Dunk On Cancer with Kevin O'Connor

This NBA postseason has been overshadowed by real life, but even in the worst of times, basketball can be a comfort. Cancer has impacted my family this year, as it will for many of us at some point in our lives. After sharing my family’s story on The Ringer, the response was overwhelming with so many people offering support and sharing their own stories. It warmed our hearts and inspired me to turn a personal negative into a positive for others.

Let’s Dunk On Cancer during the NBA Finals: Join me by pledging for every dunk recorded during the Finals between the Warriors and Raptors or by making a one-time donation, and together, we can help fund life-saving research and treatment. Funds will benefit the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston.

Watching the Boston Celtics with my dad is one of my favorite pastimes. In March, we attended the Celtics-Spurs game at TD Garden and sat closer to the floor than we ever had before. My dad’s been bringing me to games since I was 10 years old, and we reminisced all night. The high fives and the hugs. The shouting and the screaming. The nosebleed seats. The mission to find a spot in the lower bowl. The trips home, when we packed like sardines on crowded train cars that smelled like sweat and beer. The greeting we’d get from Mom as soon as we got back. The requests at family Christmas parties to watch basketball instead of A Christmas Story. The nights we’d watch from home rooting for contending, pretending, and tanking Celtics teams over the years, and loving it no matter the result. All that really mattered was watching it together.

On March 26, my parents and I crammed into a hospital room to listen to a doctor explain that my dad has incurable stage 4 cancer that’s so advanced it was initially difficult to pinpoint its origin. There’s cancer in his bile ducts. There’s cancer in his liver. There’s cancer in his lungs. There’s cancer in his lymph nodes. The next six weeks were filled with painful procedures, and in early May, he could finally begin receiving chemotherapy. Chemicals now get pumped into his body to help alleviate his pain—and give him a chance for a miracle recovery.

Even though my dad has a deadly disease, I feel fortunate. Through all the tears, the overwhelming feeling is that of thankfulness to have had such a truly awesome father in my life who’s constantly pushed me throughout my life to pursue my dreams, and a loving husband to the best mother I could have ever asked for. How many children never have a parent? How many families simply never connect? Nobody imagines cancer will end it all, but nobody is exempt from life itself. There were an estimated 18 million new cancer cases worldwide in 2018 and 9.6 million total deaths. My dad is just one of many people who have been hit by this disease.

That’s why I’m using the spotlight of the NBA Finals to raise vital funding for cancer research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. This campaign goes beyond basketball. It’s about giving to help those who truly need our support. And funding research that can help save lives. You can make a flat donation or donate per dunk in the NBA Finals—there are an expected 10 dunks per game, based on season numbers by the Raptors and Warriors. That means each time Kawhi Leonard or Pascal Siakam, or Draymond Green or Andre Iguodala throws down a dunk, it’ll have an extra special meaning. Any amount, no matter how small or large, truly helps—and if you can’t make a donation but feel inspired, please show your support by sharing the campaign on social media. Thank you so much.

Excerpt from my story on The Ringer, The Celtics, My Father, And Me: