Our story began in July of 2013 in Chicago, IL. Basketball has introduced me to some special people and this was no exception. Shannon and I were recruiting at an event, and I happened to run into her outside of the host hotel. We introduced ourselves and walked across the street to get something to eat together at a food court in the mall (she is definitely a fan of the mall). After having lunch together that day, our chance meeting grew quickly into a friendship...and it has grown every day since. THE LORD DOESN’T MAKE MISTAKES...

If you know Shannon, you know that I couldn’t just “pop the question.” She let me know a long time ago that getting down on one knee to Jagged Edge’s “Let’s Get Married” was not an option so I knew I had to step my game up to create a truly memorable moment. I considered proposing at halftime of one of her games, but even though we have public careers, we're both pretty private people, so proposing in front of 1000’s of people may have been a bit impersonal. After eliciting help from Tasha, Shannon’s Matron of Honor and the UCLA Women’s Basketball Staff, I devised a plan: propose to her at center court of Pauley Pavilion in front of her family and friends. It sounds simple, but the execution was not! Surprising Shannon wasn’t easy. She’s observant, intuitive and basically nosy! I had to get to LA without her knowing, have her family and coworkers to keep the plans a secret and needed someone to get Shannon to center court and dressed up on an off day from practice. I left the last detail to the staff and they came up with a genius idea/lie: they organized a fake photoshoot under the guise of a naming ceremony with donors. Genius!

While Shannon was participating in the “fake” photo shoot, her family and I were hidden in a side room adjacent to the court with the UCLA mascots, Joe and Josephine Bruin. As the photoshoot was happening, the team was escorted to the court to “meet with the donors” and before you know it, it was GO time. With speech in my head, love in my heart, and ring in my pocket, I was ready. Joe and Josephine led the way to the court hand-in-hand. Shannon’s family walked to the sideline and I walked to center court. As Charlie Wilson’s song “Chills” began to play, Shannon was left alone at center court. Joe and Josephine separated and Shannon could see me approaching. Her hands covered her face in joyous anticipation. I gave her a hug, looked into her eyes and quoted Proverbs 18:22 “He who finds a wife finds a good thing, and obtains favor from the Lord.” I assured her she was my good thing, dropped to one knee, pulled the ring out of my pocket and asked for her hand in marriage. She said yes (thank goodness) and we embraced. Her players rushed the floor, picked her up and celebrated her like she hit the game winning shot of the Championship. There were no TV cameras, cheerleaders or fans in the stands, but it sure felt like #1 on Sports Center’s Top 10. The smiles and tears of joy from the players were priceless! We will never forget this moment, and we can't wait to create more memories. Thank you to everyone that help make our engagement so special!