THE LUNCH BUNCH

One of the best things about working at Pepperdine was not the work but the play!  There was a stable core of noon-time basketball players, and I tried to make it to as many lunch-bunch gatherings as possible.  Summertime was particularly good because our gang was not competing with the Division I basketball and volleyball teams for court time at Firestone Field House. The "regulars" included Johnny, Aaron, James, Dennis, Rod, John, Mike, Vince, Kevin, Marcus, Lane, Ray and Barry, with a host of others who would sometimes join the fun - like Scott Wong, former star volleyball player at Pepperdine and a pretty good b-ball player as well .  We enjoyed playing so much that sometimes when the Field House was occupied, we would head to the outdoor courts to get our noon-time b-ball fix.  Just a few notes on the players - Johnny was known for his cagey inside moves; Aaron for his long range bombs; James for his very athletic game; Dennis for his incredible shooting; Rod for his determined hustle; John for his day-in day-out consistency; Mike for his Tasmanian Devil approach to the game; Vince for his strong play; Kevin for his patented turn-around jumper, Marcus for his Division I level skills, Lane for his all-around game, Ray for his smooth play, and Barry - well Barry is very tall and uses it well.  In addition to the regulars and semi-regulars, we were often joined by some more well-know locals - I got to play with fellows such as David Duchovny, Taye Diggs, Downtown Scotty Brown and Flea.  Word was that Adam Sandler would come and play now and then, but never did when I was there.  Summer time also brought around some pro players - they did not play with the lunch bunch - but I did rebound for Reggie Miller for about an hour!!  Here is a day in the life of our motley crew!!