Musings On Finding Love at the Jersey Shore, Obi Toppin, and the Importance of Timing

Over his past eight starts, Obi Toppin is averaging 25.2 points (on 57.7% shooting), 4.5 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 3.7 made three-pointers. AVERAGING.

Okay, let me quickly tell you guys the story of how I met my wife (betcha didn't think I'd start there today!?)...

It was August 24, 2008, a Saturday. I remember the date because that was the night Team USA's "Redeem Team," led by Kobe, LeBron, D Wade Melo etc., beat Spain to capture the gold medal in the 2008 Olympics. 

My best friend Ryan and I wanted to watch the game together, but he planned to head out to Jersey to visit his folks that weekend. So, we decided I'd meet up with him at his parents' place early that afternoon, and we'd hang out on the Jersey Shore that evening before making it back to the house to catch the game (The Olympics were in Beijing, so the match didn't tip-off until after midnight EST). 

Mind you; I had never been to the Jersey Shore in my entire life. I'm not a beach guy or a "cool club guy," so I never had much interest in the whole scene. But, hey, we were two single dudes in their late 20s who had thoroughly enjoyed the antics of Pauly D, Snookie and The Situation, so why not have some fun?

Ry knows his way around that neck of the woods and tells me that the first place we're going is "The Osprey," a well-known spot in Manasquan. We pull up and get on line outside at around 10 pm. There are like 50 people in front of us, so we are contemplating whether it's worth it to wait in the queue or head somewhere else. 

At that exact moment, two super-cute girls walk up right behind us and join the line. After a minute or so, I mustered up the courage to ask the short brunette: "Is this place cool - is it worth waiting all this time for?"  

Three hours later, that short brunette and I are arm-in-arm, posing for pictures at the bar. Ry and I ended up missing most of the game, but I didn't give a shit. I was smitten, already falling head over heels for the most beautiful, charming girl I'd ever spoken to in my entire life. 

Yes, this picture was taken inside The Osprey on the night Alisa and I met

We exchanged numbers before heading out, and she called me the following afternoon as I was about to enter the Lincoln Tunnel on my way home.

Three years later, we got engaged. The following August, we got married. A few Augusts after that, we welcomed our daughter into the world.

The preposterous part of the story is that if I had to stop at one more red light on the way to The Osprey, or if Alisa had to tie her shoe on the way to the bar that night, we wouldn't have been in line next to each other that night. And if we never met, Emmie and little Tommy would have never been born, and on and on and on… So many life-altering events that would impact so many different lives resulting from one chance meeting outside a club on the Jersey Shore. 

This is the birth announcement we sent to family and friends in the Spring of 2015

So, you might be asking yourself, "What could this love story have to do with the New York Knicks or their 138-129 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night?" 

Well, the moral of the story is that so much of life depends on circumstances beyond your control, such as being in the right place at the right time. 

That's what I was thinking about last night while watching Obi Toppin erupt for a season-high 32 points in the Knicks win.

There's an alternate universe out there in which the Cavs (who were reportedly very high on Obi coming out of Dayton) select Toppin in the 2020 draft instead of Isaac Okoro.

What happens over the first three years of Obi's NBA career if he goes to Cleveland instead of New York, where he's been forced to sit and watch NY's starting power forward, Julius Randle, establish himself as an All-NBA player under head coach Tom Thibodeau?

What happens if the Bulls take Toppin instead of Patrick Williams? Or if Obi ends up on a rebuilding Pistons team (Detroit had the 7th pick, one ahead of NY in 2020) alongside Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey? 

Would Toppin be on the verge of stardom if he'd been given an opportunity to play consistent minutes? Who knows. I'm just saying it's a fascinating question to ponder. One I'm sure Obi and his family/friends have wondered about. 

Isaac Okoro, despite a very limited offensive game (he's averaging 6.4 PPG this season), has started 174 games over his first three seasons with the Cavs.

Saddiq Bey, a forward selected with the 19th overall pick in the 2020 draft, averaged 30 minutes a night and started 165 games for Detroit over his first 2.5 years in the league. Killian Hayes, the player the Pistons selected one spot ahead of Toppin, has 112 starts under his belt (despite shooting 37% from the floor and 27% from downtown in his disappointing career).   

Twelve players in Toppin's draft class have started more than 100 games. A total of 19 2020 draftees have made more than 50 career starts, including Aleksej Pokusevski (65 starts), Théo Maledon (61) and Kenyon Martin Jr. (57).

Last night, Obi Toppin (the 2020 NCAA Player of the Year) started an NBA game for just the 13th time in his life. 

Toppin finished the contest with 32 points, three rebounds, six assists, and five 3-pointers. He converted 11 of his 18 FG attempts and was a perfect 5-of-5 from the foul line.

Over his past eight starts, dating back to last April, Obi is averaging 25.2 points (on 57.7% shooting), 4.5 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 3.7 made three-pointers.