CHAMPAIGN – Driving near his Orlando home this week, retired from his 13 years in the NBA and understanding how life works, Nick Anderson’s heart ached for a man who was more like family than an assistant college basketball coach.
Anderson’s life changed when he met Jimmy Collins.
A 13-year-old freshman at Prosser, a vocational high school on Chicago’s north side, Anderson went through an early growth spurt. He was a big kid, already 6-foot-5, 230 pounds, and built in the shape of his father by the time Collins walked into that door at Prosser.
That’s nearly 40 years ago.
“I can go all the way back,’’ said Anderson. “He came to see me play as a freshman. I just remember him sitting in the stands. He had spoken with my coach and told him, I’ve come to see Nick Anderson.’’
Moments later, a big kid had caught Collins’ eye, so he asked a coach, just who is that kid?
That’s Nick Anderson.
“That was the first day he laid eyes on me,’’ Anderson said. “From that day on, me and coach had a special relationship. He’s special. He was like my second father.’’
