Drafting Walton got me completely hooked. I’d been a casual fan before that, but getting Walton really excited me.
In elementary school we had a kid in the class above me battling brain cancer. He spent a lot of time at Doernbechers. Brian Grant would consistently come out to our small town and spend time with him and his family. When he lost the battle as a 5th grader the school gym was named after him and Brian came out for the ceremony. Dunked a ball for the first bucket. It was easy to be a fan after that.
Man, I love Brian Grant. He was fierce on the court. I remember he had some tough battles/rivalries, including versus Karl Malone.