A Lil’ Bit Of Heart

A “Lil’ Bit” of heart goes a long way. Just ask Shannon Bobbitt, a.k.a. Lil’ Bit, of the Los Angeles Sparks.

Bobbitt was born in The Bronx, NY and was one of eight children. She played ball in the park in Harlem against much taller and tougher male opponents. But she worked hard on her skills and was known to school a boy or two with her wicked crossover.

At 5′2″, Bobbitt was considered undersized for the Division I ranks. She had to prove herself first at the junior college level, where she earned many accolades, including Women’s Basketball Coaches Association Junior College Player of the Year in 2006. This caught the attention of Pat Summitt, who recruited Bobbitt to play for the Tennessee Lady Vols. Two years and two national titles later, Summit knew she had picked the perfect point guard.

Nobody expected Bobbitt to continue her amazing career at the professional level. But her play in the 2007 and 2008 NCAA tournament helped improve her draft stock immensely. As a result, on April 9th of this year, Bobbitt was drafted first in the second round by the Sparks. She joined former teammate Candace Parker, who has always supported her little sidekick point guard, in LA this summer.

To those who have questioned how a short basketball player could make such an impact, and rise from junior college ranks to professional ball, Bobbitt explains that “it’s not about the size, it’s about the heart.”

This is the kind of “feel good” story that makes me smile. How can it not? It basically proves that you can do anything you put your mind to, no matter what your size may be. And that’s something to feel good about.

Here’s a video tribute of Shannon Bobbitt, courtesy of YouTube: