Adonal's Acknowledgements

by Adonal Foyle

When I announced my retirement, I didn't have a chance to thank anyone personally. That doesn't mean I have noone to thank for this journey. Nobody can come from a small Caribbean Island and have a 13-year career in the NBA without a whole lot of help.

I like to think of this as an ongoing quilt of people who have changed my life along the way. I know there will be some people that were omitted, but in no way does that mean they've made less of an impact in my life. So please forgive me if I have left you out, for this will likely become an increasingly comprehensive list by the time I am no longer on this earth.

I would like to thank the following:

My mother and father, Patricia and Hycenth Foyle for bringing me into this world. For my mom to allow me to simply take a journey with two perfect strangers and come to the United States, believing that I had a good spirit to know right from wrong and giving me the courage to take that leap of faith is evidently something that changed my life forever.

My brother Augustin Foyle and sisters Theresa Foyle and Marian Foyle.

Jay, Joan and John Mandle for taking me into their lives, becoming my legal guardians and adoptive brother and giving me the opportunity to come to the United States and giving me a home filled with people I could call my family for the last 20 years.

Ken Boyea for buying me a plane ticket and allowing me to come to the United States.

Prime Minister James S. Mitchell for bringing me up on the plane and getting me through JFK Airport.

The Cardinal O'Hara High School Community.

Coach Buddy Gardler for introducing me to basketball at Cardinal O'Hara High School.

Sister Brendan for teaching me English at Cardinal O'Hara.

The Hamilton (NY) High School Community.

Nan Washburn for teaching me how to write and make an argument.

Coach Tom Blackford for making my junior and senior years memorable by keeping all of the coaches away from me.

Gary Rider for teaching me how to write poetry by asking me to write one for the first time in my AP English class.

Devon Harvey for putting a basketball in my hands.

Lou and Lori Tribuani for allowing me to stay at their home during my first year in Philadelphia.

Charles Barkley for giving me clothes when I didn't have any.

Glenroy Jones for teaching me what a great basketball player looks like.

Sabrina Mitchell for spreading basketball throughout St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

Clifford Ray for teaching me basketball ... as well as stretching.

The late coach Jack Bruen for accepting me at Colgate and teaching me basketball.

Richard Sutter for teaching me big-man moves at Colgate.

William Hunter for allowing me to see how the union operates.

The Mauldin Family, Daisy Fernando, Jodie and Paul Kogut for showing me that basketball lovers and NBA players can become great friends.

Commissioner David Stern for helping extend the game of basketball into a global enterprise.

General Manager Otis Smith for showing me steady leadership and being an awesome mentor.

The Warriors' Raymond Ridder and the Magic's Joel Glass for teaching me about the importance of the media.

Ralph (and Tate) Barbieri, Tom Tolbert, Tim Roye, Irwin Soonachan, Jim Barnett and Bob Firtzgerald for showing me that media and players can become friends.

The Colgate Community.

Coleman Brown for teaching me how to think as a philosopher.

Peter Balakian for taking my poetry to another level.

Leila Phillips for teaching me how to write prose

Stephen Eriksen for guiding me for most of my career and being my right-hand man.

Shiyana Valentine for helping my dreams come true with the Kerosene Lamp Foundation and being a great friend.

Chris Navalta for helping me articulate words into action.

Strength and conditioning coaches Mark Grabow, Robert Sidbury, Joe Beacham, Elie Bennett and Joe Rogowski for helping keep my body together over the years.

Trainers Tom Abdenour, Tom Smith, Keon Weise and Andre Britton for forcing me to ice constantly.

All of my teammates at Colgate.

The Orlando Magic, Golden State Warriors... and Memphis Grizzlies Organization.

Agents Curtis Polk, Lon Babby and David Falk.

Bob Edgar of Common Cause for keeping me political.

All my coaches and staff with the Kerosene Lamp Foundation and my Athletics and Academics Basketball Camps for taking time away from their busy schedules to help empower youths in the Caribbean.

Friends Trieu Le, Doug Chiarello, John Felton, John Kirby, Leland Thompson, Darrin Thurman, Roy Byrd, Brian Walker.

Morlon Wiley for teaching me what retirement is like for the professional athlete.

Malcolm and Angela Kegel for their cooking and helping me stay healthy.

Gena Baldwin Thatcher, Daniel Ross, Harris Drucker and Michael Ripley for keeping my body in one piece.

And

My grandmother Faith Baptiste and Isla Baptiste for raising me to become the person that I am today.

- Adonal