat. & TM Off.
Library of Congress Control Number: 2008921824
ISBN: 978-0-7582-5177-0
*Not his real name.