The Truth Staff
Bishop Kelvin Ransey, former Macomber High School basketball star, Ohio State All American, first round draft pick for the NBA and six-year NBA player, returned to Toledo last week to preach in a revival and to hold a signing for his latest book. He also carved some time out of that busy schedule to speak to the students at Martin Luther King Jr. Academy for Boys about making the right choices even at their young ages.
“What you do now is going to determine how you make choices in the future – that’s my main message,” said Ransey to his rapt audience.
Ransey’s basketball journey was filled with challenges. In the 1970s, at Macomber, he faced local competitors such as Truman Claytor, Terry Crosby and Jim Leonard, game after game. He played more than well enough and was named to All-City and All-State teams in his final two years.
At Ohio State, he battled Magic Johnson and Isiah Thomas in the Big Ten and later held his own against NBA legends in the NBA during the 1980s – legends like Larry Bird and Julius “Dr J” Erving.
During his best year in the NBA, he averaged 16 points and seven assists, solid numbers indeed. But the NBA was never quite enough for him.
“I was grateful, but I always knew Basketball wasn’t the end-all,” he told The Truth several weeks ago. “Even when I was at the top of my game, I knew God had something else for me.”
After his sixth NBA season, Ransey left basketball, returned home and began his second life’s journey – into the ministry. He moved to Tupelo, Mississippi, and founded Spirit of Excellence Ministries.
He also became an author. His third book, From the NBA to the Pulpit: A Journey in the Will of God, was just published this month and he held a book signing at his former high school last week.
At MLK Academy, his audience was a bit younger on average than on a typical Sunday at Spirit of Excellence Ministries in Tupelo. Nevertheless, he delivered a message that was so appropriate for the youthful listeners.
Ransey spoke to them of his basketball journey, his life’s journey and his determination to be successful. “I can be what I want to be if I just keep working hard,” he said he told himself at a young age when he was cut from team year after year.
That determination and hard work eventually paid off, he recalled. “I just wanted to be the best that I could be.” And he was also fortunate enough to be in the right places at the right s and lucky enough that he was able to overcome bad decisions he made as a youngster. Not everyone can be so lucky, he said.
As a word of caution, he advised the youngsters to start off their lives properly by making the right decisions.
“Start making good decisions right now and some of the best decisions you can make is getting good grades, don’t get in trouble, don’t hang around bad people. If you make a bad decision, it could cost you your life, even at a young age.”
Ransey’s youthful audience was listening attentively by now. He had begun winning them over when he mentioned playing against Magic Johnson and Isiah Thomas. They never saw those legends play but the names have a generational ring to them.
“Work hard at what you do,” he continued. “You can be what you want to be. Your choice is going to determine your future.”