At one point or another, we’ve all done something in our lives that we are not proud of. Usually, this could be something so small that nobody but ourselves actually cares about it. Other times, it could be something big that actually messed up your life. The worst is when you do something that changes not only your life but the life of another person.
This is what happened to a man named Aaron Taylor in 1994. Who is Aaron Taylor, you ask? Taylor grew up in Arlington, California, and at a young age, he found himself in trouble as he grew up in a poverty-ridden neighborhood.
As Taylor was growing up, he wasn’t much of a basketball player, but he loved to watch the game and, in particular, the high-flying acts of the league like Julius “Dr. J.” Erving, Darryl “Chocolate Thunder” Dawkins, and even Michael “Air” Jordan.
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“When I saw Jordan, the moment I saw that dude take off and start flying… Jordan’s only like two years older than me, I think. When Jordan comes into the league, I feel like a big kid again, cause even know I’m a grown man, I’m watching this dude do everything that I wish I could do.”
Taylor loved to watch basketball games, and being in LA, even though Taylor was a Clippers fan when the Lakers played on TV, Taylor would watch. The way Taylor watched the Lakers was unique. He would put the game on but turn the volume off. Taylor would then grab a radio and turn on the radio broadcast.
Now, this may be an awkward way of watching the game of basketball, but if you were a kid growing up in LA in the 80s, 90s, and early 2000s, you’d understand. Chick Hearn was the legendary broadcaster for the Lakers for 41 years, and his style made you not want to miss a second.
Taylor loved listening to Hearn, and he grew a respect and interest in broadcasting. This was shown when he started to follow ice hockey after hearing Michael “Doc” Emrick give the play-by-play for the NHL.
Taylor would not be pursuing a degree in broadcasting at this time. The reason for this was that Taylor would find himself in a dangerous situation that would change his life forever…
Taylor Gets Sentence To Prison But Discovers His True Calling
The year was 1994, and Taylor was having some bad times. His girlfriend from two years prior told him that their baby wasn’t his and that she was actually a lesbian. This led Taylor down a dark road of drugs and guns.
On August 25th, 1994, Taylor took his gun to a furniture store in Inglewood, which was not too far from The Forum, where the Lakers played their home games. Inside the furniture store, Taylor attempted to rob the owner, and this led Taylor to get into a gun battle with the owner and another worker.
The result of this led to Taylor being struck in the head by a bullet.
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“I remember when I ran out of bullets, and I tried to get out but I couldn’t. And I remember that sunlight on my face,” Thomas recalled. “I remember looking back when the dude keyed in on me and shot, and I turned my face back this way and the bullet hit me right here [points at left cheek].
“And I remember waking up on the floor and he was getting ready to hit me with the butt of the gun, and the owner of the store stopped him. My real journey for rehabilitation started when I began to understand the mercy that he showed me. I’m like, I have to become a better person for him, to show him that he made the right decision.”
Taylor would survive his gunshot wound and be sentenced to prison for 50 years to life. His life appeared to be over, but Taylor would find a hobby that made him stand out from the rest of the inmates.
While the inmates would play basketball out on the yard, Taylor began calling the games. He initially did this as something to do, to pass the time, but his calling quickly became popular among the other inmates.
The basketball games on the yard didn’t have much of a meaning until Taylor got on the mic to call the games. His style and his enthusiasm are what earned him the nickname “Showtime”.
“Play-by-play at San Quentin gave me a unique identity because nobody else could do what I was doing,” Taylor told KCBS Radio. “Basketball was one of the places I could go and I could hide out,” he said. “It was one of the places I could go and not be in prison anymore.”
Taylor would spend most of his time behind bars at San Quentin State Prison, and because of this, Taylor would be introduced to a few important men in the game of basketball. The Golden State Warriors made it a tradition back in 2013 to hold a pickup game against inmates who played basketball in San Quentin State Prison.
While the Warriors were playing against the inmates, Taylor would do what he normally did, and that was to call the game. Personnel from the Warriors quickly took notice.
When ppl don't believe I worked with @LarryBeilABC7 then I produce the underground prison footage to prove it pic.twitter.com/bU7YlibCqq
— Aaron Showtime Taylor (@rebirthofchick) December 5, 2020
This eventually led to the head coach of the Warriors at the time and current broadcaster himself, Mark Jackson, giving Taylor a huge compliment. Jackson played in one of those pickup games while Taylor sat on the sidelines, giving the play-by-play.
Jackson was so impressed by Taylor’s ability to bring the energy level up that he approached Taylor. This occurred during the game, and free throws were being taken.
“Hey, man. I know some folks at ESPN that if they heard you, they’d be worried about their job,” Jackson said to Taylor.
Taylor would later say in an interview this about his encounter with Jackson:
“Why did he tell me that? Why would you tell me that? You just don’t even know who you just told this to, man. My head got bigger instantly.”
This was a nice gesture by Jackson, but this was only the beginning of the relationship Taylor would gain with the Warriors’ organization.
Taylor Leaves Prison And Becomes The Warriors Public Address Announcer
Aaron Taylor was sentenced to 50 years to life in prison. His life appeared to be over, but in reality, it was just beginning. While in prison, Taylor found his true calling, and that was announcing basketball games.
It started out on the yard with fellow inmates until the Golden State Warriors made it an annual summer trip to host pickup games with the inmates.
This led to the Warriors’ staff, players, and their coach, taking notice of Taylor’s incredible ability to call the game. The first time Taylor called a Warriors game on the yard was in 2013.
Fast forward to October 2020, something amazing happened to Taylor. He was released from prison on parole. Taylor became a model citizen behind bars, and this led to his freedom. But now, on the outside, Taylor had to figure out what to do with his life.
What Taylor quickly realized, what he was doing on the inside, which he loved, would become a reality on the outside, but on a much bigger level. The Warriors were so impressed by Taylor’s ability to call a game and by his personal growth while in prison that they came calling.
It would only be six months after being released from prison that the Warriors would reach out to Taylor. Golden State would offer Taylor the chance to become the public address announcer for the Warriors in a game against the Houston Rockets.
“I’m the rebirth of (legendary Lakers play-by-play man) Chick Hearn,” Taylor once said. “If you’re wondering what Chick Hearn would look like if he came back as a 55-year-old Black man, you’re looking at him.”
Taylor wanted to fill Chick’s big shoes, and he wanted to give that level of excitement and class to the Warriors. He would not disappoint. At the Warriors-Rockets game that was played on April 10, 2021, Taylor was there, and he gave great introductions to the Warriors players.
This was not only a special moment for Taylor but for anyone who has made a mistake in their life. Taylor had proven that with hard work, a good attitude, and the ability to move on from a terrible life incident, that you can change your life for the better.
It had been 26 years since Taylor was a free man, and his life was on a downward spiral. Now, 26 years later, Taylor was on top of the world, leading to Taylor reflecting on his life.
“I worked hard in 26 years to rehabilitate myself,” Taylor said as he reflected on his life. “In the process of doing that, I just embraced the attitude that I could be more than what I was. Once I embraced the attitude that I could be more than what I was, then it was time for me to tell other people, you can be more than what you think you are.”
Despite having arguably the best time of his life, Taylor understands who he is and what he still has to do on the outside to live the best life he can. Taylor wants to prove to the furniture store owner that he did make the right decision to keep him alive.
“In the end right now, I’m still an ex-con on parole living in a transitional home,” Taylor said. “I just happened to have the best three days of my life right now, but when I catch a plane to go back home, I am going back to the transitional home because I still have a responsibility to the state. It’s not a putdown to me. It’s how I stay grounded.”
Since the day he worked for the Warriors, Taylor has found himself in a bunch of different projects, from documentaries to posting on social media accounts to podcasts; Taylor is definitely keeping himself busy. This is a great redemption story, and I think I speak for everyone who has heard Taylor’s story that we hope he continues down the right path.
Lastly, after the Warriors defeated the Rockets 125-109 behind Curry’s 38 points, Taylor had the honor of interviewing Curry on the court after the game. What a great way to end a great moment in the life of a man who turned his life around.
