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So what are you doing for Reformation Day, or some people call it Halloween? Are you praying? Are you spending some time with the Lord? Or are you going out and trick-or-treating and celebrating the Halloween holiday? We want your calls, 866-34TRUTH, 866-348-7884.
Hey guys, this is Michael Zwick, and I hope you're doing well. And I tell you what, this is the day that the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it. And one of the things that I was going to ask you today is what are you going to do for Jesus today? And we've had different people who have talked about this in different ways.
And some of the people who I've talked to about Halloween, what they've said is they said, yes, I'm going to celebrate it and I'm going to give out. I'm going to give out candy and I'm going to do some other things as well. And I've talked to other people and they say, no, no, no, no, no, we're going to sit. In our home, it's going to be dark. We're not doing anything, and we're just going to stay to ourselves.
So, I want to know what you're going to do. What we're doing tonight is we are actually, the kids, we're actually cooking some pizza, we're hanging out, we're going to watch a movie, we're going to spend some time in prayer. And one of the things that I'm seeing is that, yes, I'm going to spend some time with the Lord and I'm going to spend some time in prayer, but God is good. God is good all the time. And all the time, God is good.
So, yeah, I want to know what you're doing today. You know, for a lot of my life, when I've spent time with the Lord, a lot of times in my life, and do we have Mike on the phone, Nick? Let's go ahead and get Mike on the phone. Are you there? Is this the Mike, the G-Man?
Well, I'm one of many mics, but I think the only G-Man.
Well, guys, we got a very special treat for you today. We've got Mike Jaminski, Hall of Famer for Duke University, and he is absolutely incredible. And he's been a commentator on many nights. If you've ever watched college sports, NBA, or whatever, he's been on there for a while. But one of my favorite all-time players.
And I tell you what, if my dad is in heaven looking down right now, he's excited to hear Mike Jaminsky on the phone. But Mike, did you grow up in a basketball family or? No, it's kind of strange that I mean, I grew up playing all every sport, and I really was. much better at baseball when I was younger. But then I just I kept growing and growing and started to be a little bit better on the basketball court.
And God kind of decided for me what my path was going to be. As he usually does. And yeah, I was 6'11 when I was 15.
So, um You know, I started to get recruited, and um, that was. I knew if I was going to play professional sports of any kind, it was going to be. You know, basketball.
Well, yeah, you know, you heard about a Duke basketball player, I think it was last year, who actually left high school early so that he could come to play at Duke, but you did that back in the 70s. Yeah, I kind of beat everybody to the punch. I um The league that I played in wasn't very good, and I really got to the point where I felt like a. A freshman year in college was going to do me a little bit more good than a a senior year in high school. Of course, it hurt to leave my friends, but I was ready academically to do it.
And I'm certainly ready physically to do it.
So I was sixteen when I graduated. and had just turned 17. Um before I got to Duke.
So to put it put it in a little perspect more recent perspective, I was almost a year younger than Cooper Flag when I came into the league. You were a year younger than Cooper Flag when you came into the league.
Okay.
Well, I remember I looked into you a little bit because my you know, I wasn't even alive at the time. I was born in 1981. And I know you finished up at Duke in 1980. But when you came to Duke, were they really a powerhouse like they are today? They were not and we were We really were the teams that kind of set the table for what was going on.
Vic Bugis was the coach in the sixties and he Duke was really strong then, went to four Final Fours in that decade. Then fell off a little bit, but Jim Spinarkle signed, I signed the next year and then Gene Banks signed the year after that. And that year in 19 seventy eight was the year that things really kind of took off for us. And We went to the other side. went to the national championship game, won the ACC tournament.
And for the rest of my time there, we were ranked certainly in the top twenty five, and we were we spent a lot of time in number one as well. Yeah, you you played Kentucky in the championship, huh? Yep. Yes. And it's still amazingly still the highest scoring championship game in NCA history, and we didn't have a shot clock and we didn't have a three point shot.
And the final was ninety four, eighty eight. What was that like playing in the championship game? It was you know, anybody who Anybody who says playing in That game like that is like any other game, it is from another planet or another dimension. It's not. I mean, the.
The air felt heavier. You know, we were a young team and cruising along and I don't even think it caught up with us in the Final Four when we were practicing out there and we beat Notre Dame in the semifinals, but that That last night was like, well, this is there. If we look, you know, there's no more games, this is it. And they were a senior team and ready for it, and we were young, and maybe not as. Maybe didn't wasn't aware of the opportunity that we had in front of us, let's put it that way.
Yeah, and so in 1979 after that, you were actually the ACC player of the year. And I saw, according to one account, you were actually a first-team All-American. Is that right? Yeah, I was a consensus first team All-American that year, and it was that's. One of my, I mean, Larry Bird was on that team, and Magic Johnson was on that team, and Sidney Moncrief, and uh.
It was pretty humbling company to be amongst them in that first five. And you know, I made I made some All-American teams my senior year as well. I made a bunch there, but seventy-nine was probably my best. personal season. Yeah, and then in the nineteen eighty NBA dra eighty NBA draft, you were actually drafted seventh overall, is that right?
Yeah, by the nets. And it's it is uh interesting that uh they They held the sixth and the seventh pick that year in the draft, and they wound up taking Michael Coren. And myself, so a guy that I had played against for four years in that rivalry. And we wound up being teammates and great friends. And we played together for six years in Jersey.
And you had a really solid NBA career. You played for, what, 14 years? Yeah, played for 14 years, scored almost 11,000 points. Went to the playoffs a bunch. My my best years were in Philadelphia when I was playing with Charles Barkley.
And, you know, we had a great squad. We just couldn't get past Chicago during that time, and they couldn't get past Detroit.
So there were a lot of really good teams in the Eastern Conference in those days. And it was just a great time to be a part of The NBA. Yeah, and so you played for a long time. I think you should have made an all-star game. You probably almost did, but you should have been.
But it was a tough time to make the all-star team. But during your whole career, there was a story that I heard about. You made a bet with a couple of your teammates, and you said if you win 10 games in a row, you would do something.
Well, first of all, it wasn't my bet, but there was a bet, and it was actually Barkley that made the bet, and he stood up and You know, I'm I'm you know, Jordan Got everything, he did everything before everybody else did in the league, and I think he'd gotten his ear pierced. Um And um so Barkley bets The team that, if we win 10 games in a row, that our front line, me, Mahorn, and him, will get our ears pierced. and we will be right back after these messages. You're listening to the Truth Network and TruthNetwork.com. Right guys, we are back with my Mike Jaminski, the G-Man.
Who had a phenomenal Duke career and also in the NBA? And G-Man, we ran out of time, but at the end, you said you got your ear pierced, is that right? Oh no. Yeah, well here's here's what happened that, you know, Barkley stands up, and we had won like four games in a row, and he. stood up after a game and said, look, if we win ten games in a row, that me Mahorn and Gmail get their ears.
Pierced.
So we made the bet. We wound up winning 12 games in a row. And the All-Star break comes along.
So I go down to Atlantic City for All Star break and I get my ear pierced and Mahorn gets his ear pierced and we come back to practice for after the All Star break, Barclay, Know Your Earring. They were like, you know, what what's going on? And he was making this excuse. He was at the All Star game and he couldn't have didn't have time.
So We dragged him over to this mall over in South Jersey into this kiosk in the middle of the mall and sat him down and got his ear pierced. And that was the payoff of the bet.
So he ended up doing it, not because he necessarily wanted to, but you guys kind of forced him. But go ahead. No, yeah, no. I mean, he he wanted it was it was all it was all in good fun, but we drove with him just to make sure that the mission was accomplished. Yeah, and so gosh, I've heard a lot of things about playing in college, but especially the NBA.
I hear there's a few parties up there, huh? Yeah, I mean, well, you know what? It's there if you look for it. Um if you don't it's It's not. I mean, it's very it's very easy to live a very balanced life in that world if if that's your intent.
You know, so it's It's you know, it's it's one of those that I guess it's like in in anything in in life that whatever you seek You know, you're going to be able to find it somehow. And it's the same thing. David Stern came in as the commissioner in nineteen eighty two, and the league had a really bad drug problem in the seventies, and it was his mission to clean it up. And I saw a lot of guys, not a lot, but I saw a number of guys whose careers were ended by cocaine. But.
David really did a terrific job of cleaning the league up and policing that. you know, kind of getting everybody in line. And you you got into alcohol yourself, is that right? Yes. Well, I was I actually started young.
I was I was tall and the guys on my team in high school were Um you know, we're drinking beers and, you know, back in the seventies, um, you know, there were ex athletes on T V who were doing beer commercials. And, you know, it was like cool. And I thought, all right, these guys are athletes. This is what I aspire to be.
So I started drinking beer at fifteen and um And, you know, continued that, no liquor or anything. I never had I never used any kind of drugs at all through college. And even into the pros, it was after I retired that I started. drinking mixed drinks and vodka primarily. And You know, during that stretch, there were times when I hit some rough patches and I instead of doing the right thing instead of turning to God or turning to professional health, I decided to self medicate and get through it that way.
Yeah, and so did you grow up in a Christian home, Mike? Or? I did not, um and but I was You know, I I can't say I believed in Christ I started going to church. Um after when I was in the pros. And um I went to a Presbyterian church for a number of years.
And but then my faith my faith really drifted away. I went through a rough time in my marriage in the early two thousands. Um went through a divorce. Uh, found a woman I fell in love with. She was, you know, 20.
23 years younger than me. We got engaged. And then in 2015, she died of a massive internal hemorrhage in my arms. Um And that was what sent me into Overdrive again, did I seek Did I seek Christ? Did I seek counseling?
Did I seek anything? my athletes' pride took over, and I said, I don't need any help. I'm going to drink my way through this and get on the other side of it. And so you kept drinking, you kept self-medicating. Where was the point where you finally decided to turn to Christ, or did Christ actually reach you?
Well, here, yeah, here comes this is it came to a head during COVID, actually. I knew, you know, if you remember in 2020, they shut down the ACC. tournament, the NCA tournament, and And nobody really knew what the next year was going to look like as far as you know, p or people in the arena or in stands.
So I knew I wasn't going to be able to broadcast, but I didn't know what the year was going to be like. And I, you know, I knew that I had to do something, but I. At that point, I was so Into I was so far into the addiction that I couldn't. And I didn't have the strength to do it myself. I was living with my son and um you know, I we were living at close quarters and I was I was throwing we were in the same apartment, so I'm throwing out a lot of the empty bottles.
um in the back woods to try to hide what I was you know, my consumption. And he found them. And I went out one day to go to the store. I came back and I saw these dirty bottles on the table with a note that said, Dad, I love you. I want to help you.
And that's the Yeah. broke me. That you know, I surrendered right there. Um We had several tearful conversations. He had an intervention for me on July 10th.
And he drove me down to Florida. on the thirteenth and july fourteenth of twenty twenty is my sober date. Um and I've I I tell people that I I did not have a Damascus road Uh conversion. But looking back on it, I know that Christ was with me in the room that night because when I agreed to go to treatment. I had this Tremendous sense of calm come over me that I hadn't known since Sarah died.
And it really took me no, no, church. and Bible study were a part of my recovery down in Florida. And as my head cleared, then is when I really started to grasp the sermons that I was hearing and and start to read scripture.
So it was more of a metamorphosis than anything, but Christ has been a huge part of it. Part of my recovery. Yeah, so it's been about five years now. Uh what has that walk been like? The thing that's been amazing when it when I was down in Florida, I came back to Charlotte, I was doing outpatient here and The place where I was, I don't know, you remember the show HBO Real Sports, Bryant Gumbel Show?
Sure.
Well, they're they they were doing a feature on um Jason Williams, the guy who's you know, who started the the uh place where I went to to get sober. And they found out that I had recently gone through the program and They reached out to me and asked if I'd be willing to talk about my experience there. And I thought about it and I said, you know what? If I want to really control the narrative here, if my story is going to get told, I want to tell it. Um So I kind of came out of the box hot with my recovery on HBO.
And uh And I've been very transparent and open about it since then in an effort and and also with my faith with my walk with Jesus and in an effort to just have people reach out to me and have that conversation. And it's been amazing the people who have contacted me to get help. For either themselves or a family member and that that's such a blessing. I do. And I've seen in my own life that the natural thing for us as people is to want to look out for ourselves, but the times where we're the happiest.
In our lives, is when we're helping others. And we've got Mike Jeminsky here, the 14-year NBA veteran, Duke, Duke All-American. And we will be back right after these messages to hear more from his story to Christ. You're listening to the Truth Network and TruthNetwork.com. All right, guys, we are back with Mike Jaminsky.
And Mike, over the break, we were finishing up, and you said you've had the opportunity. To really help some other people who may have been going through some of the same stuff that you've been through. And without mentioning their names, can you think of any story that really sticks out to you, Mike?
Well I mean, the opportunity, uh, you know, one, um I go to Moments of Hope Church here in Charlotte, and that's David Chadwick's ministry. And uh I've become very close to the family. You know, he played at North Carolina a few years before I played at Duke, and so we have a lot of fun with that, you know, back and forth. But I've I've told my story. As a sermon in front of the congregation, a couple of times, and we've kind of put it out there that anybody who discreetly wants to ask for help for themselves or a family member to contact me, and they all have my contact information.
And I've had a lot of people through the church, not a lot, but enough to reach out And get help. And I'm working with a group here in Charlotte. It's Sana Recovery. And our new website just came on, and you know, for I've been helping, you know, people call up and I've been directing them there, and we just kind of. We hear their story, we find out what their needs are and then we fit them into a level of care that's suitable.
Yeah, well, even after basketball, because we talked about your basketball career, but you had a career after basketball as well and with working the games, right?
Well, you know, it's it's funny that I I look at it now that crisis has been prepping me almost for this moment in time in my life that I've been you mentioned the broadcasting earlier, this will be my thirty first year broadcasting. And I I started right after I retired with the Hornets. When they were here in Charlotte, they did their radio for eight years, radio and T V. And When that franchise, the first one, moved to New Orleans, I moved over to college basketball and Raycom hired me and And then I worked with CBS for fifteen years doing the NCA tournament with Fox Sports doing a Sunday night show with ACC basketball.
So It's been a fabulous ride for me, but. You know, the speaking, the being comfortable and telling my message. the you know, the pain that I went through has brought me to this point, and it's serving a purpose. Yeah, and so I can tell that you have some peace right now. I was wondering, you know, when you did you ever call any Duke games?
Oh, I've taught I matter of fact, my first My first we're on the CW network We've been on it for two years now, and my first game is a week from tomorrow. I've got Western Carolina at Duke.
So, I mean, not not only have I done Duke games, but I've done Duke Carolina games. Is is it hard to be unbiased when you're doing that?
Well, I'm probably beating my leg underneath the table, but I've been told that I've been remained incredibly neutral when I've done that game.
So I'll live with what the viewers are thinking on that one. I got you.
Well, I've got to ask you this. Out of all the Duke Carolina games, what's your favorite one ever that you remember? Um It was in it was in 1978, in probably in early February or January. Carolina had beaten Duke like seventeen straight times in the in the rivalry. and they came to Cameron and were ranked number three in the country, and we wound up beating them.
And after that I mean, that's as loud as I'd ever heard Cameron as a player And It was after that game that we had a sense that we could be pretty good And that really launched us in our trip to the Final Four in the championship game that year. Yeah, there's been plenty of games that I remember as well. I'm only forty-four, but I I do know what you're saying. Let me ask you this. I know you didn't play under Coach Kaye.
You were right there before, but did you develop a a friendship or a relationship with him? Yeah, I sure did. You know, my coach Bill Foster left and went to South Carolina um and took a over for Frank McGuire there. And they hired Mike probably a month or so after that, and I was down there the whole summer getting ready for training camp and getting into shape for my first NBA year.
So I I really got to know Mike and got to know his family. You know, his mom was still alive at that time, his brother was still alive, so you know, it was great, and I, you know, I saw his daughters grow up. Um so it it's been I have a different relationship with them, having never played for him, but it's a it's. one that I really cherish. Yeah, I've heard people say that he is a pretty genuine guy.
But as so, right now, you're approximately 66 years old. Is that right? Yes, I turned sixty six in this past August.
So I'm uh Yeah, I love telling people that I played a Duke in the last century. What does the future look like for Mike Jemensky? Um uh You know, funny I've I I've got friends, my contemporaries who are retiring, And I can see they're real antsy and not you know, totally happy and I'm going to do what I'm doing right now until the breath leaves my body or until people stop listening. You know, I'm going to. I'm going to be a huge Champion of recovery.
I'm going to be a big representative for Christ, hopefully, and honor him every day. and just spread the word. You know, I had the two stories that I love in the Bible. one of the uh the uh the The Last Supper. Where Jesus washes the feet of the disciple.
And talking about the la the first shall be last. And I I had a very good relationship, really close with Tony Bennett, the coach up in Virginia. He played with the Hornets, and he was a very He had a very deep faith as well. And we always would end our conversations with let's go wash some feet. And So that and I consider myself it was like the message that was on during the break, I consider myself a fisherman.
I'm one of the fishermen. I throw the net out there. You know, God is the one He's going to Jesus is going to reel him in, but I'm going to keep throwing the net out as long as I can. Yeah, and one of the things that I've heard from many successful Christians, and right now there's, I don't know if you've heard this, but there's a lot of talk about revival, and we've seen revivals spread up across college campuses across the country. Have you heard about that?
Yeah, and I tell you it was it was It was made me heart sick when Charlie Kirk was assassinated. But it's been really incredible. One, his wife. uh just maybe the strongest person on the planet. Um you know, what what she's done and and what that movement has turned into.
But I you know, even even a church And it's funny that that younger demographic, especially young men. are really turning to Christ and want some foundation in their life. And it's a It's a great thing to say. Like, you know, I really came to it to you know, to finish that part of my story. In May of 2023, one of my teammates, a Duke Jim Suddeth, is a minister.
and he baptized me in Lake Norman. In front of a reunion of FCA guys from Duke End, North Carolina. It really was such a powerful, amazing thing and from that moment forward, I gave my life to Christ. Amen. And so, one of the successes that I've seen with so many powerful Christians who really love the Lord is that they have a successful prayer life.
What is your prayer life like, Mike? I work with the guy. We have three sober living houses. Um In as part of Sana Recovery. And I'm kind of the spiritual leader of who everybody who wants to begin that conversation.
And it's amazing how people are afraid of prayer because I don't know how to pray. I'm not sure if I'm doing it the right way. And I tell him, I said, look, this is a conversation. between you and the Lord. That's what it bas if that's what you want to think about it, that's basically what it is.
And those are the ones I have. I mean, I have them during the course of the day. You know, I have my time at night and in the morning. Um And uh one of the the the key things that I always ends strongly with and the Lord's prayer is, Thy will be done. Mm-hmm.
It's not I not my will, your will. And I think that's been me understanding that has been critical in my recovery. Yeah, we don't always have to understand his will. We just have to trust his will. Yeah, and you know, frankly It's amazing.
How much better his will turns out to be, usually. That's right. we think we know what is right for us, but when you give the steering wheel over, it's amazing how good the ride is. It sure is. And so prayer is a big thing.
And the other thing that I've heard a lot of people who have been successful getting closer to the Lord has been reading the Word of God or reading the Bible. Do you spend much time in the Bible? A ton every single day. And you know, I've got Study guides and things on the, you know, there were so many great resources on the web and. Free resource.
Yeah. And I've really gotten I mean, I've Uh I've I even look I've started to really look into the Greek words that were translated and to see what their meaning is. And I often find the depth of what the scripture is with The meaning of the word in Greek probably brings a whole different thing to it.
So, I've really, really dove into the ward. And it was funny when I. Growing up, and when I first started going to church, I was like, all right, I'm a Presbyterian, I'm just going to concentrate on the New Testament. And I learned very quickly that it's a whole book for a reason. And you know, and Christ is Very much a part of the whole story.
So, yes, to answer your question in a long and winded way. the reading scripture is a huge part of my day. Yeah, it's mine too. And one of the things that kind of helps me is if I'm having a tough time during the day or if I'm excited or whatever, to kind of have a scripture. For that moment.
And some people will use, say, Philippians 4:13, I can do all things through Christ, which strengtheneth me. Are there some Bible verses that you have memorized that help you out during the day?
Well, it's it's that uh there was and again in the you know The commercial break about Martin Luther, Ephesians, you know, 2.8. Um You know what the whole Reformation was based on is a huge you know, thing for me. And um and it's not I've been saved by faith through, you know, by grace. And uh You're listening to the Truth Network and TruthNetwork.com. All right, this is Mike Zwick back for the last segment with Mike Jaminsky, the famous Duke player and NBA player as well.
And before we went to the break, Mike. I believe you were referencing the Reformation, and today is Reformation Day, but you were also referencing the verses from the Reformation, and it is Ephesians 2, 8 through 9, and it says, For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works. Lest any man should boast. And I don't know about you, Mike, but I thank God I don't have to get to heaven based on my good works because if I did, I would go straight to hell. But I'm getting to heaven based on the finished work of the cross by Jesus Christ.
How about you? Absolutely. And it's the greatest deal in the world. You know, all you have to do is accept. You know, I'm like, there's a cost.
I mean, you know, there's. And just in how the way you live your life, but it's the best deal in the world, you know, to give your life to Christ. What all the things that happen as a result of that. And for Martin Luther to have that epiphany, like I don't have to live by the laws. that you know, it is I'm g I'm going to be saved by grace.
And that plus reeling against the indulgences that the Catholic Church was selling, he all of a sudden, the Reformation starts.
So Pretty incredible stuff. My other good one is Matthew 4:19, where Jesus, when his first disciples said, follow me. And The thing that I think is cool about that is he didn't say worship me. He didn't say bow down to me. He didn't say adore me.
He just said, follow me. And that's what we all do. We just we he's the way and we follow him. Yeah, absolutely. And I was reading earlier today about phosphorus.
And what the article said that I was reading said that when phosphorus, what it does is it takes in light. If it's out in the sunlight or if you put it under the light, it takes in the light. And if you put it into a dark room, that even though the room is dark, that the phosphorus ends up lighting up the room. And I thought about it, Mike, and it's the same way with us as Christians. When we get the light of Jesus Christ that comes into our lives, we're able to be a light to others.
And in your case, it's helping others with addiction. Is that right? Yeah, and and that's really where Where I am blessed to find myself at this point in my life is to be able to. to combine My faith and my recovery, and combine them in that message when I go out and I speak. You know, it's a powerful one, two punch for somebody who's I tell people to To preach what you practice, you know, you got to put the deed before the word, and that's what I'm trying to do every day.
Amen. And we've got the owner of the Truth Network, Stu Epperson Jr., on the phone. Are you there, Stu? Mike Jaminski, man, we love hearing your voice on the radio. You are a blessing, and I'm kind of fanboying here because I grew up as watching you play ball and And just hearing your testimony is just powerful.
Thank you so much for hanging out with us. And Michael's, we got too many mics in the studio, and we got all the mics that are in the studio.
So we've got. That means you got like eight Mike Stonel on the air right now. That's it, brother. And Stu, Stu, you played college basketball as well.
Well, and that's you know, basketball players that did play. After other great players, we really look at you as a pioneer of the game and what you did. and some of those great teams with Spinarchle and Banks and Just some great team. We say no school like the old school when you actually pass and thought and picked and played off the ball well and moved well and spaced well, but You know, I think, you know, I know time is the ticking here. Mike, I hear your story.
I love your story. And we've connected, but, you know. Uh you know, not too long ago, I saw the ACC tournament. I saw you at K Academy over the summer, just always a blessing. It's such an encouragement, man, to Have you as a brother in Christ, but, and to look up to someone, and you know, not just literally, like everyone does, but.
also to look up to you spiritually in your testimony. But I think about five hundred eight years ago, A man hit the wall, literally. He hit the wall spiritually, and then he hit the wall. We're talking about banging on doors for candy and trick-or-treating, but he banged on the Wittenberg door and nailed those 95 theses. And you're telling a testimony of how God supernaturally reformed your life.
You know, and And set you free. Just like this Reformation did, turning people back to God's word, opening hearts back to God. You can go right to God, you don't have to talk to a middleman.
So thank you for Certainly laying your heart out there, Mike, and blessing all of our listeners. Who knows who's hearing this and saying, I need to connect with Christ and. If this seven-foot man of God who's who's been at every highest level of everything in media, in sports, If if he needs Jesus, There's hope for me. Amen? Amen.
They can either connect with me on social media or as I was saying, we just at Sana Recovery, we've got a new website up and you can reach Out there. It's S A N A Recovery. org. And for people in crisis, for people looking for help and recovery, can contact me. And I'd love to be of service, and I'll continuing.
I loved in the Chariots of Fire when Eric Little's brother said we need muscular Christians And that's what you and I are to do. We're tall out here carrying it. Hey, try. Hey, praise the Lord. And that's a beautiful thing that you.
You know, you have uh You know, you used to be annoyed by everyone that said, How tall are you? What's it like up there? Do you play basketball? But now it's an opportunity to share the gospel, to say, Hey, I'm going to point you to a rock that is higher than I, right? And Mike, you'll love this.
I recently got a black eye. Playing basketball, God's favorite sport.
Okay, I was playing with a guy a lot younger than me who's over the rim, and I was actually playing defense. I know it's a shocker because everyone loves to shoot. But I was playing but I was playing this guy and It took me a few days, but then I realized why I have this black eye. Because people Suddenly cared about me that. Would never talk to me before.
And I got to tell, and I've got an opportunity on social and in real life to tell people about Jesus. And, you know, because you're asking about my eye, let me tell you about. My soul that was black, like my eye that Jesus saved. And let me tell you my story.
So. Everything, including your amazing story, Mike. Is uh is a story that connects to his story. Yeah. To advance the truth of God.
And so we're, man, I'm just grateful for you, brother, for leveraging. All that capital toward the glory of God to populating heaven because we need to take as many people with us there as we can, don't we, Mike?
Well, you know, Stu, it ain't my capital, it's God's capital. And I'm just trying to be a good steward of it. Um but yeah, no, I I'm Like I said, I see me doing this for as long as the Lord'll let me. Mm. Wow.
Well, let me ask you this question, and Michaels Wick's done a brilliant job with this conversation. And I've been able to catch bits and pieces, but What would you say to a family member out there who really cares about their dad or their mom or their aunt, their uncle, their sister? About Getting help, about getting them an intervention. I mean, what courage and encouragement can you give them about really? to maybe taking a risk in a relationship if it's a matter of life and death.
Absolutely, stay absolutely.
Well, first of all. reach out, get some guidance on it, but don't Just don't avoid it. whatever you're doing the person a disservice by enabling them to continue on in their addiction. And the family is so important. My son has been such a huge part.
He was the one who got me into intervent into treatment. But But family members, and this is the one of the biggest things the student People don't know what to do, and that's what we're trying to give them through this website is guidance for the family members as well who need. support every bit as much as the person in crisis. And what is the website again? It's Fana recovery, S-A-N-A recovery, one word.
And we're based here in Charlotte. And we've got clinical specialists that are on call and We can advise family members. We can advise people who. Are in crisis themselves who call in. What we're trying to do is be a triage system for people who don't have, who have a lot of questions.
But not a lot of answers. Um I love that. Mike, let me ask you if I can ask. Zwick, can I ask him one more quick question? Yeah, go.
And it's going to go back to the other Mike, Mike Zwick, who has a program called If Not for God. Recently I read this verse. Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back. Let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover A multitude of sins. Mike Jamiski, the G-Man.
That's James chapter 5, 8. Where would you be if your son hadn't taken a risk and been a James five eighteen person in your life. Speak to that real quick. And that and your answer will, Lord willing, be used to touch someone out there listening.
Well, I wouldn't be speaking to you all right now, and I might not even be on this side of the grass the way I was going. And he had the he had the love and the courage to step up and try to save me. I mean, he didn't force me to go in, but I was ready to hear that message. And That scripture that you wrote. You're not going to save somebody by not saying anything.
Yeah, you know, and it If you see something, then there's probably an issue. Um you know, whatever you do, get some professional help on how to approach that person. But by all means, go through that process. If for nothing else, you've planted a seed in that person that they know that you care enough at least They may be upset on the front end. But they'll understand eventually you did it out of love.
Oh Amen. Wow.
Well, Michael's Wick, all I can think about is The greatest dunk in Mike Chaminski's life wasn't when he. Was above the rim, dunking on people like Dominique and Barkley. It was when. He was dunked underwater. And to show The death He died and the life he lives in Christ.
Praise the Lord. I'm just grateful for you, brother, and thank you for coming on this show. Michael's Wick, thank you, man, for. For doing this, man. You guys are awesome.
I love you both. Thank you, Stu. Thanks, Stu. It's great being with you, Mike. Thanks being with you.
And it was. It was May thirtieth on uh
