U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Eric Smith’s military pride is only surpassed by his love of basketball and his love for his hometown of Philadelphia, Pa.
The 22-year-old saw all of his loves collide when he traveled home to Philly for the weekend from Luke Air Force Base in Glendale, Ariz., to compete in the Military Basketball Association’s All-Star Game on Saturday, July 25.
“I’ve been in the Air Force now for four years, since I was 18. I wasn’t really looking to play basketball anymore. But when I first got to Luke, I was given the opportunity to play,” Smith said in an interview with Military.com. “Being by myself in Arizona, far from Philadelphia, it was a hard transition. But having a basketball community was real big for me. It was like a family.”
Battle of Best Military Players Nationwide
The game at Philadelphia’s Saint Joseph’s University was a battle of the 16 best military players from the East and West, selected by their coaches from military bases across the country. MBA Commissioner Mike Meyers said in a statement that he founded the MBA in 2017 with a focus on providing basketball programming for active-duty military members and veterans.
We want to give troops an outlet. It’s also an outlet for veteran spectators as well. We celebrated service, and connected our event to a VA resource fair to support Philadelphia’s VA healthcare system to combat challenges that military members face, such as PTSD, and to promote the prevention of suicide.
The All-Star game in Philadelphia appeared to be perfectly timed. The city is considered the birthplace of America and held major Independence Day celebrations for the country’s 250th birthday in July.
Also, the same weekend as the MBA All-Star Game, it was announced that four-time NBA champion and 22-time NBA All-Star LeBron James will join the Philadelphia 76ers, signing a two-year, $8 million deal.
“Growing up in Philadelphia, I’ve been a Sixers fan all my life,” Smith said. “ When I heard the news about LeBron coming here, I found out the news on the plane. It made me even more excited to come back home.”
Smith said he now sees his hometown on an upswing, despite a disappointing loss for his MBA Western squad, falling to the East. Still, Smith says LeBron is giving him bragging rights among his friends.
“Some of my friends, they used to talk trash about Philadelphia, that we weren’t good. They’re gonna be Sixers fans now, so it’s funny to me,” Smith said. “All my life has been LeBron. He’s been paying since I was born. He really pushes for greatness and longevity.”
Celebrity Spectators Show Support For Military Service
The MBA All-Star game drew a crowd of celebrity spectators, including former Philadelphia Phillies baseball player Tommy Greene, and former Philadelphia Eagles football players Freddie Mitchell and Irving Fryar, who said in a statement he has a personal connection to the military.
“My heroes were two uncles of mine who were Marines. I see and have seen how veterans are unappreciated,” Fryar said. “What an honor it is to serve. Anytime I get an opportunity to go to an event and support veterans, I do.”
A year-round tournament league, the MBA counts nearly 1,000 players in its ranks, both veteran and active-duty military, on more than 50 teams across the U.S., Europe and Asia. The association is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that operates under the mantra ‘Life Through Basketball.’
“Our All-Star game happens every year around this time,” Meyers said in his statement. “ This is the first time it’s been in Philadelphia. We’ve had four other events in Philadelphia in the last three years, and it’s been exciting.”
As for Senior Airman Smith, he returns to Luke AFB in Arizona a little sore from the All-Star game, with no plans to leave the military for a professional basketball career.
“I stay in the gym, so I was ready when I was asked to play. I’ll keep playing as long as my body and my mind allow me to, but I love my job,” Smith said. “I didn’t know what I wanted to do when I first came to the Air Force. They introduced me to data analytics, and I fell in love with it. I like it a lot.”
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