Hangin’ with the Bonners – oh, and the Larry O’Brien trophy

By Tim Goodwin - Jul 15, 2014 | 0 comments

At Rollins Park.

Is Matt transitioning from the Y to the M in the YMCA song?

At the Boys & Girls Club (this would be a fine time to note Matt’s sweet custom-made T-shirt.)

The NBA Entertainment crew chats with Matt outside of Concord high (we asked way more hard-hitting questions).

The Concord High gym, where it all began.

Downtown traffic knows to stop when Matt Bonner carries the trophy into Main Street.

Matt Bonner, where a statue of Matt Bonner may one day stand (if we have anything to say about it, at least).

As you all know, Matt Bonner is a bit of a legend around these parts.

And it’d be hard to find someone who thought otherwise. In the late 1990s, Bonner led Concord High School to three straight Class L boys basketball championships and went on to a successful four-year career at the University of Florida. And in case you forgot, Bonner just won his second NBA championship last month with the San Antonio Spurs, his 10th year in the league.

So when we got an email from his younger brother Luke that the Larry O’Brien championship trophy was going to be in Concord on Friday, we just wanted a glimpse. And when that same email said that Bonner wanted to take it on a tour of the city and we were invited to tag along, we basically jumped up and down for joy. Keith actually cut his vacation short to be there and Tim may or may not have shed a couple of tears. Then we took it a step further to see if Bonner would be willing to play us in a game of C-O-N-C-O-R-D (obviously with no dunking involved, because we didn’t want to put him at a disadvantage.)

We were going to play one letter at a bunch of different stops along the way, starting at Rundlett Middle School. Bonner began with a three-pointer (of course) from the top of the key and drained it. Much to our surprise, Tim did the same. Bonner then missed the patented bank shot of his Spurs teammate Tim Duncan, leaving Keith with his first shot of the contest. A left wing three and a Bonner miss put us up one letter – and that’s the way it would end, folks.

It seems as though the hectic nature of the afternoon was the reason Bonner called our friendly game after one stop, but we have a sneaky suspicion he saw what he was in for after those nothing-but-net threes. Oh well, it was fun while it lasted, and a win is a win in our book, as are bragging rights for life.

With stops at White, Rollins and West Street Parks, the State House and Concord High to name a few, Bonner showed the Larry O’Brien trophy all that Concord has to offer. And as you’d guess, fans at each stop, especially an enthusiastic group of ballers at White Park, showed their appreciation for Concord’s favorite son. So without further ado, sit back and relax as we take you on a tour of the Capital City, Bonner-style.