The night of the big scoreboard debut at Lone Tree High School on Nov. 28 carried so much promise.

This really was more than a big hunk of metal thrown up against the south side of the gym’s wall with fancy new lighting.

It was a slice of love between a thankful man and his hometown.

It was almost as if Steve Forbes, certainly the school’s most famous basketball alum, was sitting on the board staring down and cheering the Lions on.

With his mom and dad, of course.

And the thing is, on this particular night, Forbes really wasn’t that far away.

Forbes, the head men’s basketball coach at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and the 2022 Atlantic Coast Conference Coach of the Year, was less than 200 miles away from Lone Tree on Nov. 28 when usually it’s nearly 1,000. Forbes was in Madison, Wisconsin, preparing his Deacs for an ACC/Big Ten Challenge game the next night against the Badgers.

On the night of Nov. 28, Forbes was pulling for the Lions.

A night later, the Lions were pulling for the Demon Deacons.

For sure.

Forbes has never lost his way home. He’s a small-town guy who chased after big-time basketball and found another home in the intense land of ACC hoops in North Carolina. When Lone Tree was needed a new scoreboard, along with shot clocks that became a part of Iowa high school basketball this season, the Lions didn’t need to look any further than Forbes.

The new board was installed last week and made its debut Monday night.

A friend of Forbes texted him with a photo.

And Forbes responded with a comment about the cold weather in Wisconsin.

The new scoreboard includes a tribute to Steve’s dad and mom, Lowell and Linda, in bold letters at the bottom. And that’s exactly what was important to Steve Forbes. Family. And home.

“It’s an honor and a privilege to give back to my hometown school while being able to recognize my mom and dad,” he said in a statement. “My parents instilled in me the core values and work ethic that have guided me to be where I am today. I owe my parents and my hometown everything.”

And those are powerful words. Remember them, Lions.

“I am so thrilled to dedicate the LTHS gymnasium scoreboard in their honor,” he added. “The gymnasium means so much to me and my family, it’s a place that has brought everyone in Lone Tree so many wonderful memories.”

Those Lone Tree memories certainly include a November night in 1982 when Forbes scored two touchdowns in the only state football championship the Lions have won. Lone Tree defeated Sentral 30-8 in the Class A final 40 years ago.

And those memories now also include the night of Nov. 28.

The Lone Tree girls basketball team opened the evening with a dominating 50-31 victory over Belle Plaine.

Then, in the boys game, senior point guard Drew Gauley scored the first points on a 3-point shot to start a 10-0 Lone Tree run that, um, lit up the scoreboard and rocked the place with noise.

Lone Tree coach Tom Squiers, who is beginning his 35^th season with the Lions and arrived here just a few years after Forbes graduated, sat on the bench and enjoyed the moment.

It’s almost as if Steve was sitting right there with him. Shoot, shoot, shoot.

Belle Plaine answered with a late-game comeback to earn a 51-44 victory.

But that’s not what the Lions will remember from this night. I have a feeling that scoreboard has lots of wins in it.

News columnist Paul Bowker can be reached at bowkerpaul1@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter: @bowkerpaul.