It has been a while since I updated my site. I've been working on a few other things. But now I come to you as the season has ended. We played our last game yesterday against Kehlen. It  was a resounding win in front of our home crowd. The championship for us had already been decided, but yesterday was when we started the celebration. As league champions, the club will move up to National II next season for the 1st time in 15 years.

It feels great to be a champion. I've never been a COMPLETE champion before. We won regionals in college my senior year and went to the Elite 8, so we were crowned Regional Champs. But there's just a different feeling when you're the last team standing. The ONLY team that can say they won it all at the end. It's a good feeling. And I went out with an explosion of a performance. I set a new personal career high in scoring and 3 PT's made in a game. I hit the 40 PT plateau for the first time in my career and had fun doing it. 

Now all there is to do is pack up and head home on Wednesday. I'll get some rest and then get back working hard to get better for next season. RMK CHAMPS!!

 All Star night out here in Luxembourg was a lot of fun. It's been a LONG time since I've been in front of a crowd that big. It felt great. The atmosphere was ridiculous. I took part in the 3PT shootout and the Dunk Contest. Even though I kind of did the 3PT point thing for fun, I did really well. I made it to the final 4 (out of about 25) and finished 3rd. Since I don't consider myself a sharpshooter, I was decently satisfied with my performance.

Now the Dunk Contest is something completely different. I take pride in my vertical acrobatics. I've been dunking for about 10 years now, and I'd never lost a dunk contest. Sadly, that changed Monday. I have to blame myself too. I missed some dunks that I usually don't miss. Denell Stephens and Dominique Crawford did their thing too. DSteph came out with the victory on his home court, so big ups to him. My dunk contest record is now 11-1, only counting official contests. I'll never be able to get that one back, but I don't plan on losing again. Rematch?

 It's come down to that time: Playoffs. Time to prove my worth and help the team win this championship and move up to the next league. We took a MAJOR step toward that goal on Saturday night (2/27). One of the only other contenders for the championship, Mamer, came to our house to start the post season.

From the beginning it was clear to me that my team was ready. I have known from the first week or so that we had the talent necessary to win. Our only problem was our mentality about playing tough and finishing games. Even though we had won some regular season games big, they weren't real tests. During the time between the regular season and playoffs, however, we played against 2 teams in the league above us. The first game exposed our weaknesses and I'll admit, had me doubting whether we could get it together. But the 2nd game showed that we were gelling and getting on the same page. Though we lost by 8, the team never stopped playing. That let me know that we would be ready once the playoffs arrived this week.

My assumptions from last weeks scrimmage carried true to this week's game. We stayed on our game plan and kept the pressure up for the whole game. We were aggressive on both offense and defense. I was definitely proud of the way my teammates stepped up and played big. Now we just have to do it 9 more times. Simple, right?

I have been given a 2nd chance here in Luxembourg. The coach brought me out here for the sole purpose of making the playoffs and getting a chance at the championship. The 1st step to making the playoffs was winning in our game Sunday. And I feel my play led to a direct failure in that goal. We lost the game by 12 and were in dire straits as far as making the playoffs. Now we needed for another team to lose while we won our final two games. Our prayers were answered as the team we needed to win pulled out a victory with 10 seconds left in the games. We all sat around in the gym waiting for the result of the game on pins and needles. When we got the news, we were more than a lil bit excited. 

At that moment, I decided that I wouldn't be letting this team down anymore. I got a 2nd chance to prove my worth and I plan to take full advantage. I've been treated very well here and I don't want the club to feel they've wasted their time. So now, it's time to focus and make a race for this championship.

I'll be back...

 2009... It was a roller coaster of a year to say the least. I started on a high, making good money with the showmen of the Harlem Superstars. I then hit an even higher mark when I rolled the dice on a tryout with the IBL in early April and made a team. It was a large gamble, but I found myself involved with a great organization in the Vancouver Volcanoes. From my play there, I was able to get multiple offers from overseas teams, of which I chose Craiova in Romania.

That's where the loops began on my roller coaster. Many promises went unmet, situations were not up to par and payments were neither on time or correct. But this is a horrible year for international basketball and so some downfall was expected. I was not expecting the sudden drop of being released from the team after being there only a month. I was told that I didn't 'fit the team', whatever that means. So, I returned home optimistic of finding a new opportunity. After 2 solid months of continuous falling, a hill of opportunity offered itself in an ABA team, the Florida Thundercats. 

This was an up and down experience all in itself. On the upside, I got great workouts with good players and coaches. On the downside, the team suffered multiple financial setbacks and so we were all down there not getting paid. As luck would have it though, this is where Coach Roger Hayard of the Kayl Red Miners in Luxembourg found me. He offered me a position on his team and was adamant about how I would be taken care of once in Luxembourg.

And that is where I find myself now. On another high hill climbing to new heights at the beginning of a new year, a new decade. They are really taking care of me out here. Payment isn't an issue. Living arrangements aren't an issue. It's not only a great situation for my career basketball wise, but these are good people here. They treat you with respect and don't play any games. That is a great step up already from the way 2009 ended.

So, I'll continue to ride this roller coaster that is my life. You're welcome to keep riding with me. Hold on tight.... =)

     With basketball being a holiday sport, I'm used to getting little or no time off to celebrate Thanksgiving. I thought that this year would be especially bad though, because I'm in a brand new situation and didn't anticipate having any friends/family to enjoy a good Thanksgiving dinner with. But, as usual, God provided for me. The manager at the team hotel invited us to her house to eat dinner. It was great of her to do that. I've only known her a week and she opened her home to us. That's something that most people wouldn't do. And on top of that, the food was delicious!!! So, outside of the obvious (family, health, talent, friends), I am thankful this year for the angels on Earth that God has placed in my life. It was a great holiday and I look forward to the time I'll spend here in Florida with great optimism. Back on the grind in the morning. I'm out....

~My Creation is My Motivation~

 Today is November 24. Our first game is December 4th. I'm so ready to get back in a jersey and play this game. I haven't played where it counted since my games in the IBL this summer. After the Romania situation, I thought I might never get another chance. But God has blessed me with yet another opportunity. I can't wait....