Texas Tech basketball: My favorite in-person memories as a Red Raider

We all have some special in-person memories of the Texas Tech basketball program and these are some of my personal favorites.

I grew up learning the game of basketball from a Texas Texas basketball legend, Bubba Jennings.  As a kid in Artesia, New Mexico, I spent just about every summer at Coach Jennings’ camps and playing pickup games under his watchful eye at the high school gym.

He was my coach all the way through high school and my senior season was the year before he took the Coronado job.  That information is pertinent because it means I’ve heard about Texas Tech basketball for most of my life.

Of course, as a kid, I didn’t really understand what it meant when he would show us the one-one-one move that he used to beat Clyde Drexler off the dribble.  Nor did the story about how he hit a runner in the paint over Hakeem Olajuwon carry the type of weight with my friends and me as it eventually would.

But as I grew up, I remember paying close attention to Texas Tech basketball, especially when the Red Raiders were on TV, because Coach Jennings would always grill us about what we saw from those games.  And naturally, we rooted for Tech if only because our practices seemed to be far more enjoyable when the Red Raiders won.

I had no idea at that time that I was going to go to Texas Tech or that Tech hoops would eventually become such a massive part of my life.  I could not foresee the impact that the program would have on my experience as a sports fan or how much time I would spend obsessing over all things Red Raider basketball as an adult.

But over two decades later, I can’t remember the last time I went a day without spending some time at least pondering one aspect of the program.  Whether it be recruiting updates, roster changes, classic games, or statistical analysis, Red Raider basketball has become part of my daily life and it’s tough to see that changing anytime soon given the success the program has enjoyed during the Chris Beard era.

Today is Memorial Day and it is a special time to remember those who have served our nation by giving their lives in battle.  To them, we will forever be grateful.

But on a lighter note, which we could all use these days, it’s also a natural time to revel in other memories as well.  And during the most prolonged and uncertain offseason in the history of Texas Tech athletics, the memories of past games and experiences are all we have to get us through until live games return.

That’s why documentaries like The Last Dance have been so popular this spring.  It’s also why viewership of classic games has become an essential part of our free time as we try to fill the void of no live sports in any way we can.

So on a holiday when we should all take time to reflect on the memories of those who have given so much for us, let’s also take some time for some lighter reflections and think back to our favorite in-person moments as Texas Tech basketball fans.  I’d love to hear on social media what yours are and I hope you enjoy reliving my most cherished moments as a Texas Tech basketball fan.