| Bracken
Meets Karl Malone and The Jazz! Bracken got the opportunity to meet his hero, Karl Malone, and the Jazz team at the Detroit game on Tuesday, March 19th. He said it was like living a dream and wanted to rewind and start over again the next day. Some of the pictures turned out pretty bad but try to be patient while they to load anyway!. Idaho State Journal Story Birth to 10 years Bracken Now! |
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| Bracken gives Karl a poster about them. | Bracken shows Karl his muscles! | ||
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Karl signs Bracken's Jazz Ball |
Meeting Greg Ostertag | Kirilenko signs the Jazz Ball | |
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| Quincy Lewis | Jerry Sloan | Donyell Marshall | Rusty Larue |
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Read about his trip below |
Watching Jazz games on TV has taught me a lot. At school math percentages were really hard until I started keeping track of the player's stats in my notebook. Pretty soon I started to understand them because I wanted to figure it out. My lungs make excersizing hard but I want to be a Jazz player so I shoot baskets every chance I get. It's OK to ask for help because Karl needs Johnny to help him make some baskets. Sometimes kids at school say mean things to me because I'm not as strong as them but I stick up for myself because Karl doesn't let anyone push him around. Trying new things isn't easy for me but since Karl dares to wrestle and drive big trucks, even when people make fun of him, I dare try too. My family is more important than anything because Karl shows how much he loves his mom and Kay and his kids. Sometimes no matter how hard I try I get bad grades and Karl has bad games but he practices some more and comes back the next game and tries again. I've learned to work hard doing housework and save my money so I can buy a ticket close to the Jazz team. I don't think that watching basketball is such a big waste of time! |
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| Bracken had a wonderful time meeting
the Jazz team on Tuesday with his brothers, Landon and Ryan. A very
special friend arranged for a sweet lady named Patty to meet us at
the Delta Center. She took us downstairs to the Jazz floor entrance.
As some of the Jazz players walked from the locker room to the basketball
court Patty introduced each of them to Bracken and had them sign the
Jazz basketball she gave him. First was the gentle giant, Greg Ostertag
who’s huge hand covered Bracken’s hand clear up to his elbow!
Five players came out of the locker room and started shaking Bracken’s
hand and talking to him. Karl Malone came around from behind them
and asked “What you doin’ in my house?” Bracken looked
up and said, “I came to see you!” Karl took over from there
and invited Bracken and his brothers into the locker room with the
other players. He gave them a tour of the locker room and spent some
time getting to know Bracken and have pictures taken. Bryron Russell,
Donyell Marshal, John Amaechi, and other players visited and kidded
around with him too. He came out of the locker room with Mailman wristbands,
treats and Karl’s warm up jersey.
Bracken followed all the players out to the basketball floor and sat in the player’s seats and watched them warm up. Jerry Sloan, John Stockton, Andrei Kirilenko and other players came over to meet him and signed his basketball. When we finally went up to sit in our seats and watch the game Bracken said, “This is the best day of my whole life!" Bracken was born three months premature and spent most of his first two and half years in Primary Children’s Medical Center where he first met Karl Malone. He had the opportunity to see Karl and his wife Kay several times while living in Salt Lake City. He watched him play basketball on TV and always said he wanted to be big and tough like Karl. So when Bracken was five and needed Growth Hormone shots everyday we got him a life-sized poster of Karl with a ruler up the side. Even though he cried when he had his shots he would stand in front of his poster to see if he was getting as big as Karl yet. This winter Bracken played Junior Jazz basketball with one of Karl’s wristbands that Kay gave him years ago. He said it gave him courage to play against the big guys and helped him make baskets. Bracken’s awesome teammates from Downey Elementary also helped him make baskets and lifted him up on their shoulders after the championship game this season. Bracken is now 13 years and is just 4’5” tall. He might be small but he is the Jazz’s biggest fan! |
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