Shawn Marion - NBA (Suns, Mavericks, Heat, Raptors, Cavaliers)

1) Shawn Marion is a former NBA star small forward/ shooting guard/ power forward who played for the Phoenix Suns, Miami Heat, Toronto Raptors, Dallas Mavericks, and Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association. 

2) Marion began his collegiate career at Vincennes University (a junior college in Indiana) where he garnered 2nd team All-American and 1st team All-American honors as a freshman and sophomore. Following his sophomore year, Shawn attended the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV) for one season (1998-99)  before getting drafted 9th overall by the Phoenix Suns in 1999 NBA Draft.

3) Shawn Marion finished up his illustrious 16 year NBA career with 4 NBA All-Star selections, he was named All-NBA 3rd team two times ('05, '06), and finished his 2011 season on top with an NBA Championship in which his Dallas Mavericks defeated the Lebron James and Dwyane Wade led Miami Heat in six games.

Jordan: What brand of shoes were your favorite to wear when playing in the NBA?

Shawn Marion: NIKE

Jordan's Follow Up: That's cool because Nike is what I rep. I almost always wear Nike.

Andrew Bernstein / Getty Images

Danny: What is your favorite NBA memory?

Shawn Marion: I have lots of great memories. Not just one. Getting drafted was a great one as I started my career in the NBA. But also winning the championship and the All-Stars, I've got a lot of them.

Danny's Follow Up: Winning the championship sounds awesome. It would be pretty cool to be an All-Star too because it means you are one of the best players in the league.

The Vincent family was all over Chicago during the weekend of February 15-17th as the NBA held their All-Star festivities in Chicago for the first time in over 30 years. Our team decided we would try to take advantage of all of the amazing opportunities for fans to take part in while the NBA was in our city. Our first stop of the day was the AT&T flagship store on Michigan Avenue where we knew Shawn would be attending later that afternoon. After trying out all of their interactive photo and game opportunities we made our way back to meet The Matrix!

It was 2:30 pm and Shawn was right on time. He greeted all four of us with a hand shake and asked both Jordan and Danny for their names. Jordan jumped in right away with his shoe question and Danny followed by asking about his favorite NBA memory. With 16 years in the league, it's understandable that so many moments stand out to Shawn. My boys are up to date on nearly every current NBA star in the league and many legends but it was fun to catch them up on the career of Shawn Marion on our way into the city. I told them that he was born in Waukegan (just 20 minutes from us in Mundelein) and turned himself into a tremendous NBA player. From his run and gun days with the high speed Phoenix Suns to the unforgettable late comebacks in the fourth quarters of the Finals against the Heat, Marion got to be a part of it all in his time in the league.  

Big thanks to Shawn for giving our team a special experience and spending his time meeting with fans in Chicago during All-Star weekend! 

Derrick Jones Jr. - Miami Heat

1) Derrick Jones Jr. is a small forward/ shooting guard for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association. 

2) Derrick attended the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV) for one season (2015-16) before leaving to play professional basketball.

3) Jones Jr. won the 2020 NBA Slam Dunk Contest after an incredible head to head matchup with Aaron Gordon that went to overtime dunks. Derrick came out on top with his final dunk (windmill dunk just inside the free throw line) scoring a 48 with Gordon's dunk receiving 47 points. 

Photo credit Eddy Matchette / Getty Images

C: What was your favorite dunk of the night?

Derrick Joes Jr.: All of my dunks (were my favorite)

C's Follow Up: All of Derrick's dunks were special on All-Star Saturday night. My favorite Jones Jr. dunk was through the leg dunks over two people. 

Photo credit Nam Y. Huh / Associated Press

Jen: How did you celebrate your big win last night (Saturday)?

Derrick Jones Jr.: I went out and had dinner with my family.

Jen's Follow Up: That seems like a great way to celebrate. Derrick was a really nice guy.

What a crazy experience it was to meet the AT&T Dunk Contest Champion just 14 hours after he won his title in one of the most epic dunk contests of all time. Jen and I had made our way back to the city (my 3rd time in a row) to take in more all-star weekend festivities and ultimately end up at the all-star game on Sunday evening. While sitting in the coffee shop AT&T posted that Derrick would be making his return the flagship store and it was an opportunity we couldn't pass up.

Derrick was as advertised when he arrived at the store. He was a humble guy but at the same time knew he was worthy and deserving of the trophy that was on display next to him. On All-Star Saturday Night, our family was all eyes on the dunk contest and we couldn't have been more impressed with each and every one of Derrick's dunks. He said they were all his favorite and I understand how it would be tough to single one out. One thing that is for certain is that Derrick has some serious bounce and I know our team hope that he enters one more time next year to defend his title. Thanks to Derrick for his time and to AT&T for the once in a lifetime opportunity to meet the champ just hours after his win.

Fred VanVleet - Toronto Raptors

1) Fred VanVleet (#23) is a point guard for the 2019 NBA World Champion Toronto Raptors of the National Basketball Association.

2) Fred was signed by the Toronto Raptors as an undrafted free agent in 2016 after a stellar career at Wichita State University. He made a Final Four appearance as a freshman, played a major role on the 2013-14 team that finished the regular season undefeated, and was the Missouri Valley Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year as a sophomore and senior.

3) Rockford, Illinois' own VanVleet finished out his third NBA season as an NBA champion as his Toronto Raptors defeated the reigning champion Golden State Warriors in the Finals 4-2. Fred scored 22 points on five three pointers to help the Raptors win their first championship in team history.

Photo credit / Getty Images 

D: What are your favorite fruits and vegetables?

FV: I like asparagus and watermelon. What do you like? (D: I like honeydew and carrots.) I like carrots too. 

D's Follow Up: I always pick carrots when they are a choice for me at lunch at school. They are probably my favorite veggie with broccoli. I don't think I like asparagus very much but watermelon is so good. Honeydew is my favorite fruit though.

J: Who was your favorite basketball player growing up?

FV: Kobe (Bryant)

J's Follow Up: Kobe is in my top five players of all time. I love Kobe but I have Michael Jordan as my number one and Lebron James is my second favorite. Kobe is awesome though it's one of my favorite jerseys I have.

Fred VanVleet recently hosted his basketball camp in Rockford, IL on July 13th and 14th and Jordan was excited to meet Fred and learn from the NBA world champion. I grew up just minutes away from Rockford in Machesney Park, IL and I have loved following Fred's career from Auburn High School, to Wichita State University and now in Toronto on his quest to becoming a world champion. The whole family was excited to come in to spend the weekend in RockFred and see the big impact he is having on his community.

Camp took place at the UW Sports Factory and the place was filled with FVV logos, larger than life banners with Fred holding the Larry O' Brien trophy, and hundreds of young athletes excited to learn from Fred and his coaches. Fred even requested the trophy be present at his camp and everyone in attendance had the opportunity to pose with it. Jordan had a good time and we loved being a part of the experience with him. It was a tremendous weekend for the family and we wish Fred well next season and we plan on being back for the Fan Fest and Camp. Congrats to Fred for everything that continues to come his way! #BetOnYourself #RockFred #FredVanVleet #RockfordsOwn

Photo credit / Getty Images TNS

Dennis Rodman - Chicago Bulls

1) Dennis Rodman is a retired professional basketball player who played for the Chicago Bulls, Detroit Pistons, San Antonio Spurs, Los Angeles Lakers, and the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA.

2) Dennis was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2011 and finished out his NBA career with 5 NBA championships (2 with the Detroit Pistons and 3 with the Chicago Bulls) and led the league in rebounding for an astounding seven seasons in a row from 1992-1998.

3) Dennis Rodman is know as "The Worm," a nickname given to him by his mother as he twisted and turned like a worm while playing pinball as a child.

J: What is your favorite memory of your time with the Chicago Bulls?

Dennis Rodman: Probably winning the three championships with the Bulls.

J's Follow Up: I don't think there's anything better than that. Winning a championship is a special thing that doesn't happen often. I bet playing for the Bulls was his favorite.

Photo credit Nathaniel S. Butler/ Getty Images

J: What was your favorite part about becoming a professional wrestler?

Dennis Rodman: Wrestling with Hulk Hogan against the Macho Man at Sturgis. That was fun.

J's Follow Up: That sounds fun. I'm gonna try and see if I can find a way to watch it. I like Macho Man for sure and I'd like to meet Hulk Hogan and ask him if he remembers wrestling in that match.

D: Who is the toughest player you've ever played against?

Dennis Rodman: Probably Shaquille O'Neal.

D's Follow Up: Shaq is a really big guy and he was really good at basketball. He blocked shots and dunked a lot.

D: Did this move hurt when you saved the ball?

Dennis Rodman: No, that didn't hurt. I practiced that move a lot in practice, so no it didn't hurt.

D's Follow Up: That would hurt me for sure. It looks like he was playing really hard.

On Sunday August 19th, we made the short trip to Hawthorn Mall in Vernon Hills to meet Hall of Fame basketball player Dennis "The Worm" Rodman. My Fan Cave, located on the lower level near JC Penney, hosted the signing with the NBA great and our entire family got to take part in the fun. There were over 100 in attendance to meet one of the greatest players to ever play the game.

We were ticket number three and we were VIP for the afternoon, which meant we got to take a posed picture and also receive an autograph from "The Worm." By basketball terms, Dennis was of average height at 6' 7", but when we came face to face, he was larger than life and towered over the four of us. Dennis was upbeat throughout the event and happy to answer the boys' questions. 

Danny was up first and forgot his original question...then the next time up Dennis asked him if he remembered his first question. The two laughed about it and we all thought it was a cool moment between them. Jordan loves wrestling and wanted to make sure he asked him about his time in the WCW. We recently watched his match against Karl Malone and Jordan was mesmerized. 

Of course, we were not surprised by his response when he said Shaq was the toughest player he ever played against. At 7' 1" and 326 pounds, Shaq was one of the most physically dominating and imposing players to ever play the game. It was always entertaining to watch the two of them go head to head.

It was a rare appearance in Chicago for Dennis and we were so fortunate to meet him so close to home. The '96, '97, and '98 Bulls were my favorite teams of all time and I'm grateful to have been there with my family to meet one of my favorite players of all time.

Doug McDermott - Dallas Mavericks

1) Doug McDermott is a small forward playing for the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA. He has also played for the New York Knicks, Oklahoma City Thunder and the Chicago Bulls.

2) McDermott attended Creighton University where he was a three time consensus All-American and ended his career as the fifth leading scorer in NCAA history. McDermott was named the National College Player of the Year in his senior season.

3) Doug was coached by his father, Greg McDermott, throughout his entire college career at Creighton University.

D: What is your favorite fruit and vegetable to eat?

DM: I love strawberries and oranges and for a vegetable I really like sweet potatoes.

D's Follow Up: I really like strawberries and oranges. Strawberries are my favorite. I like the sweet ones that taste like lollipops. I don't like sweet potatoes at all. I've tried them but they're not good.


J: What other sports are your favorite to play?

DM: I love to play golf and I was also a baseball player.

J's Follow Up: I'm a golfer and I love to golf too. Baseball is not really one of my favorite sports to play but I'll watch it sometimes. 

We met Doug McDermott in January of 2016 at the Sideline Marketing store in South Barrington when Doug was still a member of the Chicago Bulls. He spent the second half of last season with Russell Westbrook and the Oklahoma City Thunder and this year he was with New York Knicks before the trade deadline. He was recently traded to the Dallas Mavericks.

Jordan was excited to wear his #3 McDermott jersey to this signing that he got for Christmas and to meet one of his favorite Bulls players. Danny had just begun watching basketball and although he is a Warriors fan first, the Bulls come in second on his list of favorite teams and he was excited to meet his first NBA player. 

Doug did not disappoint and was excited to meet J and D and gave Jordan a compliment on his jersey. It was McDermott's second season in the NBA and there were not a ton of #3 Bulls jerseys with his name on them yet in the streets of Chicagoland. Doug signed for about an hour and met with about 100 fans on January 16th, 2016. 

The boys love to ask professional athletes about their favorite healthy foods and Doug mentioned strawberries and oranges were his top fruits. Those fruits happen to be our family's favorites as well and you can find them in our house nearly 365 days a year.

On the other hand, we only have one fan of sweet potatoes in the house and that is mom. The only time we see sweet potatoes is at Thanksgiving dinner or I will occasionally order up sweet potato french fries. 

Finally, Jordan asked Doug about other sports he loves to play. The three of us boys love to golf whenever we can. Jordan and Danny can play free at the Lake County courses all throughout spring, summer and fall and we like to take advantage of that perk. If Doug ever makes a return trip to Chicago, he is always welcome to join in with us! Although we wish Doug was still in a Bulls uniform, we wish him the best of luck in Dallas with the Mavericks.

Chicago Bulls - Denzel Valentine, Lauri Markkanen, Jerian Grant, Cristiano Felecio, Paul Zipser

1) Denzel Valentine, Lauri Markkanen, Jerian Grant, Cristiano Felecio and Paul Zipser are all members of the Chicago Bulls 2017-18 team.

2) As of 1/7/18, the Chicago Bulls have won 14 games and loss 26 but have been on the rise with a 7 game win streak and 3 game win streak just weeks ago.

3) The Chicago Bulls have won a total of six NBA championships (1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998) and have played basketball since 1966.

D: Who was your favorite basketball player growing up?

Jerian Grant: I was big fan of Tracy McGrady.

J: I know that Tracy McGrady was one of the best. My favorites are Michael Jordan, Dominique Wilkins and Paul George.

D: I don't know who Tracy McGrady is and I've never heard of him. My dad said he was good and played in the NBA when Kobe Bryant was playing. He said he's also a Hall of Fame player.

Lauri Markkanen - Lebron.

J: I think it's interesting because he grew up in Finland. Lebron is one of the best and most famous so I can see why he liked him.

D: Lebron is too good. He's close to being the best player in the NBA ever behind Michael Jordan.

Cristiano Felicio: Kevin Garnett.

J: Kevin Garnett is also one of my favorite players ever. Garnett is probably Felecio's height so I can see why he would like to be like Kevin Garnett.

D: Kevin Garnett is good at basketball and Felicio is good too so that's probably why he liked him.

Denzel Valentine: Lebron.  

J: Lebron does a lot of dunking and also shoots threes too. Denzel shoots a lot of threes like Lebron. Most people like Lebron because he's one of the best players today.

D: It seems like everybody likes Lebron James. My favorite player is Steph Curry and Lebron James is number five behind James Harden, Damian Lillard, Nikola Mirotic and Kriss Dunn too. Lebron is definitely one of the greatest though.

Paul Zipser: Lebron.

J: A lot of people like Lebron James but I'm more of a fan of Michael Jordan. He must have watched the NBA growing up in Germany to know about Lebron.

D: I'm sure Zipser liked Lebron because he is so good. He probably liked him because they play the same position too.

Thanks to our friend Chris Rhode (@crhode1), we had the experience of a lifetime as we sat in the 11th row center court at the Chicago Bulls vs. Portland Trailblazers game on January 1st. We couldn't think of a better way to ring in the new year than with our good friend watching the Bulls from the best seats we've ever been in.

Jordan and I have had a couple of opportunities to sit in 100 level seats in previous years, so we had a good idea of when to arrive at the stadium and where to stand to have a chance to meet the players as they run to and from the court before the game. It was also Danny's first ever Bulls game, so we were hoping he could see his heroes up close and personal and give him the best experience possible. Chris and I were nearby as multiple players stopped to sign autographs for the boys and Danny made sure to ask every player who their favorite player was growing up.

The favorite player named by most players was Lebron James. Considering the majority of the players on the team were in middle school and high school while Lebron was playing in Cleveland to start his career and then made it to 3 straight Finals appearances with the Miami Heat, it comes as little surprise to us that they all loved King James. Lebron was winning MVPs, making All-Star teams...trying to win titles : )...and was and still is the face of the NBA, so it's understandable that most young athletes would gravitate to Lebron James.

Unfortunately, on New Years Day, the Bulls lost in overtime to the Blazers but we had a great time and took advantage of the amazing seats we were given. We look forward to our next Bulls game, although it's more likely that the next one will have everyone's noses bleeding by the time we make it up to our seats. Thank you @crhode1 for a night we will never forget!