Post 1: The Rise of a Star
“The Tip-Off”
Mike’s story began on the basketball court, but his journey was far deeper than stats and scores. Born in 1959, his first “pivot” came at Masuk High School, where he stood out, both as a player and always seemed to be the youngest guy.
At just 16, he graduated early and continued his meteoric rise at Duke University. His sharp mind wasn’t just for playbooks—he graduated with honors, his Duke jersey retired in recognition of his contribution to the team. He was definitely not the typical jock.
The NBA draft called, and Mike answered, stepping into the pros as a first-round draft pick. For 14 years, he played for iconic teams: the Nets, 76ers, Charlotte Hornets, and Bucks. In 1994, after a long “full-court press” in the NBA, he took his shot at retirement, transitioning into a career in broadcasting.
For Mike, it seemed like he was leading by 20 points at halftime—the game of life well in hand.
But as we know, basketball is full of unexpected “turnovers,” and Mike’s story was just getting started.
(Next up: What happens when life throws a curveball just as you’re cruising?)
Look at those banners of Everyday Legends.
Mike Gminski and Ann Odoy were among those that I most admired when I was playing in this gym.
Here I am flanked by Mike and Coach Strong. 🫶🏻
I didn’t choose Mike, Mike chose me!
It’s hard to describe the awe I felt as a girl playing basketball at Masuk High School in Monroe, CT. Every damn practice, I’d look up at Mike’s banners, knowing he was already killing it in the NBA while I was in the corner with the damn rebound machine! We had the same mentor, Coach Dave Strong, who I’ve actually painted earlier this year.
Fast forward to last October, we all got together for something special. Both Mike and Coach were being inducted into the Masuk High School Hall of Fame. It was an honor to be part of that, not just for the ceremony, but for the chance to spend a few days with Coach and his incredible wife, Mary Jane. We spent time driving around town, checking out the homes we grew up in, and revisiting Masuk. It felt weird as hell seeing how small the hallways and lockers seemed compared to 20 years ago, but I still recognized some faces. When you come from a tight-knit place, people tend to stick around—even if I didn’t.
I wasn’t being inducted, but I was ecstatic about going to support the people I love. Plus, I had another agenda—a photoshoot with a couple of my favorite hands but Mike wasn’t one of them.
Over those four days, we talked about everything—our history, our work, and all the memories in between. But the real curveball? Mike straight-up asked me if I’d paint him. I thought, “You’re a little young to be one of my models, dude,” but I took the photo anyway, not knowing what the hell I was going to do with it.
This piece has been kicking my ass ever since. The photography wasn’t great because I rushed it, and yeah, I was nervous. He’s still a legend to me, after all. My paintings are twice life-size, and trying to capture his whole arm and hand—this guy’s nearly 7 feet tall—felt impossible. I knew this was going to be way bigger (and pricier) than I usually aim for, but it’s worth it.
So far, I’ve clocked over 20 hours just on the prep, and I haven’t even put brush to canvas yet. But that’s part of the ride—the grind, the anticipation, and the connection that makes it all worth it.
Strong Hands
My painting of Coach Dave Strong from January 2024.
These hands positively effected so many lives during his tenure as coach at Masuk High School.
About the Painting
This painting will have 3 completely different layers. I have cut out the different layers and in the video above, I have tried to show you the panel layers comparatively to the mock up image that I will use as a “go by” for the painting.
My personal world will keep me from really getting started on this work for a bit. It’s now time for me to start preparations to move to the Texas studio around October 15th. I do plan to travel and paint as I usually do and document this as I go so I can share it with you. I think that this painting will take me 6-7 weeks. I have created a progressive pricing schedule to reflect that time frame.
If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to add them below. I am pretty new to this blog thing but I would love to hear from you.
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By being a paid subscriber here, you have the opportunity to collect this work before it’s complete, at a price with a HUGE reward. I will progressively increase the price of this work as I tell the story and complete more of the painting. IF you collect early, the painting will still be completed and the story will still be told, but you get to call it “Yours”. You will be the ONLY person to call it “Yours”.
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