It’s not always easy to accept the “I could’ve won the title” mentality. In fact, in most cases, losing a championship brings tears, emotional meltdowns, and a lot of self-doubt. Walking out of the Paycom Center, TJ McConnell felt the harsh reality of “I could be.” He sat on the sideline, in tears, didn’t even care to hide them at one point. And while walking through the tunnel, with the media behind him, the 33-year-old veteran guard broke down.
But then, a pair of hands came to his rescue. A blonde woman, who hugged the Indiana Pacers star, tried her best to keep the cameraperson at bay. Was it his mum, turning on the protective mode for a devastated son? The simple answer is:
“That’s not my mom.” TJ McConnell finally crashed the myth to The Player Tribune. McConnell left every ounce of himself on that hardwood in Game 7, but fate had other plans. As heartbreak hit, tears flowed. And just when the tunnel became his one escape, in stormed a cameraman hungry for the shot. But ‘Mama McConnell’ spun around like a storm with purpose. Fierce and fiery, she threw her arm out and roared, “Stop. Stop! Take it off!” Speaking of the moment, the guard shared the real identity of the person in question.
“I’m crying my eyes out as I’m walking off the court, and one of the TV camera guys is following me through the tunnel. And you can see this woman just kind of notice the camera guy — immediately block him from me — and then motion at him like, SIR. SIR, DO NOT TAKE ANOTHER STEP. LEAVE T.J. ALONE,” he shared. “I think it must have been the way she seemed so protective of me … but people assumed it was my mom. So then, of course, the clip got shared all over social media, with millions of views and these captions like, “T.J. MCCONNELL’S MOM DOES NOT PLAY.” Yeah. Lol. Not my mom.”
Then who is it? “Karen Atkeson — our VP of Player Relations with the Pacers.”
This is a developing story…
The post TJ McConnell Fact Checks Viral NBA Finals Moment as True Identity of Mystery Woman Revealed appeared first on EssentiallySports.
