Wednesday, November 21, 2007

ESPN does Jonestown

Grandson of Jonestown founder is making a name for himself Video/Outside the lines.

...Playing basketball had kept the (People's Temple basketball team) players on the team away from the horror. It saved their lives. But they felt their presence in Jonestown on that day might have changes things -- and their guilt was overwhelming.

"For many years I had a hard time dealing with that," says Jim Jr. "The survivor guilt. Why did I survive? I blamed basketball, 'If I wasn't selfish playing basketball, maybe I could have made a difference.'"

Jim Jr. returned to San Francisco, eventually married again, had three boys and put his life back together. But he avoided the game he had always enjoyed, until his eldest son brought it back.

"It wasn't until Robert showed an interest that I started coaching him," says Jim Jr. "And I've developed a love for it again."

"I thank God every day," says Rob, now a freshman forward at the University of San Diego. "I'm a real lucky man just to have a father and that he's there supporting me in whatever I do, no matter what."

"When I first saw the article, 'Jones leads Riordan to the top,' I just paused initially," says Jim Jr. "Our family name in the paper -- Jones leading anybody -- was leading them to not a very positive outcome. It just gave me a swell of pride that here's a Jones leading an organization or a program in a very positive direction."

Says Rob: "I'm proud just to do what I do and give the family a good name. That's probably been one of the greater feelings I've had in my life."

"I was known in basketball gyms as the son of the infamous Jim Jones," Jim Jr. says. "Now I'm known as the father of Rob Jones. That's a good feeling."...

2 comments:

  1. Uh.........what's your point in posting this? You have simply reprinted something (without permission)....

    Are you trying to coyly make a point?

    And why would you post that disgusting picture of Tom Kinsolving on your blog? As if he cared about anything except his outdated early 80's wardrobe!

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