Nolan Smith Makes Me Cry Tears of Joy

This weekend, while I was relaxing, recouping, and healing, I watched a lot of basketball games...a LOT of basketball games. Among the teams I watched, of course, were my Duke Blue Devils. They continued to inspire me, as always. Especially Duke's senior guard, Nolan Smith.

I've loved Nolan ever since I learned about his life in an ESPN "Outside the Lines" story. As a child, Nolan was best friends with his college hoops and NBA star dad, Derek. But at the age of 8, Nolan endured one of the worst possible tragedies. On a family vacation, Nolan watched his father suddenly pass away from a heart attack. The story of this little boy, hurt and saddened to be without his dad, is heart wrenching. I couldn't imagine losing my mom or dad now, let alone as a second grader.

But despite the incredible loss at such a tender age, Nolan grew up to be an incredible young man. He's a true leader on and off the court, a brother to all of his teammates, and a devoted son (I know this because he frequently tweets about hanging out with his mom and how much he loves her). And the way Nolan plays basketball reveals even more about his character. He never gives up on himself or his teammates, he plays hard for every play of every game, but most importantly, he plays the game with joy. You can tell that he loves what he's doing, and he's not afraid to show it. Whether through a beautiful move to the basket, a three pointer from the corner, a leap from the middle of nowhere to snag a rebound that much larger guys should have gotten, or a quick flash of a smile to his teammates, Nolan plays with all heart and that heart is filled with love for the game...and for life. 

Nolan's heart inspires my own, and it's always a pleasure to watch him do his thing on the basketball court and lead his team to victory.

Today was one of those days. Nolan played brilliantly and led his Duke team to the ACC Tournament Championship, nabbing the Tournament's Most Valuable Player award in the process. The sheer jubilation that he showed when bounding off the court and into Coach K's arms at the end of that championship game moved me to tears. It's clear to me that this Blue Devil loves life, and there's nothing more beautiful than that.

Nolan has been through unspeakably difficult times. Instead of crumbling, he grew into a strong, positive person who embraces joy and exudes it. In that way, I feel a deep kinship with him. When Nolan smiles, I smile. And when he smiles really big, I have to grab a Kleenex because I'm probably about to get teary.

Next up for Nolan is the NCAA Tournament, and I know that this amazing young man will do everything he can to lead his team to another National Championship. And if Duke is in that National Championship game, I'll be there -- wearing his jersey, cheering him on, and trying to hold back the tears.