It’s no secret I’m a huge Kentucky Wildcats basketball fan. So it’s not a surprise that I watched part of the 2012 NBA draft on TV last Thursday evening as UK set two new records by being the first team in NBA history to have two players selected with the first and second picks in the draft and by being the first team in common draft era to have six players drafted in the same draft. UK also set a record by having 14 players drafted in the past three years…that’s the most players from one school ever drafted in a three year period.

As a UK fan, that was exciting to watch. But it was not the highlight of the draft for me. That happened early in the second round when Bernard James from Florida State was selected with the 33rd pick by the Cleveland Cavaliers. I actually got a little emotional as the room where the draft was being held erupted in applause and chants of USA rang out as he made his way to the stage.

Two things made this a special moment: his age and his background. James is a military veteran, having completed a six-year term in the United States Air Force. He enlisted when he was 17 years old and rose to the rank of staff sergeant. He served three tours in Iraq, Afghanistan and Qatar.

In Iraq, he guarded thousands of detainees at Camp Bucca. In Qatar, he secured buildings and airplanes. In Afghanistan, he worked as military law enforcement. He once had a 40-millimeter round land 90 feet away from him, killing six detainees and wounding many more.

Growing up, James never envisioned himself as a future NBA player. Despite being one of the tallest kids in his grade, he didn’t play basketball in middle school or high school. Instead, he wanted to follow in the footsteps of his father Darryl, who served 15 years in the Army and seven years in the Air Force.

After the Air Force, Bernard James played four years of college basketball and is now 27 years old. That makes him the oldest college player drafted in nearly three decades.

Very few people are able to begin a professional basketball career at his age. Even fewer do so having already served in the military.

I hope Bernard James has a successful career in the NBA. He deserves it.

This July 4th I hope you will join me in praying for God’s blessings to cover the lives of all who serve in our nation’s armed forces, as well as praying for those who are now home and looking for work. Like Bernard James, they too have dreams and deserve both our appreciation and our prayers.

Pastor Steve Hogg