EmKingsFan4
Starter
I was investigating trying to find out more about Bibby than I already knew and came across this article, I thought it showed a sweet side to Mike and wanted to share. My apologies if this is something you've already read. 
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http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/basketball/kings/story/8017857p-8954129c.html
Bibby's mirror image
By Joe Davidson -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PST Sunday, December 28, 2003
Moms know. They study one child long enough, then observe the grandchild and easily connect the similarity dots.
Virginia Bibby, mother of Mike Bibby, was watching her grandson Michael sleep the other day when it struck her again. She stood there in her son's living room, gazing at the slumbering second coming and thought, Well, look at that. They even sleep alike, hands clasped, facial expressions, everything.
Then there's the eating -- more precisely described as picking through the vittles the way a jeweler goes through his finest stock, examining each gem and exploring every facet. No french fry is wolfed down. It is meticulously examined, turned slightly, then nibbled. Morning toast or bagel? It's "Be Like Mike" here, too, with 6-year-old junior scraping off even the slightest burnt sections before eating, much like his Kings dad seated a few feet away.
Video games? Absolute junkies, both of them. They'd play for hours if not for the sight of Darcy Watkins, Michael's mother and Mike's longtime girlfriend, standing there with her arms crossed and fingers tapping with the look that says, Why don't you go out and play? It's a nice day.
If there are three constants in Mike Bibby's life since his rise from University of Arizona floor leader to steady NBA performer seemingly on the cusp of stardom, they are his mother, his girlfriend and his spitting-image son.
"Two peas in a pod," Watkins said. "One big kid and one little kid."
But Mike Bibby wants to make sure there's one big difference.
Mike grew up without a father in his life, his well-traveled and famous dad, Henry, taking playing and coaching jobs far afield from the Bibbys' Phoenix home.
Mike Bibby's relationship with his father is a sensitive subject. While Mike was growing up, there was little relationship there, and so, he said, "this is why I'm doing this with my son now. It's important to me."
"Mike wants to be a big part of his son's life," Watkins said. "It means everything to him."
Bibby doesn't have to put into words how much he agrees with his girlfriend. He dotes over his daughters, 3-year-old Janae and 3-month-old Mia, but when he looks at his son, he sees himself, the hurting boy with no father around. So he's making up for lost time. You can see it in his expressions, especially the way he beams over Michael.
Where Mike goes, Michael is sure to be close. They travel to Arco Arena together, with Michael, sometimes decked in a junior-sized Bibby jersey, blitzing out of the car to race up to Vlade Divac or Bobby Jackson. Michael is old enough to stay up and watch games from the back family room, and he thinks it's rather cool that his dad has quietly produced his finest season, completely healthy after the foot problems of a year ago, running the team and scoring at a career-best 16.8 points a game.
They shoot baskets together, sometimes just the two of them, in the practice facility, little Bibby looking awfully promising with the dribble, head up, legs moving, darting and shooting. His dad just nods and smiles.
And they go home together after practice, recounting Mike Bibby's court successes. In Michael's eyes, there are no bad games for Dad. If he plays, he's good.
"There was one game where I couldn't hit a shot," Bibby said recently. "He didn't care. He said, 'You played good, Dad.' I knew I didn't, but for him to say that, that's all that mattered.
"It reminded me I couldn't worry about it now that I had him with me. That just made my day."
Junior makes senior's day a lot. And vice versa.
Michael's birthday is near Christmas eve, which meant father Bibby braved the holiday crowds and trekked out to shop for his son, wedging his way through Toys "R" Us in search of all things electronic.
"I wore a hood, pulled down, so no one would recognize me," Bibby said.
When Bibby is in town, spending time with all of his kids is paramount. Young Michael has even become something of a mentor to Jenae and Mia, and they all gang-tackle their father when he comes home from practice.
"Even when he's tired, he makes time for the kids, all of them," Watkins said. "Michael is starting to understand that his father is on the road, that this lifestyle can be hard, but Mike calls all the time to talk to everyone."
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Bibby recalls with sadness his relationship with his father when he was a child, and they are working at improving it these days.
Now the coach at USC, Henry Bibby said in a rare interview about his son that he is encouraged with how the relationship has improved over time. He said he regrets that he didn't spend more time with his son years ago, but he's eager to keep building bridges.
Henry Bibby said he attended several of the Kings' playoff games last season, that Mike left him the tickets. He has the NBA package on his satellite dish so he can watch his son play. They talk on the phone when they can.
"I'm so proud of him," Henry Bibby said. "I love to watch him play. He fits (the Kings') puzzle perfectly. (Someone) must be kicking himself for letting him get traded (three years ago) to the Kings like that.
"We talk more and more. People don't know that I go to some of his games, but that's none of their business. I won't go to games in Los Angeles or Sacramento, because I don't want to be a distraction. I talk to him on the phone when I can. Sometimes he answers. Sometimes he calls me back in two or three or four or five days, and I understand that. I'm just letting it happen. I think he knows I love him."
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/basketball/kings/story/8017857p-8954129c.html
Bibby's mirror image
By Joe Davidson -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PST Sunday, December 28, 2003
Moms know. They study one child long enough, then observe the grandchild and easily connect the similarity dots.
Virginia Bibby, mother of Mike Bibby, was watching her grandson Michael sleep the other day when it struck her again. She stood there in her son's living room, gazing at the slumbering second coming and thought, Well, look at that. They even sleep alike, hands clasped, facial expressions, everything.
Then there's the eating -- more precisely described as picking through the vittles the way a jeweler goes through his finest stock, examining each gem and exploring every facet. No french fry is wolfed down. It is meticulously examined, turned slightly, then nibbled. Morning toast or bagel? It's "Be Like Mike" here, too, with 6-year-old junior scraping off even the slightest burnt sections before eating, much like his Kings dad seated a few feet away.
Video games? Absolute junkies, both of them. They'd play for hours if not for the sight of Darcy Watkins, Michael's mother and Mike's longtime girlfriend, standing there with her arms crossed and fingers tapping with the look that says, Why don't you go out and play? It's a nice day.
If there are three constants in Mike Bibby's life since his rise from University of Arizona floor leader to steady NBA performer seemingly on the cusp of stardom, they are his mother, his girlfriend and his spitting-image son.
"Two peas in a pod," Watkins said. "One big kid and one little kid."
But Mike Bibby wants to make sure there's one big difference.
Mike grew up without a father in his life, his well-traveled and famous dad, Henry, taking playing and coaching jobs far afield from the Bibbys' Phoenix home.
Mike Bibby's relationship with his father is a sensitive subject. While Mike was growing up, there was little relationship there, and so, he said, "this is why I'm doing this with my son now. It's important to me."
"Mike wants to be a big part of his son's life," Watkins said. "It means everything to him."
Bibby doesn't have to put into words how much he agrees with his girlfriend. He dotes over his daughters, 3-year-old Janae and 3-month-old Mia, but when he looks at his son, he sees himself, the hurting boy with no father around. So he's making up for lost time. You can see it in his expressions, especially the way he beams over Michael.
Where Mike goes, Michael is sure to be close. They travel to Arco Arena together, with Michael, sometimes decked in a junior-sized Bibby jersey, blitzing out of the car to race up to Vlade Divac or Bobby Jackson. Michael is old enough to stay up and watch games from the back family room, and he thinks it's rather cool that his dad has quietly produced his finest season, completely healthy after the foot problems of a year ago, running the team and scoring at a career-best 16.8 points a game.
They shoot baskets together, sometimes just the two of them, in the practice facility, little Bibby looking awfully promising with the dribble, head up, legs moving, darting and shooting. His dad just nods and smiles.
And they go home together after practice, recounting Mike Bibby's court successes. In Michael's eyes, there are no bad games for Dad. If he plays, he's good.
"There was one game where I couldn't hit a shot," Bibby said recently. "He didn't care. He said, 'You played good, Dad.' I knew I didn't, but for him to say that, that's all that mattered.
"It reminded me I couldn't worry about it now that I had him with me. That just made my day."
Junior makes senior's day a lot. And vice versa.
Michael's birthday is near Christmas eve, which meant father Bibby braved the holiday crowds and trekked out to shop for his son, wedging his way through Toys "R" Us in search of all things electronic.
"I wore a hood, pulled down, so no one would recognize me," Bibby said.
When Bibby is in town, spending time with all of his kids is paramount. Young Michael has even become something of a mentor to Jenae and Mia, and they all gang-tackle their father when he comes home from practice.
"Even when he's tired, he makes time for the kids, all of them," Watkins said. "Michael is starting to understand that his father is on the road, that this lifestyle can be hard, but Mike calls all the time to talk to everyone."
l l l
Bibby recalls with sadness his relationship with his father when he was a child, and they are working at improving it these days.
Now the coach at USC, Henry Bibby said in a rare interview about his son that he is encouraged with how the relationship has improved over time. He said he regrets that he didn't spend more time with his son years ago, but he's eager to keep building bridges.
Henry Bibby said he attended several of the Kings' playoff games last season, that Mike left him the tickets. He has the NBA package on his satellite dish so he can watch his son play. They talk on the phone when they can.
"I'm so proud of him," Henry Bibby said. "I love to watch him play. He fits (the Kings') puzzle perfectly. (Someone) must be kicking himself for letting him get traded (three years ago) to the Kings like that.
"We talk more and more. People don't know that I go to some of his games, but that's none of their business. I won't go to games in Los Angeles or Sacramento, because I don't want to be a distraction. I talk to him on the phone when I can. Sometimes he answers. Sometimes he calls me back in two or three or four or five days, and I understand that. I'm just letting it happen. I think he knows I love him."
l l l
...come on mom, I'm 25!! 
