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Today we welcome Gina Tucker mom of Terry Rozier III of the Charlotte Hornets. Their story is a difficult one. When Terry was young his father was imprisoned and he was sent to live with his grandmother. Gina shares the stories that shaped his life and gave him the will to succeed. Drafted 16th overall by the Celtics we talk about what it takes to make it to the NBA.  Gina shares her gratitude for where life has taken Terry recognizing how different things could have been for her son and how basketball saved him.

Fred VanVleet heard three words from his agent on the night he went undrafted - “Bet on Yourself”. We are excited to welcome our first Toronto Raptor mom, Susan Danforth, who tells us Fred’s story and how these three words helped motivate him to where he is today and why this is only the beginning.

From his early days and the tragedies he faced as a young child, losing his dad at age 5, to the night of June 13 2019 when the Raptors won the NBA championship, Sue shares what it’s been like raising her son and how he has overcome the many challenges and obstacles thrown his way on the road to victory.

After a great NCAA showing, Fred declared for the 2016 draft. Sue takes us through that experience, how they coped when he went undrafted and how they went from that night to the signing of a two-year contract with Toronto Raptors and then in 2018 signing a second two year contract worth $18 million.

Wendy and Sue relive the Raptors 2019 playoff run, Fred’s incredible performance off the bench and how his superstitions kept his family away from the final game of the season when the Raptors won the championship.

Our podcast wraps up with Wendy and Sue sharing their views on the impact of the Black Lives Movement and COVID19 on the resumption of the NBA season and on both of their sons. Tune in for a great episode to kick off our new season.

Host Wendy sparks reflects on how Court-side Moms was started, the friendships she has made along the way, what it means to be the mother of two young black men, and the importance of “Black Lives Matter” in this in depth and personal season finale.

(PART 2) When her son was baptized, Iris James remembers something miraculous happened and she had a feeling that he was destined to do something special. Evan Turner, small forward with the Minnesota Timberwolves, certainly fulfilled that prophecy and today Evan’s mom, Iris, joins us to talk about him and his incredible journey.

As a young child Evan faced many health issues. He fought back, worked hard and persevered and in his junior year at Ohio State he won every national player of the year award on his way to the NBA and stardom.

Iris talks about the experiences she’s shared with her son including the many accolades he’s been awarded, the excitement of draft night, his first NBA game on his 22 birthday, and the Rising Stars Game at the NBA All Star weekend in his rookie year.

As well, she gives her thoughts on coping with the many critics that come with the fame and some advice for other moms of elite athletes.

Iris is a fascinating woman and she ends our podcast telling us about her hopes for the future and the new organization she’s started “Woman Orchestrating Wealth – WOW” to help women recognize their strengths and become who they want to be. We loved having her and we know you will love hearing her story.