March is an important time of year for former Dallas Maverick Jamal Mashburn and his family.
His son, Jamal Mashburn, Jr. is about to open up the NCAA Tournament, starring for the University of New Mexico.
And it's also Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. Mashburn's personal connection to colon cancer has motivated him to encourage others to get screened for the disease.
In an interview with KRLD's John Liddle, Mashburn discussed his involvement with the Box Out Colon Cancer campaign, emphasizing the importance of early detection and the impact it can have on someone's health.
"I'm encouraging people 45 years and older to get screened for colon cancer," Mashburn said. "My mother was diagnosed when I was at the top of my NBA career in 2003, then she battled it for 18 years."
Mashburn emphasized that colon cancer is particularly prevalent in African American and male demographics.
"For men (colorectal cancer is) the number one cancer killer, and I've learned that African Americans are more likely to develop and die from colon cancer as well," he explained.
But naturally, when Mashburn thinks about his family, he thinks about his son, Jamal, Jr., who gets to play on the biggest stage at the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament this week.
"Watching my son play stirs up a lot of memories and hard work for me," he gushed, showing love for his mini-me.
The younger Mashburn just surpassed his old man in career scoring in college. Mashburn, Jr. scored 21 in the Mountain West Conference Championship game to reach 1,860 points for his career. The elder Mashburn scored 1,843 points in his career at Kentucky.
Mashburn, Sr. might also point out that he accomplished his total in 98 games. Mashburn, Jr. took 122 games to get to the number. But he's also incredibly proud of his boy.
"I'm really happy for him, to be a part of his journey, to really watch it, provide advice, and also to just be present as well and to try to see it through his eyes," Mashburn said.
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