Youth often goes unappreciated until it's gone.
Sacramento Kings guard Tyreke Evans has many gifts and talents, but none can help or accelerate life's learning process.
It's unavoidable, yet valuable.
Evans on Memorial Day used up a lifetime worth of luck while driving up to 130 miles an hour and weaving through traffic on a Sacramento freeway.
Fortunately for him, the worst fate he suffered was getting arrested for reckless driving and the subsequent legal penalties.
The embarrassment and criticism he's incurred and deserved from having the video recently released is nothing in the big picture.
And at 20, the big picture for many of us, can be as invisible as Casper, the friendly ghost. And as untouchable and unreachable as grabbing a handful of mist.
Hopefully, Evans recognizes Memorial Day he received a tremendously underrated opportunity.
He received an opportunity to live and those are not to go unappreciated.
Evans has untold potential as a basketball player. As young as he is, I'd wager he doesn't yet know how good he can become even two years from now.
Evans turns 21 Sept. 21. Give him an improved 15-foot jump shot - not to mention a three-pointer - two more years of competing against the world's best combined with deeper self-understanding of himself and his game.
Evans' capabilities are limitless.
His reckless driving, once again, was dangerous not only to himself, but to others. It's a situation he never should put himself in again.
However, it has no connection with his ability to play basketball or lead the Kings.
Evans needs to comprehend the good fortunes he has received. The basics - height, weight, strength, competitive nature and fearlessness - are blessings.
Blessings to be cherished and maximized and only he possesses the ability to put it together.
Let's hope this transgression soon becomes a forgotten misstep along the sometimes rocky road to growth.
Evans previously escaped another incident when he drove a car in which his cousin eventually charged for shooting and killing a man.
Incidents as serious as these could be seen by many as exhausted good fortune. I've never had a car that went 130 miles per hour, much less had that much power at my disposal.
I have been a passenger in a Volkswagen golf that was driven directly into a tree. The tree won and luckily, it was the first and hopefully, last time I ever moved to see if I was alive.
That good fortune always has been appreciated.
Let's hope Evans appreciates and recognizes the gift he received Memorial Day.
I know I plan on telling him the story of the late former Charlotte Hornets guard Bobby Phills, who tragically died in 2000 while racing his car.
Evans only was 10 years old at the time.
However, he's now old enough to learn and appreciate. Evans more than enough information and experience from which to gather.
