2009, May: ESSENCE MAGAZINE – Thank You Mom
April 7, 2009
People say it’s hard for a woman to raise a boy alone, but my mother made sure I was respectful and courteous, teaching me to be a gentleman and about saying “Yes, ma’am” and “No, Sir” to a young lady’s parents. Mom also kept me surrounded by great female relatives, like my grandmother, so I’d appreciate strong women. And she came to every high school basketball game I played. I could never figure out how she could be at my games at 3:30P.M. when she got off work four o’clock, but she was.
I realize I learned a lot from my single mom about being a good man. It was important for me to pay my mother back for making me a father who is responsible for his actions, his word and his family. So when I was drafted into the NBA, I asked her to retire from the auto industry. These days I take care of her. Her job now is to relax, be a grandma, and enjoy our family. And even though she now drives a Benz, one thing hasn’t changed: my love, appreciation and respect for the first woman in my life.
Jalen Rose told his story to Anslem Samuel, a free lance writer who lives in New York.
(Page 117)
