Terry's 2-Cents: Missing Lorenzen Wright

CLEVELAND - I was excited when the Cavs signed Lorenzen Wright before the '08-'09 season. To have another Memphis native here in town was going to be great.

Lorenzen graduated in 1994 from Booker T. Washington in Memphis. I graduated from East High School right across town. He was all-everything as a prep player. Even though he was just a skinny kid, he played the post like a grown man.

After graduating from BTW, 'Ren went to the University of Memphis, or as it's still affectionately known to Memphians, Memphis State, where he was a star. He was selected seventh overall in the 1996 NBA draft.

Wright was a solid NBA pro, 13 seasons in the league. His life was ended tragically and far too soon at age 34. I'm not going to get into the details, you can click the link if you want to know the latest circumstances surrounding his death. www.newsnet5.com/dpp/sports /sports_blogs_local/attorney%3A-wright%27s-ex-wife-got-threatening-visit

I'd rather just get into what it was like covering Lorenzen the final season with the Cavs. When I got a chance to meet him, I immediately got into our hometown bond. We reminisced a little bit about the heat and I joked about him getting ready for winter. (He never played in a cold weather city in his career.)

Then we talked about our rival fraternities. He was a Kappa. I'm an Omega. He said laughing, "You're allowed one mistake in your life." I responded, "And yours was pledging Kappa." Nothing like Greek humor.

Lorenzen was almost always laughing and joking about something. He had a pleasant spirit. His pride was his six children. One day after the season I saw him at Cedar Point. "All these my kids," he said with a gigantic smile on his face. I was with my teenage cousins and he took time to introduce himself to them. Even though he was on his family time, he wanted to make sure he introduced himself to my family. Class.

Back in Memphis Lorenzen was always beloved. My uncle got a chance to hang out with him a couple of times, saying he was "just mad cool,"  that he always had his sons at the barbershop and "he was just a giving dude." Memphis is like Cleveland in that once you're a sports hero, the city will forever keep its arms around you.

I've known of Lorenzen Wright since our days in high school. It was a pleasure to get to know him during his time with the Cavaliers. My father says our hometown is torn up about Wright's death. As much as I enjoy going home to visit, I'm glad that I'm away for the investigation of his death. I'd much rather remember 'Ren for the guy I got to know, and the guy that the city of Memphis will never forget.

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