For the past year, the Phone-a-Story program has featured inspirational guest readers with a passion for community service and child education. We finish our string of special guest readers with a slam dunk!
From now through December 24, you can listen to former Denver Nuggets player and assistant coach Mark Randall read Stick and Stone by Beth Ferry by dialing (720) 865-8500 and pressing 3.
Dial in every Tuesday for a new story, rhyme, or song to listen to! You can also Access Phone-a-Story 24/7 and hear recordings for different age groups in English, Spanish, Amharic, and Vietnamese!
Phone-A-Story Guest Star Profile
Former Nugget player and former Nugget Assistant coach Mark Randall serves as a Community Ambassador for the team. In this role, Randall is responsible for working with children to promote sportsmanship, teamwork, and basketball.
In 2019, Randall joined Denver Public Schools as Director of High School Athletics. Following his retirement from the NBA in 1999, he served as a college scout for 3.5 years before working in player development under then-Head Coach Jeff Bzdelik.
His position within the Kroenke Sports and Entertainment umbrella included five seasons as an in-game host for Nugget home games and as the scheduling coordinator for the Nugget’s mascot, ROCKY. He also served as a color analyst for Big Sky college basketball games and for pre-and post-game reports for Denver Nugget home and away games.
Randall played in the NBA from 1991-95. He was drafted by the Chicago Bulls in the first round (No. 26 overall) of the 1991 NBA Draft. From 1991-93, he played for Chicago, Minnesota and Detroit. In 1993, he joined the Nuggets after being called up from the CBA. He was released by the Nuggets prior to the ’94-95 season but rejoined them once again from the CBA midway through the season. That year, he played in two postseason games as the eighth-seeded Nuggets upset Seattle in the first round and took Utah to seven games in the second. He played in the CBA in ’96-97 and made the Nuggets roster following the lockout in 1999 but was waived without playing a game. For his NBA career, Randall averaged 2.6 ppg and 1.3 rpg.
The Edina, Minn. native enjoyed a storied career at the University of Kansas. He captained the 1991 Jayhawks squad that lost to Duke in the NCAA Championship game and was named to the All-Tournament Team. He redshirted his sophomore year, during which Kansas defeated Oklahoma to win the NCAA Championship. Randall finished his career as the sixth all-time leading scorer and rebounder in KU history and the all-time leader in field goal percentage in Big 8 history.
A 1986 graduate of Cherry Creek High School in Greenwood Village, Colo., Randall earned both, McDonald’s and Parade All-American honors as a prep. He was elected to the Colorado High School Activities Association Hall of Fame in 2014.
He is a competitive golfer with a 4 handicap and has played in the Colorado Open. Randall resides in Highlands Ranch and has two children, Samantha and Dylan.
More About the Featured Telephone Tale
"Stick and Stone" by Beth Ferry is a story about friendship and standing up against bullying. The main characters, Stick and Stone, discover that there is strength in numbers and that looking out for each other fosters a strong bond. Through their experiences, they build a new friendship.
Check out the book using your Denver Public Library card.
-
Are you looking for more children's books like the one Mark read? Take a look at this list of similar titles below::
Stick and Stone, Friends Forever by Beth Ferry
This ode to unconditional love is a brand new adventure for New York Times best-selling duo Stick and Stone, in which Stick searches for his family tree and discovers the importance of found family and forever friends.
The Invisible Boy by Tracy Ludwig
Brian has always felt invisible at school, but when a new student, Justin, arrives, everything changes.
Stand tall, Molly Lou Melon by Patty Lovell
Even when the class bully at her new school makes fun of her, Molly remembers what her grandmother told her, and she feels good about herself.
The Big Umbrella by Amy June Bates
A spacious umbrella welcomes anyone and everyone who needs shelter from the rain.