The following is a portion of an article written by Doug Feinberg of the Associated Press:
Seymore Augustus sports a tattoo of the Olympic torch with daughter Seimone’s USA basketball jersey No. 5 in the middle of it. Above the artwork are two words: “Proud Dad.”
Augustus and her father have always been close. He spent many hours in the family’s backyard in Louisiana honing her game. Their bond grew even stronger this past year at the low point of her career. The Minnesota Lynx star had torn a knee ligament last June, sidelining her for most of the season.
This was crushing for a player who had never spent more than a week away from the game she loved. Seimone, however, didn’t have much time for self-pity. She soon got a phone call telling her that her father had multiple sclerosis.
“It sent me into a state of depression,” Seimone said. “My dad has always been the source of strength for me. He was at his weakest point when he wasn’t able to fly up here for my ACL surgery. I was going to make sure I got strong enough to see him.”
Following her surgery, Seimone spent months rehabbing her knee in Minneapolis. Neither she nor her father could travel easily, but they spoke every day. They encouraged each other to keep up the fight.
“For my dad all he knows is taking care of his family and he felt like he couldn’t do that any more because of the MS,” Seimone Augustus said. “His joy came from taking care of us and that turned our world around.”
The biggest joy that Seimone brought her dad came this week. She got back on the court June 11 in Phoenix, where she tore her anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee nearly a year earlier.
“That was the best gift she could have given me,” Seymore said. “Seeing her playing again.”
Not long after returning to Minneapolis following a visit with her father, Augustus cut off her trademark dreadlocks. It was the first time she had gone to a haircutter since junior high school. The decision signified a fresh start for both her and her father.
“He’s doing well,” Seimone said. “I can tell he’s getting back to normal as he’s giving me headaches as usual. My dad was my No. 1 fan, so I want to make him proud.”
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