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A.C. Green: Standing Tall
The NBA's Ironman has an important message for young people.
Bonne Steffen
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A.C Green: Standing Tall
In front of NBA fans or an auditorium of high schoolers, this Ironman and Christian preaches what he practices.
by Bonne Steffen
Spotting the Los Angeles Lakers' A.C. Green ,Jr. at the 1999-2000 NBA finals with the Indiana Pacers was easy. When he wasn't on the court, he was the tall guy with the green bear on his head.
The bear, affectionately known as Little A.C. (the initials are embroidered in yellow), sports a message on his back: I've got the power.
During the series, the Lakers, with Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant, showed their power by defeating the Pacers in six games, the team's first NBA championship since 1988. Green collected championship ring number three (along with 1987 and 1988), all with the same franchise that had drafted him in 1985.
Green's most recent team was the Miami Heat, his fourth team in a long career. At the beginning of the 2001-2002 season, Green, 38, announced his retirement. But his tenure in the NBA, thanks in part to his physical endurance, should keep his Ironman title secure for years to come. Green has been in so many consecutive games since 1986 that the number escapes him (it's close to 1,200).
The slogan I've got the power could be describing Green's athletic strength. Actually, it sums up Green's life. The power he relies on comes from God, as the Portland native lives every day for Jesus Christ.
And the initials A.C. on the bear? Abstinence committed. For Green, still single, it's doing what the Bible says. For the young people in countless public school assemblies Green addresses each year, or those who participate in his annual basketball/leadership camps, it's all about good decisions.
Been there, but not done that
At a high school assembly Green deftly fields the answers from high school students to his question, "What is safe sex?"
"Safe sex is taking extra birth control pills."
"Safe sex is having one partner who feels the same way as you do. You don't play around."
"Safe sex is using as many condoms as you need to put on."
"Any sexual activity is risky. No sex is the only safe sex."
Green welcomes the varied responses and the opportunity to present another message to students: being abstinent is being responsible.
He remembers his high school days, bragging in the locker room with basketball teammates about his sexual exploits. Feeling peer pressure, Green wanted to portray himself as a man's man, and sexual activity seemed part of the persona. The truth was, none of Green's stories were true.
He was—and remains—a virgin. He's thankful for that fact. "Today young people are being bombarded with sexual messages," he says. "What I emphasize in my presentations is the importance of making good decisions, decisions that will affect each of their tomorrows. Abstinence is one of those good decisions."
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