A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words...

Happy Monday! A picture is worth a thousand words…so here are five of them, one to describe a moment from every season:

This picture is from one of the first Firebirds games…ever. The picture is of Julian Harris, the Firebirds’ first-ever draft pick. He would not disappoint this season, winning the league’s Rookie of the Year award and having a successful career spanning multiple countries. But this shot of him rising over his defender on the Tampa Bay Titans was the first image you saw on the Firebirds’ website for years, only recently being replaced by Shaq Dance. When you saw ads for the Firebirds, you saw this picture of Julian Harris.

This picture represents a few different things. First, 2020 was the year that the Firebirds began playing games at Word of God Christian Academy, as opposed to other venues such as The Dream Center. Once again playing the Tampa Bay Titans, Shaq Dance glides through the air as his defender tries to stop him. Three more look on as they realize there’s nothing they can do to stop him. This is just one of many acrobatic finishes Dance would have over the years, including this crazy one from last year.

This image was also taken in February before the world was shut down by the pandemic. However, for January and February, the Firebirds were able to have the first half of their basketball season.

This photo is of the Firebirds’ 2021 team roster. It features some familiar faces if you’ve been a fan for long enough. Darius Leonard is in the back, wearing a Nike headband. Chris Lightner is still a player in this picture, as opposed to the team’s General Manager. Daequon Antoine and Shaq Dance, two of the team’s leading scorers from 2023, are in this picture, along with other guards like Aaron Baker and Will McNeil. Daquan Lily, the Firebirds’ big man, signed to play overseas in Hong Kong. Overall, this roster was incredibly talented… and led by Logan, the adorable dog in the front. He served as the team’s fearless leader and mascot all season long. 🥰

This picture marks a challenging year where the Firebirds attempted to have as normal a season as possible while dodging all the COVID regulations, having to deal with different lineups and changing venues. It’s also the feature picture in this Walter Magazine Article about the Firebirds.

There were a few photos I wanted to use for 2022 (as there are so many good ones), but this action shot is where I ended up going. This dunk from former UNC center Desmond Jackson was two points of 149 scored by the Firebirds in a 61-point blowout victory. Those 149 points were (at the time) the most points scored by any team in the entire league in a single game. And of course, the Firebirds did it against the Tampa Bay Titans (are you noticing a recurring theme with us and them?).

This year was especially memorable for me because it’s when I first started writing for the Firebirds, originally on the team’s website. Most of my content is on this newsletter now, but it’s like a digital archive of that season, and some of the 2023 season.

This picture is also memorable because most of the team’s games (all but one) were played at John Chavis Memorial Park. I remember there was some controversy about the venue as there was no NBA(/TBL) three-point line, and the city couldn’t paint the line until we had been there for a month (it was some insurance thing). So, for some games, we played with the high school three-point line. It seemed quite ridiculous when Brock Young and Daequon Antoine would shoot seemingly so far from the three-point line, but in reality, it was maybe a foot behind their normal three-point line.

For 2023, the picture I normally think of is the first tip-off of the entire season, again with Desmond Jackson. However, I chose this picture for a few reasons. One, it’s of Dreko Palmer, the Firebirds’ star 6’5” point guard who would be named a TBL All-Star later on that season. Plus, he re-signed with us for this year, which means we’re only getting better.

Two, this was our first win of the season against a new rival, the Fayetteville Stingers. We beat them 106-98, and set the tone for a successful season. The team finished 18-6, second in the Southeastern Conference and winning six of their last seven games. Unfortunately, we lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Newfoundland Rogues. However, since the Rogues moved to the Basketball Super League, they are no longer a problem for us. The Southeastern Conference is ours for the taking this year!

Lastly, the reason I love this picture and this game is because it’s packed. It’s opening night, and as you can see behind Dreko, every seat is taken. It’s standing-room only, and when I talked to Wade Harris (our team market owner) about the attendance, he said we broke the fire marshal building capacity.

Opening night is definitely one of the best games of the year.

Unfortunately…

Not every game for us is packed like it is on opening night. And that’s one of the things we’re working to change this year.

We want A+ home court advantage and an A+ environment for our players to play in. So, if you’re interested in buying tickets, don’t just buy tickets for the first game of the year. By then for other games later in the season, when you’re free. All the dates are out, so there’s no reason not to! You can buy tickets here, but if you have any questions about tickets and prices, just reply to this email. I’m here to help :)

I hope you enjoyed today’s email!

-Tex