I woke up this morning reading and watching the news that Shaquille O’Neal had been traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers from the Phoenix Suns, and later on, Vince Carter from the New Jersey Nets to the Orlando Magic, and so on. It was also the day of the NBA Draft and I’m sure it would have been the big story of the day….

But life often reminds us the biggest stories are for those who leave us either when it’s their time, or too soon such as Farrah Fawcett and…Michael Jackson.

It’s hard typing both names out. You expected Ms. Fawcett’s passing. As a public, we knew of her illness and although we wished the best for her, it was only a matter of time before her battle was lost. However for Michael, none of us knew. I’m still numb over the news on this surreal day. Surreal because while cameras focused on the death of these two entertainment icons, life also reminded us…it still goes on.

At around 6:44 P.M, Pacific coast time, ESPN covering the draft, mentioned the death of Michael Jackson only after Shaquille O’Neal gave his condolences before being asked about his new team. This wasn’t the same when in 1980 during a Monday Night Football game between the Dolphins and Patriots (which ironically was shown on ABC, also owned by the Walt Disney company which ESPN is a part of) when Howard Cosell, the commentator at the time gave a brief mention to the death of John Lennon while play continued. Surreal as that might have been, it left no doubt while sports is supposed to transcend across racial and class lines, it cannot erase reality, although it allows us to have a momentary respite.

The unrest of 1992 reveals that unreal experience while tensions burned all over the city in the aftermath of the Rodney King trial, the Lakers had a game that night at the Forum. After the game that the Lakers won, traffic was redirected away from the flashpoint. You knew then reality returned from the two-hour escape of a basketball game. It was a bit of a relief the draft was on today, to take my mind off the passing of Michael and Ms. Fawcett, but after the analysis had concluded of players chosen by their new teams, local and cable news played on with the grim news of the day.

When we click on our favorite webpages tonight or read the newspapers still in existence, the draft and subsequent trades will be on the sports pages, but it will not take away this special day, a day of mourning.

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