L.B.: Meet Buck Williams

Left Behind, pg. 6

Here we meet LaHaye and Jenkins' second protagonist: Buck Williams.

I grew up in Jersey, so I'm a long-time admirer of Buck Williams. The man was a rebounding machine -- dominating the NBA boards for a decade, pulling down more than 13,000 rebounds (No. 12 on the all-time list). Williams is still the Nets all-time leading scorer and rebounder. So who did they get for him in the trade with Portland? Freaking Sam Bowie. Great trade guys.

LaHaye and Jenkins, of course, don't mean that Buck Williams. Like Bill Russell, he doesn't appear in this book at all. Which makes sense, since this story takes place after God has already snatched away his team. The Almighty knows that offense wins headlines, but defense wins championships.

The Buck Williams of Left Behind is even more of a superstar. He's a kind of journalistic James Bond. The Greatest Investigative Reporter of All Time.

Note that the dual authors have given us dual protagonists.

Rayford Steele -- the virile, sexually obsessed but chaste hero pilot -- seems to be Tim LaHaye's fantasy wish-fulfillment stand-in. Cameron "Buck" Williams seems to represent the dream self of Jerry B. Jenkins. The aging hack ghostwriter of subculture genre fiction transforms himself into a world-famous, Pulitzer-winning, super-journalist admired by writers and desired by women everywhere.

("Cameron" here evoking both journalist John Cameron Swayze and, oddly, Kirk Cameron, the former "Growing Pains" star who plays Buck in the movie version of Left Behind.)

Comments

[Zizka]

Bowie was drafted ahead of Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley. Count your blessings.

[Trapper John]

Buck's my all-time favorite NBA baller. The man was a monster on the boards.

[david]

My favorite player ever, Buck Williams. First childhood hero. Unbelievable rebounder. Good union man. Rumored to still be driving the used Pinto he picked up after signing his first contract.

[Timothy Cooper]

Hey, Buck was a great pickup for the Blazers, one of their key players in their three not quite champion years (90-93). Also a great stand-up guy in the community while he was here in Portland.

[Ken]

Rayford Steele -- the virile, sexually obsessed but chaste hero pilot -- seems to be Tim LaHaye's fantasy wish-fulfillment stand-in. Cameron "Buck" Williams seems to represent the dream self of Jerry B. Jenkins. The aging hack ghostwriter of subculture genre fiction transforms himself into a world-famous, Pulitzer-winning, super-journalist admired by writers and desired by women everywhere.

It's fanfic! BAD fanfic!

All that's missing is the slash between the two names and/or the Mary Sue/Ensign Nancy/Wesley Crusher ability to work a total handwaving miracle by the end of the story!

[Judicator]

"Note that the dual authors have given us dual protagonists."

Very good...I admittedly had not given this any thought when I was first reading the books.

[cjmr]

Actually, looks like the entire LB Archive broke out in porn-spam mid-June...