Sports Illustrated?

[Topps206]

I've been tired and busy, so now I've got a chance to share my pickups from graphing NBA Crossover on Sunday.

You had to download the NBA Events App, and they'd give the schedule of who was appearing each day. I saw Dominique Wilkins was appearing Sunday and knew I had to go, having randomly bought his SI from eBay last year in anticipation of one day getting it signed. Little did I know it was going to be this past weekend at Crossover in Indy.

Then I saw Bill Walton was appearing on Friday and was bummed out, but what do you know? I saw on Friday he got added for all three days. So, I scurried over to my nearby card shop, where a bunch of SIs are available for sale, and I picked one of his covers up for $5.00.

The only thing it cost me was $35 for an adult admission ticket, with autographs being absolutely free.

If I had my choice of Walton covers to get signed, I can't say it'd be my first choice, but it certainly does the job and I like it a lot to get it signed for free by a legend.

Wilkins, I was very happy to finally add his cover.

I had a blast shooting hoops at different stations, got my picture taken with the Larry O'Brien Trophy (and I'm fortunate to have had my photo taken with all four trophies from the four major North American sports leagues in my lifetime), took a picture of myself inside the Hoosier bus next to a cardboard cutout of Gene Hackman and also with life sized bobbleheads of Tamika Catchings and Reggie Miller.

It was a blast, way more fun than I would've had just paying for these at a show. I'd reckon I saved a good $90-$100 on Sunday by going.

I'm not sure what could top an experience like that as a collector and fan - maybe if Michael Jordan knocked on my door, gave me all 50 of his SI covers and signed them all for free right before my very eyes, something that wouldn't happen in a million years. But it would take a lot to beat the experience I had Sunday. I'm not sure I'll ever cease to smile thinking about that.