I had an "In" as a young kid, and met many that I couldn't appreciate fully until later in life - Meadowlark Lemon, Curly Neal, Moses Malone, Clyde Frazier, and baseball ump Frank Pulli were my favorites. Once at 13 or 14, I even had my picture taken at the table at the Phila, Spectrum before a game with famed NBA referee Mendy Rudolph. Who knew?
As for now....well, I've met and shook hands with the last three Presidents (not sports related, but I am honored in that regard).