Ever seen a movie that inspires you so much, it practically directed your life? I have! I became a basketball referee because I watched "Coach Carter." I played but wasn't all that interested in basketball before then. But when I saw the movie, it changed my life!
If the real-life story of Ken Carter wasn't inspiring enough, the awesome dramatization in the movie, as well as the incredible performance of one Samuel L. Jackson, made it even more moving! I played basketball back in high school myself and if I had a coach like Carter (or like Jackson!), perhaps I would've pursued it professionally as well. But it's alright, becoming a referee is enough for me. I'm glad I'm still in the world where many inspiring people like Coach Carter once worked.
Although I never met the actual Coach Carter, I did meet the next best thing: Samuel L. Jackson. It was at an NBA game where my friend was refereeing and he got me backstage access. Incidentally, the actor was also there watching and even made a big fuss just by being there. It was a good thing that, before coming to the game, I was cleaning out my place and finally found my stack of "Coach Carter" movie posters. Since I didn't have enough space in the closet, I put it in my car temporarily and forgot it was there. By impulse, I hurried on over to my car during the half-time break and planned to get them signed.
I was honestly pretty nervous since I didn't know how Jackson would feel if a fan asked for his autograph. It was a good thing that his team won that night so after the game, he was in a good mood. When fans approached him, he allowed them to take selfies, sign stuff, and more. Of course, I made use of this opportunity and asked him to sign my "Coach Carter" posters. "Damn! You had these with you tonight?" he remarked. I said yes and told him it was a mere coincidence. I didn't know if he bought it or not but he still did sign them!
I can honestly say that that night was one of the most memorable in my life. I can't believe I got to meet such an awesome actor—the one who played Coach Carter, no less!—and got his autograph! And it's all thanks to basketball!
Please note: Our inventory is limited as we may have only received a few posters in total. Most of our items are obtained from film premieres, studios, and from autographed hounds such as the one in the story above.
