Hear 911 operator talk Iman Shumpert through delivering his baby
We read last Thursday about Cleveland Cavaliers swingman Iman Shumpert delivered his own daughter when his fiancee, singer Teyana Taylor, went into labor in their bathroom in an unexpected home birth that saw Shump use a pair of headphones to tie off the umbilical cord until paramedics could arrive to attend to child and mother. Now, thanks to audio of the 911 call obtained by The Daily Mail, we can hear Shumpert’s response in the moments after his daughter’s birth, and man, is it something:
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The 911 operator’s wearied, chastising tone at the start of the clip reminds you that no matter how insane an experience seems to you, it is run-of-the-mill, deal-with-this-everyday stuff for someone else. Shumpert’s near-immediate buckling while saying “she’s breathing” reminds you that, no matter how much awesome stuff will follow (and we sure hope it’s an awful lot), there’s just no day like that first day. What a cool thing to get to experience.
With Taylor and Iman Jr., a.k.a. Junie, both healthy and happy, the aftermath of the unexpected home delivery has seemingly included lots of singing:
… and sleeping:
We have successfully started our very own family! 💂🏾🐞🐺👶🏾!!! 2015 has been capped off with a grand finale! Our beautiful daughter is finally here and doing well along with her beautiful mother (my fiancé!!!). This is definitely the best assist I’ve ever recorded in my life. We were indeed terrified until I finally saw her hair…then the fear left and i kinda just knew what to do! Our bathroom is forever sacred lbs!
People always tell me there is no greater gift than fatherhood and I finally understand the feeling. I’m not too proud to say I cried endless tears of joy for my first born. Thank you @teyanataylor for this gift and for turning our houses to homes, you are truly special in every aspect! My smile still hasn’t left since her first breath!
… and, because the lives of NBA players and pop stars aren’t exactly like our lives, an interview about the ordeal on “Good Morning America.”
“She’s the best Christmas present I’ve ever gotten” is the kind of thing that sounds like a line until you see the look on the man’s face — the elation, the oncoming tears, the relief, the excitement. After missing the first 21 games of the season with a right wrist injury, Shumpert quickly found himself back on the shelf just two games later with a groin strain. Under normal circumstances, you’d suspect he’d find that extra time back at home so soon after returning from injury frustrating and bothersome. As the audio makes clear, though, these aren’t normal circumstances for the Shumpert clan … and the 25-year-old sure seems to be enjoying the way it’s all turned out.
Hat-tip to For the Win.
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Dan Devine is an editor for Ball Don’t Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!
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