Once apon a time ( four years ago) I was asked to work the fan appreciation night for the Utah Jazz. We were to take pictures of the players and the fans through the night. Mind you, we are not professional photographers and by no means was the printer and camera prepared for the huge turnout of fans that showed up. I was so excited to be there ( for the Jazz fans) and to be able to furnish them with a great picture of themselves and a "NBA player". In the past the camera would freeze up on us at times and we would have top be patient for about 30 seconds and then it would begin to work again. The plan was, the players would be at the photo station for fifteen minutes and then rotate to another section.
That night the fans just kept coming and coming and coming! The excitement in the arena was fantastic and everyone was so happy to be there and was very patient with the long line to see their player. All the players rotated two at a time and graciously stood there with their fans while I shot their picture. It went something like this....
Me... O.K. smile one, two, three (click) if you would like to stand over here it will just take a minute to print. Next...
That was the routine except for when the camera would freeze up and then I would have to give my apology for having to wait and then moments later we were rolling again. The other problem occasionally was that the camera button was a little sensitive a times and would click on 2 1/2 instead of three or sometimes 3 1/2. But hey, no one seemed to mind. The players were all very friendly with their fans especially Kirilenko! That was the first time I had met him and I was so impressed with the way he treated his fans! Everything was going great, people smiling, birds chirping, sun was shining, squirrels were scurrying across the arena! I might have exaggerated
a bit on some of that! It was good UNTIL...... Here comes MR. TOO COOL! Along with his side kick Kyle Korver. Deron had such a look on his face that just screamed out " I don't want to be here! Kyle on the other hand approached everyone in a friendly manner.
I had never met Deron before and all I knew about him was that he was a good basketball player and that I supported him and respected him at that point. That was about to change...
Several pictures were shot before I had to start with the whole apology thing that the camera couldn't keep up and that it was freezing. For the first time all night a player gave me the "if looks could kill I would be dead". Kyle remained calm. I called my boss and said that I felt horrible that they would have to be inconvenienced like that and my boss reassured me that they would be just fine. I began to panic a bit when Deron freaked out and was bringing attention to the situation. The other situation that began after that was that Mr. Too Cool would look all over then turn his head suddenly and hit the smile on three. Never before and never after three! Like I said before it would be a split second off sometimes. Had he been willing to strike his pose on two and three and possibly three and 1/2 we wouldn't have had a problem. The fans were great however at this point he could hear Dreon raise his voice and make a scene towards me. He was rude, mouthy, told me to do my job, etc. I had fans at that point ask me what "his" problem was. They were shocked to see a professional act this way. At that point I said to him ( with tears in my eyes) "please be nice" that just gave him more opportunity to be ruthless! Kyle meanwhile was just standing there giving me a faint smile as if he was trying to say I am sorry for what he is putting you through. I explained to "too cool" once again that I was sorry but the camera is having a problem and that I was trying to do my best. He yelled at me even more belittling me with no remorse or concern what the fans were thinking. That is when I looked at him and mouthed the words 'YOUR AN ASS"! No one around me heard because I said it quietly and directed it for his eyes only. Suddenly Deron yells out very, very loud "YOU JUST CALLED ME AN ASS HOLE? making everyone around us take note and begin to watch. My reply to him is "No I called you an ASS" I never said "hole". At that point he moved up towards me and said I was a nothing, I believe it was like this... "who are you, who are you? You are nothing!!!" Fans were freaking out around me. I remember one man and lady saying just ignore him, he is so rude. He then came closer and said "Who are you to say that to ME, you are a NoBODY, you are a MINORITY!!!!!!!!" That word hit me very strange so I asked him "did you really just call me a minority?" Suddenly all these men in suits with ear pieces pulled him away and my sweet boss led me to the bathroom. News had traveled fast!!!! I was trying to get my wits about me. I could hear the fans make comments about him and how inappropriate it he was. How agitated he was. One of the other employees walked up to me and said " just blow it off, don't let him to you. I have to work with him and he is always a jerk to everyone! I told my boss that I needed to leave and that I would have my husband come and get me. I have never in my life been so shook up like that. Still to this day I wonder what he meant when he called me a minority. Would he liked to have been called that.
Deron this is for you!!!!! You are a spoiled, disrespectful, thoughtless overpaid bully! You may have been a good ball player but you think of only yourself and can't work as a team to save your life! There is more to a great athlete then just playing a ball game. You act as if you are better then others including your fans. Those people that were there that night pay good money from working hard, hard jobs that allowed them to meet you and the other players. You let them down with your cocky, too good attitude. Many people respected Jerry Sloan as a man, as a person and he did the right thing by walking away from your sorry ass! He is twice the man and example that you will ever be. No one deserves such disrespect. You have proven over and over again that your mouth is hurtful and it is cruel. You have been given such a great opportunity to be a role model for so many people and you have failed miserably! Your actions have shown many times that you can't control your mouth. There is a lot more to life then just money and fame. You have finally got what was coming to you when you were dumped while in all your self righteous glory. Those fans that were there that night watched you belittle someone to the highest level. They deserved better then that. Your mouth would not stop until it was forced to shut. Deron if by chance, you were calling me a minority because you thought everyone but me adored you ....well, guess what, after the narssasistic attitude you have been dishing out, I feel safe to say that I am no longer a minority. A lot of people don't like you now!!!! Luckily we don't have to deal with you anymore ya big bully!
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