Landon Takes to the NBA Hardwood

Back in October, Hallie bought tickets through Groupon for a Pistons basketball game on MLK, Jr. Day for the boys. Part of the ticket package included a post-game shot from the free throw line. And then suddenly, the day arrived! Coincidentally, Mike received a call from one of the missionaries Saturday night and found out the missionary (who will play college ball at Utah State in the fall) and a colleague had gotten permission to go to the game. We arranged for the four guys to head up to the Palace of Auburn Hills to go to the big game.

 The boys at the Palace

On game day Landon got his little face tattoos on and got psyched as the boys took to the road. The missionaries had seats in a separate section of the arena, so Mike and Landon parted ways with the elders and headed up to their nose-bleed seats. The Pistons played the Dallas Mavericks, so it wasn’t a major game (only about 15,000 people attended), but the crowd still brought the excitement. Landon scrambled down the halls and up the stairs into his seat, a huge smile plastered firmly on his little face. He didn’t even let tripping over Mike’s feet and falling on his face get him down.

That is one big shoe—even bigger than the elders!

Is this kid jazzed up, or what? 

Pre-game floor action from Section 202

Landon's attention is on the court

Game time!

The opening fireworks as the players were introduced startled him a bit, but he soaked in the energy of the fans that sat around us. He entertained himself scrambling up and down the stairs and aisles and watching the crowd react to the players on the court. After a little while, Landon started asking when he was going to get to go down and play. He knew we were going to go down eventually, but there was just the matter of getting that pesky game over with!

Hoopla for the Pistons starting five.

The Pistons' cheerleaders, Automotion (parental discretion advised on the link)

Landon was more interested in Hooper, the mascot.

By the 3rd quarter, the Piston had locked up the game, going on to win it by a pretty big margin. Toward the end of the 4th quarter, we headed down to the area where we needed to be to gather to be part of the group of kids who would take the post game free throw shot. We knew it was near where the missionaries were seated, but when we saw where they got to watch the game—surprise! They managed to get seats pretty close to the floor behind the hoop.

The view from Section 120

Hey! It's the elders (bottom right corner)! How'd they score those seats?

The elders just waited for us to pass them in the huge line of kids that formed to take the free throw shot. Landon took his shot, and the rest of us took in the experience of being down there on the hardwood of an NBA arena. The actual shot was pretty anticlimactic, and Landon wanted to play more, but the officials ushered us down, through, and out like so much cattle. We did take just a little more time on the court, but then we hit the road back home. What a big day for our little man! 

"Turn to the left!"

He shoots! He . . . well, he is 3 after all.

That was it?! Yeah! That was it! AWESOME!