Former All-American UK Basketball Player Melvin Turpin Commits Suicide
In Kentucky UK players are practically royalty. We are very passionate about our Cats. Turpin's NBA career may not have been as stellar as his college run, but he was still highly revered. What would make a man so well respected take a gun out and shoot himself today? The road from 1981 to 2010 obviously was not paved for him.
As Kentucky fans sit in shock trying to absorb this very sad news, I wonder about the man behind the uniform. The man that had an impact on people that he apparently couldn't see. He was one of my Mother's favorite players. When I got a job at Kmart and was assigned employee number 54 Mom quickly pointed out that was Turpin's number. Seven years after Melvin Turpin stepped onto the floor at Rupp Arena my Mom still remember his number.
The loss of Melvin Turpin should give us all pause. His life went from being a dream to unbearable. He is evidence that we don't always see in ourselves what others do. Turpin looked in the mirror and saw a broken man. Kentucky fans looked up and saw a legendary man. Both sets of twin towers, the buildings in New York and the players in Kentucky, make the point that no matter how beautiful they are on the outside; it's how we withstand the fires of life inside that causes us to stand tall or return to dust.
Sources
http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=wkyt+27+news+first&ei=utf-8&fr=chr-yie8
Published by Joan Graves
Joan Graves is a Kentucky based freelance writer. Her work has been featured in various newspapers and magazines. She is often sought out for her common sense approach to parenting and education. She and her... View profile
- Who Will Be the Next Head Basketball Coach at the University of Kentucky?Gillispie is out. Who will follow at the University of Kentucky
- Review of the University of Kentucky in Lexington, Kentucky The University of Kentucky is known nationally for its Kentucky Wildcats basketball program. But for the thousands of students who go to the school and don't play basketball, it still delivers a solid college experi...
University of Kentucky Vs. University of Louisville Men's College Football The rivalry between Kentucky and Louisville is bigger than ever. On Saturday, September 19 at noon the two teams face off in Lexington at Commonwealth Stadium. Catch the game...- College Living: University of KentuckyWhy is Lexington, Kentucky the best town for students? The big city combined with a small town is only one of the reasons college life here is so good!
- Billy Gillispie is Reportedly Out at the University of KentuckyIt is reported that Billy Gillispie is out at UK after just two seasons at the school.
- Believe it or Not, Most University of Kentucky Fans Truly Do Respect Coach Tubby S...
- Why Tubby Smith is Leaving the University of Kentucky
- John Calipari: University of Kentucky's Wildcats Basketball New Coach
- Patrick Patterson Goes with University of Kentucky
- 2007 UK Football Best in Years
- Best University of Kentucky Basketball MySpace Layouts
- University of Kentucky Men's Basketball Schedule Announced
2 Comments
Post a CommentI never had suicidal ideations prior to vagus nerve stimulation therapy. I just didn't want to live. There is a subtle difference. We all know the difference between not wanting to live and actually committing suicide.
very sad