Hardwood Legend

Hi, I'm Joanne Vickner, Memaw with It's Storytime Memaw, an answered prayer for stories that point children to God on the Truth Network for kids. Your chosen Truth Network Podcast is starting in just a few seconds. Enjoy it, share it.

But most of all, thank you for listening to the Truth Podcast Network. I'm Adrian Branche, I'm sitting right next to him, and he's a left handed genius. Is that right, Adrian? The older I get, I take all the compliments. Keep going. I like it.

I like it. Yes, sir, we're at a coffee shop. Maybe a little noise. We came outside, it's a beautiful day. Cars come by.

We are not a hundred yards from Old Salem, which was founded by the Moravians. Keep going. I like it. I like it. Yes, sir. We're at a coffee shop.

Maybe a little noise. We came outside It's a beautiful day cars coming by we are not a hundred yards from Old Salem Which was founded by the Moravians in North Carolina They were fleeing from religious persecution in Europe and you're staying at a hotel called the Brookstown Inn right right next to that So there's some a lot of historical things here and you came and spoke to our men's group the New Canaan Society this morning And talked about your passion. Let me ask you right out of the gate. Who is Adrian Branch, I'm a hard-working dude that loves God and a sinner saved by grace and each day I try to point my compass North to the things that pleases God I like that and it's interesting when you spoke For anyone in the room that have to be happened to be drifting off You started dropping names that you actually played against like Julia serving like Magic Johnson you were teammates with these people Michael Jordan you were contemporaries with a lot of these ballplayers and you played at the highest level of basketball what's that like and then connecting that to faith because a lot of These stories didn't turn out so well especially One of my favorite players to watch of all time In college and he would have been the great he would have been on that court in the top 50 best players in history Len bias you knew him. Yeah Yeah, my story is one where I was considered a can't-miss athlete in the 80s and talked about those stars So now my generation Lord will in November.

I will be 60 years old. So you're talking about guys that played That are now 58 59 60 61 But I was privileged to be a can't-miss athlete from DeMatha High School went to the University of Maryland and played and had success rookie of the year runner-up to Michael Jordan and won the ACC championship first time Maryland did that in 39 years almost 40 years and also, we had The great limb bias who was one year behind me So we played together for three years and he actually lived no more than ten minutes from me So we were Washingtonians through and through but still I had myself an attitude. I had a Entitled mindset and just young you don't know what you don't know. I knew we were good. I knew we were talented And so it was all about me.

It was all about what I can do My favorite song in the 80s was they lie. So it's just me myself and I singing that song It's just me myself and I and I tried to live that out in foolishness, but God's mercy God's grace The names that you talked about those years, especially in high school Where the Charles Barkley's Karl Malone's Joe Dumars Chris Mullen Hakeem Olajuwon Patrick Ewan Reggie Miller David Robinson Scottie Pippen in the great Michael Jordan and I was Compared to those guys as a can't miss athlete My career didn't pan out like that as being one of the greatest to ever do it like that I played pro ball was with the world champion Lakers as a rookie in 1987 with the height of Showtime Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Pat Riley however I'm I wouldn't take like Maya Angelou said I wouldn't take anything for my journey now So we get a chance to encourage young people. It's not a crime if you fall down It's a crime if you stay down and I love to ask people are you mixed up?

Are you fixed up? See when I was with the Lakers I'd sit on the front of the bus with AC green and AC green who was a devout believer Unapologetically a believer in Christ we sit on the front of bus and drink a coke I'd sit on the back of the bus and drink a beer now. I'm not legalistic. It's talking about more commitment because basically Alcohol if it causes someone to sin cut it off So I'm not being legalistic with with drinking in that but just the the example of commitments on the back of the bus I'm hanging with the buck wild Lakers. I won't say any names West Matthews Michael Cooper So I'm sitting on the back of the bus while an out I sit on the front of bus with a string of coke and back of the bus drink a beer drink a beer drink Coke drink coke drink a beer and I love asking people who's familiar with two sets of friends Hanging around some church friends decent friends one day some real wild friends another day The Bible says man look be either hot or cold don't be lukewarm or he'll spit you out But I didn't know what I didn't know one day AC I come up to the front of the bus AC says Adrian, what's that in your hand?

I'm thinking I'm drinking a bit a coke. I'm drinking a beer I said nothing What time is Bible study? Amen brother? Praise the Lord And he pulls me to the side he said man You gotta make a decision on whether you're gonna be mixed up or fixed up You can't play with this thing and I couldn't answer that question through for last six six years. That was 1986 until 1993 in Australia I invited Jesus Christ into my heart and like say like a newborn, babe, man I was so on fire from the Lord. I came up I remember I just invited Christ into my heart simple prayer Lord.

Forgive me. I want to live for you now I saw none of my background is Catholic So my aunt is a nun in Australia and I came up to her in the Safeway the local grocery store in Australia and I said Sister sister, I'm saved now. I'm saved. I love Jesus and she's looking at this big black guy He's saying please call the police I had no filters through I had no filter I get home. This is up down under so this is in February where I came to the Lord. I'm so on fire I see a lady walking past my apartment complex. Well, I'm just home because my mother-in-law was that the manager of apartment complex, so we stayed there for three months my wife and I and she had crosses in her ears earrings And it always happens to be a sweet little old lady that I just come up and scare the hell out of them and I was like Excuse me, ma'am. I see you have a cross in your earrings. You must love Jesus Can I come to your house and have a Bible study?

And she again clutches her bag and say no The cops I was so on fire for God. I had no filter They say that happens like with a newborn baby doesn't know since the time well, man The Lord has dealt with me with my hurts my habits my hang-ups Narcissism. I didn't know I was a narcissist. I didn't know it was all about myself Dying to myself trying to be more like Christ and again I'll go back to this again Maya Angelou. I wouldn't take anything for my journey now Stu I love the house of God the people of God and just encouraging people all of us no matter our ages Can use a attaboy attagirl we always can use a sincere you can do it Hang in there that greatest hang time is not Michael Jordan with that emblem That was amazing that we see that silhouette the greatest hang time was six hours on the cross Wow That's the voice of Adrian branch inspiring a lot of people a lot of young people a lot of ballers He's he's taken his platform his skills his giftedness The way God's blessed him from an NBA ring to being all-american You know one of the greatest lefties to prep to play for lefty drizzle at Maryland With the likes of Lenny Bias and all these great NBA players and now you're sharing Jesus with your platform What's your what do you feel like your legacy is Adrian? What do you want to say to so many people listening that?

Maybe they think that you know God can't use me. I'm not a big-time. You know.

I'm not an ESPN I'm not all you know. I'm not I don't have NBA accolades and all of this yeah I'm not in the Hall of Fame's that's awesome for the person out there. That's feeling like man. I'm just an ordinary man or woman I'm just a natural kid I'm just the same old Usual man, that's perfect stay right there Don't change a thing because God will put his super on your natural There's extra on your ordinary, and he'll put his on on your usual making you a supernatural Extraordinary unusual man and woman of God and don't stop there if you're dealing with something He's called the I am I'm I am so if you're dealing with something possible He is the I am on your possible if there's something impossible. He's the I am on your possible brother I'm glad you got me this milkshake.

I'm ready to go now put me in coach. Let's go He's got a strong protein smoothie from buy good coffee. We're here at this cool coffee shop baller nation's right across the table He's on fire for the Lord love to dunk the ball and hey how about it John baller nation? what what what encourages you about this guy's story and What what question do you have for him real quick as we wrap up Adrienne branch? All-time great basketball player, but loves Jesus, and he's he's using this to spread the gospel everywhere He's really using his his message and his mess as a testimony For other men and and and young women out there and and even you know college-age students I'm an assistant basketball coach, and so it's so important to to Share and tell these these young folks that there is a way to get out of your mess and make it a testimony and so what what is kind of one thing that you would tell a Young a young person who's maybe aspiring to as a college athlete and aspiring to to be something Amen great questions well think about this because we all have basketball ties Dr.. James Naismith, I'm answer that question dr. James James Naismith was the original founder of the game of basketball for two reasons to bring his athletes in the 1890s Inside in between the national pastimes of football and baseball to keep them active that was the first reason and the second reason for is what we're doing right now a message of hope a Message of the gospel so when then when Shaq said in in the 90s Hey, tell David Robinson to stick to slam reading his Bible. I'll stick to slam dunking the basketball Hey Shaq, it's a preacher that created this game that got you that hundred million dollar contract And so for that guys hey man and so for the same people listen know your worth And we're all not LeBron James, but we can have a standard of excellence if you fall down don't stay down get up It's not a crime in your life if you fall down It's a crime if you stay down you got to get up and finally I'll say this man What's the Bible say the Bible the Bible the Bible the Bible changes thing the Bible will change the difference between a champ?

ch a MP and a chump is you Whoa, why do you look at me when he said that? Whoa Ch u MP so that's what it's about making choices making choices and never quit if you fall down Don't stay down get up That's inspiring from Adrian branch man of God. He is a Missionary disguised as a basketball hardwood legend and Darryl is a lefty Who's a I said he's kind of your mini me, you know, he's not quite six eight and but he's a he's a baller He's up there six five and left-hand stroke and and but just good to be here and good to be Encouraged in the Lord and to hear how God's taking your story and God's taking the witness of faithful believers like AC Green You don't know who's you know who planted and watered along the way to bring Someone like Adrian branch of Christ and look at all the people you're impacting.

So we'll make this a podcast folks Please please share this and please look up Adrian branch and you know all over the place I know on the internet everywhere look for some of those looking for some of those posterized dunks I'm sure glad I wasn't on the receiving end of that But I know that I know that Ralph Sampson 7 foot 4 didn't like getting dunked on by Adrian branch when you played against him And he was at Virginia you played against Muggsy Bogues You get guy Morgan was there this morning at the men's group. You spoke at New Cane society You guys were battling it out man in the ACC and Jordan and Jimmy Black and Cecil Exum and all these Going back man, but but you look back at all that what really matters and it comes down to nothing What can wash away my sin nothing but the blood of Jesus. Amen Is it what's it for a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul, but God is so real He'll stick closer than a brother. He'll never leave you or forsake you. He is raw I the God that sees he's Jehovah Nissi the Lord our banner.

He loves you. He loves you He made you your gifts you like you just mentioned and John said man You could turn your mess into a message You can turn your test into a testimony and God is the god of the second chance Somebody out there could say man. I've been a real cruddy dude.

I've been a real cruddy young lady I'm into some stuff that I'd be embarrassed if people knew man God is our Kingsman Redeemer the Bible says taste and see that the Lord is good This is the day the Lord is made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it. So give yourself a chance Don't quit on yourself. God didn't quit on us. He didn't quit on us This is the truth Network