Alabama Basketball: When the Game is More than a Game

Sometimes a game is more than a game. Sometimes the game is just a platform for something much greater than itself.

The Alabama men’s basketball team will march into Madison Square Garden Thursday night to meet the Oregon State Beavers in the opening round of the 2012 2K Sports Classic, an event which benefits the Wounded Warrior Project.

“I think for our players, it’s a great learning lesson to just get a chance to experience the privilege that we have to be involved in a sport, to play a game, and to know that we have great heroes out there that are protecting our safety, our way of life, and are willing to put their lives on the line” Alabama head coach Anthony Grant said.

Each day some of those heroes serving overseas return home, unable to resume their lives as they once knew because of injuries suffered in battle. The Wounded Warrior Project serves those individuals, providing unique, direct programs and services those individuals need to get back to living a normal life.

However, this will not be the first time Grant and the Crimson Tide have been made aware of the Wounded Warrior Project.  The first two games of the season in Tuscaloosa, wins over South Dakota State and West Alabama, were part of the regional qualifying round for the 2k Sports Classic.

During those first two games, the Tide were joined be a veteran and saw firsthand what the Wounded Warrior Project is all about.

“Having Bradley Ford here for the weekend, I think, really hit home for our guys” Grant added. “I think myself, our coaches and our players certainly got a lot out of that.”

Thursday’s contest begins at 6pm and can be heard locally on Tuscaloosa’s Sports Authority 99.1 WDGM.

If you would like to find out more information about the Wounded Warrior Project, please visit www.woundedwarriorproject.org.