USC’s Renaldo Woolridge honors his late father with tribute song
A little more than a week after the death of former NBA forward Orlando Wooldridge, one of his four children found a fitting way to honor his late father.
USC forward Renaldo Woolridge, who has recorded numerous rap songs under the name Swiperboy, released a moving tribute to his father on Sunday entitled "Big O Salute." It's easily the most heartfelt of the younger Woolridge's songs with lyrics celebrating his dad's life and expressing hope that "Big O" will live on through the impact he made on his kids.
A sampling of the lyrics: "I know it's getting hard to see his presence from afar, but see I know that he's a part of me. God's looking after him. I know he's got my back again. Looking in the rearview like a car that's backing in. S-B. I be hooping, I be rapping. Got my music from my mom and from my dad I can protect the rim."
Orlando Woolridge, a first-round pick out of Notre Dame in 1981, played with five NBA teams in 13 seasons. He died May 31 at his parents' house in Louisiana at age 52 as a result of a chronic heart condition.
Renaldo Woolridge spent the past four years at Tennessee before transferring to USC this spring to finish his college career. He's eligible to play immediately and will likely be part of the Trojans' frontcourt rotation.
