David Flores: Pop's note pulls at heartstrings Web Posted: 05/24/2006 12:00 AM CDT San Antonio Express-News The envelope bearing the Spurs' logo immediately caught the attention of Conrado Perez Jr. as he went through his mail Friday in Eagle Pass. "When I saw it was addressed to me, I wondered, 'Why are the Spurs writing to me?'" Perez said Tuesday. Perez, whose youngest son was killed in Iraq last month, hardly could believe it when he discovered the envelope contained a letter of condolence from Spurs coach Gregg Popovich. "The tears started coming when I read it," Perez said. "For him to take time off from the rigors of the playoffs to write to me, well, I was overwhelmed. It made me feel like I'm important instead of an insignificant human being." Marine Lance Cpl. Stephen Joseph Perez, a 2002 St. Anthony High School graduate, was killed April 13 by shrapnel from an explosion in Al Anbar Province. He was 22. Perez, who played football and baseball at St. Anthony, was an avid Spurs fan who usually asked about the team when he called or wrote his family. One of the first things Perez did when he came home on leave last June was change into his Tim Duncan jersey. Popovich's letter to Perez's father was dated May 18, the day before the Spurs beat the Dallas Mavericks in Dallas to force a seventh game in the Western Conference semifinals. The complete text of the letter follows: Dear Mr. Perez, Please accept my sincere condolences for your loss. I cannot imagine how much you miss Stephen, knowing how much he must have meant to your family. It is obvious that he was a die-hard Spurs fan, no matter what the situation. What we do here is quite insignificant compared to the job he was doing in Iraq. The daily danger and pressure he had to endure is hard to even contemplate, and he and his colleagues are the ones who should be held up as heroes. All of us here hope time will diminish the pain you must feel. We will do our best to make both Stephen and your family proud. Most sincerely, Gregg Popovich Give Popovich credit for taking time to recognize the sacrifice of a true hero with such eloquence. Some might be surprised by Popovich's gesture, but not those familiar with his background. He graduated from the Air Force Academy in 1970 and served five years in the Air Force. "My dad got a little choked up when he read me the letter over the phone," said Kenny Perez, Stephen's only sibling. "All I could say was, 'Wow, that's special.' Everybody portrays Gregg Popovich as a hard-nosed guy with no heart, but he doesn't forget what's going on in the world." Kenny said his mother, Diana, who lives in San Antonio, is also "very grateful" to Popovich for writing the letter. His parents divorced when Stephen was an infant. Stephen Perez was home last June when the Spurs beat the Detroit Pistons in the NBA Finals, watching Game 7 of the hard-fought series on television with his brother and friends John Martinez, Mike Sorola and Matt Sorola. "I'll always treasure those memories," Kenny said. While he cheered all the Spurs, Stephen respected and admired Duncan most. "He really liked the way Tim Duncan handled himself," Kenny said. "Tim Duncan was an inspiration to him." Kenny sees several similarities between his brother and Duncan. He cited them in a letter he wrote Duncan two days after Stephen's funeral. "I just wanted Tim to know how much my brother looked up to him," Kenny said. "There are three things that I think he demonstrates — dignity, respect and leadership. I saw a lot of those qualities in my brother." Understandably, Spurs fans are in a funk after their team lost a heartbreaker to the Mavericks in the decisive game of the series Monday night. But it's important to remember that we're talking about a game here, not life or death. Conrado Perez Jr. appreciates the perspective reflected in Popovich's letter. "I would like to meet him someday," Perez said. "But even if I don't, God bless him and his family. He's a class act." The coach's letter to the grieving father of a war casualty says so. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I just wanted to show people how pop is. Also Want to thank all those men and women that put their life on the line for us. Thank you
