I’ve been playing basketball for almost 40 years. As a kid, aside from playing it, I loved getting autographs after Clippers games (back when they were in San Diego). Most of the big name stars would walk right by you to climb onto the team bus. My friend got Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. I didn’t. He ended up trading it to me for a baseball card of Tom Seaver (his favorite pitcher). I’d later get Tom Seaver’s autograph after interviewing him for a baseball art exhibit in town (he wasn’t the friendliest).

My favorite thing to do was get the coaches of the various teams. They weren’t bugged by the young fans, since they didn’t realize Lenny Wilkens, Billy Cunningham, or Clippers coach Paul Silas (not that he was a Hall of Famer like the previous two, but still a former player).

The big thing now for autograph collectors is wanting shoes autographed. Or, just outright asking players for their shoes. It reminds me of the time I interviewed Joe Walsh (The Eagles, James Gang), and he said people are always coming up to him asking for his guitars. I asked, “What do you tell them?” He frowned and said, “No! No, you can’t have my guitars.”

I told him the naive fans probably think that Gibson just give him guitars any time he wants. Of course, with NBA players, that is true regarding their shoes.

With Kobe Bryant on his “farewell tour” (as a Lakers fan, I wish that would’ve happened 10 years ago), he’s often been seen handing his shoes to various fans. They usually have a sign written out where they ask for them, and at the end of the game he’ll take them off and autograph them, and a lucky fan leaves with a stinky souvenir.

The Lakers had what is considered the biggest upset in NBA history, when they beat the Golden State Warriors this year. It was the first time a team that was ever that bad, beat a team that good, by that wide a margin (17 points). Klay Thompson (son of Mychal Thompson, a former NBA player that was always a great signer), has been having a terrific year. He beat out the reigning MVP Steph Curry to win the 3-point contest at the All-Star game. And after going 0 for 8 on 3-pointers in that loss to the Lakers, Bryant gave Thompson his game-worn jersey. He signed it and wrote “To Klay, it’s been a pleasure watching you grow into the player you are! Keep going!”

Growing up, Klay idolized Kobe. And...in a fun twist, Kobe’s kids, well...they don’t idolize their dad as much (nobody ever thinks their father is cool). Yet they asked Steph Curry if they could take their photo with him. He obliged.

Now, despite what Oscar Robertson, arguably one of the Top 5 players to ever play the game, says...Curry is the best outside shooter that’s ever played the game. As somebody that was a good outside shooter (at least on the high school team), and a basketball fan and historian of the game, I’ve seen them all: Reggie Miller, Larry Bird, and Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf (anybody remember him?). Curry’s been a good autograph signer for somebody as big as he is (don’t get me started on the story about how I had to chase Michael Jordan around a locker room to finally get him to grab my paper, and quickly scrawl his initials on it...over Dominique Wilkins signature!)

Well, the other night in Salt Lake City at a Jazz game, Curry finished his pregame routine, and took a few photos and signed some autographs near the tunnel. A crowd gathered, with various jerseys and hats for Curry to autograph. He was signing for everybody, when the railing dislodged and four fans fell to the ground.

Three of the fans were kids, and luckily none of them were seriously hurt. In fact, the story has a happy ending. They all get items signed by Stephen Curry.

The best shooter of all-time, and showing he’s quickly becoming the best autograph signer.

Below, on one of my radio shows, former NBA All-Star Don Kojis came in (center), and brought a shoe his good friend Pat Riley gave him. It's of Shaquille O'Neal. I think it was a size 24, but I can't remember. I do remember thinking that with this...it was possibly for that little old lady to live in a shoe...despite how many children she had.