Kobe Bryant's return may not be a glorified one that fans may expect

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With nearly a month left before the start of the NBA season, all eyes have already been centered around Kobe Bryant and his comeback. After only playing in six contests last year, the Lakers' star guard will return to action on October 28 when the Lakers face off against Houston.

Many fans and athletes alike have already projected that the the five-time NBA champion will come back to all-star form. Rockets' guard James Harden has already been quick to state that he expects a 20-year old Kobe Bryant to be back out there once the ball is tipped on opening night.

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 Despite Bryant's fierce competitive drive and tough off-season workouts, we must not rule out the fact that the 36-year old veteran may have some rust attached to his game come the first few games of the season. On top of this, Bryant has not competed in an actual NBA contest for over seven months let alone any actual contact practices with his teammates.

Even when Bryant returned last season after suffering an achilles injury two years ago, the former MVP did not put up the show that many expected, and that is completely understanding given the circumstances of his return.

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I am not saying that he won't have a solid comeback but at the same time, I think that fans have to understand that Bryant does not have the same youthful legs that he once did, and after some serious build up of injuries in his knees, ankles, and achilles, it is clear that he will not be able to be the same explosive player he once was.

Bryant knows this, and judging by the evolution of his playing style, he has adopted quite well. He knows that he cannot always cross-over every single defender or dunk on every other possession because most guards now have a speed advantage over him; instead, he has gone to his post moves and fadeaway jump shots as his primary options on the offensive end just as Michael Jordan had during the latter end of his legendary career.

Recently, Bryant has openly admitted to studying his old time rival in Paul Pierce and his crafty style. Pierce, who will turn 37 in October, has lost his speed and athleticism years ago but has managed to be an effective player by creating space with his unique ball fakes that still manage to lose defenders. Bryant, who is similarly situated as Pierce, is looking to do the same thing. By using the same crafty and smart approach that the Truth has done to lengthen his career, hopefully Bryant could sustain his health while playing at a top level that still gives the defense a bit of trouble to guard.

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  On the contrary to what many fans may feel, I think that some of Bryant's numbers will take a dip from his career average in the 2014-2015 campaign. He will probably continue to take high percentage shots off of his favorite mid-range, free-throw line extended areas on the floor and obviously be the closer in the final minutes of tight contests, but I do not think that he will have enough of an individual offensive force to put up the same numbers that he once had in his prime.

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Instead, I think that Bryant will learn to be a much better facilitator than he has ever been. Bryant will still be the number one option on the Lakers squad but he has a great basketball I.Q. and will probably use it to involve his teammates in the offensive much more. This will allow him to share some of the offensive load; players like Lin, Randle, and Young can all help with this. He can also conserve some of his stamina to stay in the game longer and when it really matters.

All in all, Bryant is entering his 19th year as a pro in what will be part of his maximum 2-year contract with the purple and gold. I have seen him play tremendously and perhaps he will prove this entire entry wrong and pull off a sort of "turn-the-clock-around" type year but only time will tell how it all plays out.  

What is certain is that this is yet another transitional period in Bryant's long and illustrious career and he acknowledges this, it is time for the fans to do the same.  

A look back at the trade that never happened: CP3 to the Los Angeles Lakers

In the NBA, there are many moments where one could ask: What if a currently struggling team managed to acquire that one talented player that their team so desperately needed at the moment? Perhaps they turn a whole 180 degrees and head into glory or they rebuild their franchise around a new face in the wake of the retirement of an older legend. Perhaps they attract another big name to the team and a big three is formed.

For the Los Angeles Lakers, this dream was about to come true. The Lakers were on the verge of acquiring Chris Paul from the New Orleans Hornets in a massive three team trade that would send Pau Gasol to Houston and Lamar Odom to the Hornets. The Lakers would still have Andrew Bynum to lure in Dwight Howard a few months later. All was good and all was great in Los Angeles. 45 minutes later, the whole thing was called off.

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David Stern had vetoed the trade, Odom ,who was hurt by the Lakers abrupt decision to trade the him, would land in Dallas, Gasol would go on to stay with the purple and gold for a few more years but would constantly have his name brought up in trade rumors, and Paul would eventually sign with the other Los Angeles team.

I still remember hearing the news of the trade for the first time in that December of 2011. I was practicing with my basketball team in San Gabriel High School's Matador arena. We were all taking a breather during one of our water breaks when one of our teammates started jumping up and down. He looked up from his phone and told us all that CP3 was coming to Los Angeles. We were all in awe and did not think he was serious, even the coaching staff had to check for themselves. I was ecstatic and could not wait to get my hands on a CP3 jersey, I thought that it was crazy how Mitch Kupchak was even able to pull it off!

When I got home, I took a quick shower and got out to watch the news on live television. What I saw next was not the news that the Lakers were about to turn their upcoming season an entire 180 degrees. Instead, my mood turned a 180 degrees as the words came out of the newscaster's mouth. All I had to hear was the words "David Stern,""veto," and "trade" to get the point.

In all honesty, I did not know that it was even remotely possible for the NBA to veto a trade that clearly gone through with the teams involved and had to do some research, I think that if you are a valid Laker fan, you were probably a bit confused that evening as well and would have looked into the situation immediately.

In turns out that the NBA was serving as the interim owners of the New Orleans Hornets, which gave them the power to veto or call of the trade. Nothing could be done to attempt to piece it back together, the league had said "no" and that was that. I think I speak for most Laker fans when I say that Los Angeles was pretty angry about the whole thing.

One moment everything was looking up and the next it all disappeared, I did not get it at all. Sure, I was sad that the team would be losing two intricate pieces of the '09 and '10 champion teams in Odom and Gasol but the team was struggling and was desperately in need of a point guard moving forward. Paul would have given Lakers that spark, a true point guard who could set an offense up and find his own shot.

Instead Paul would make his way into the Clippers organization where he would help the struggling team become immediate contenders in the playoffs during the coming years. Odom would leave Los Angeles, requesting to be traded to the team that had swept the Lakers in the previous season. He was hurt and his career would never the look the same again. Gasol tried to stay optimistic but his name would never cease to exist in the trading block. Despite Kobe Bryant's efforts in defending his teammate, the media and rumors kept up the trade talks which obvious lowered the veteran forward's confidence in his future with the team moving forward.

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After the veto, the Lakers have been spiraling out of control. Despite obtaining Dwight Howard and Steve Nash, the Lakers would go on to struggle through the 2012-2013 season, hobbled by injuries and bad chemistry within the team. Bryant and Howard did not mesh well and Nash was unable to stay on the floor for the majority of the season. The Lakers were eliminated after the first round by the San Antonio Spurs. The next season was even worse.

The once storied purple and gold franchise would make its way into a season where they would break a franchise record but not in a good way. They would go on to suffer the worst season in its franchise history with a 27-55 record.

What hurts even more is the fact that super teams like the big three in Miami and now the trio in Cleveland that consists of LeBron James, Kevin Love, and Kyrie Irving have been given the nod to go. Why is that? This only leaves an even more sour taste in the mouths of the Los Angeles Lakers fans who had to endure the questions that they keep asking themselves, the "what-ifs" that come up every time the last two seasons are brought up.

Now there would have been a huge chance or possibility that CP3 could not have helped the Lakers lure Howard in or even win a championship. Nobody knows if Bryant and Paul would have meshed the way that the team projected but now nobody would know.

It hurts when "what-if" questions are brought up directly through the result of a team's failure to make the right decisions, but it is even worse when these questions are brought up as a result of the league's failure to allow a perfectly valid trade to go through.    

A Tale From the Sidelines Part Ten: The First Three.

(Continued from Part Nine: Finale.)

The first three games of the regular season are usually a matter left up in air, where a team tries to find their own groove in hopes of gaining momentum earlier on. The outcome of these three games do not usually matter as things can always take a turn for the better or for the worst but it does give a team a marker on how much they may have to work on.

After our lackluster pre-season, no one in our team knew what to expect. Our team was close as a unit but for the wrong reasons; our togetherness sparked through our collective half-hearted efforts during practice. Most of the seniors were clearly tired of running the same drills for four years and were starting to rebel by doing their own thing. Coach Jay tried to make a point that if the Seniors were not going to perform to the best of our abilities, he could quickly find five guys who really wants to play; guys that he can develop in the coming years unlike the Seniors who were two months from being completely done with the team.

I did not know what to think. To be honest, one of the biggest drives that I had had to stay on the team was the fact that I had already played for three years and did not feel that it would be proper to close it all out by simply walking away. I did not care if we could not win all our games, I just wanted the team to be together and share a year that we can remember and be proud of. I told some of the other guys on the team that if we can win just three to five games, we could be proud to know that we had beaten the previous Varsity teams that is something. But with the effort that we were putting up in practice, we were in for a major whipping.

On January 14, the whipping began. We opened our season against the best team in the league in the Mark Keppel Aztecs, a team that had won the Almont League for over five years straight. The Aztecs played relentless defense and pressured the ball full court, all game long. Their players' stamina was impeccable as only seven players would manage to play the entire contest while we were forced to play eleven of our players. During this game, it was my opportunity to show Coach Jay that I deserved a consistent role off the bench for the course of the season. Despite my efforts to pull for a solid defense game, my legs always seemed to be two steps slower than the Aztec offense. It was a horrendous game and one that we really wanted to forget about.

We had put up a fight in the first quarter with Junior Frank Lieu hitting jump shots and cutting the lanes with crafty layups but the rest of our team quickly froze in a sort of starstruck mentality. We were in awe at the Aztecs and how they were able to play at such a high level at ease; we wanted to play the way they did on the court but were not willing to put in the effort during practice to do so. Now that is a recipe that just does not seem to be destined to go all that well.

After dropping our first game on our home turf we had the opportunity to regroup and attempt to turn the whole thing around by working on the next assignment: the Schurr Spartans. Leading up to the game, our practices got a bit better and players were starting to gain confidence. Our starting center, junior David Gonazalez was really starting to look for his sweet spots as senior Man Nong pushed the rest of the team to strive to be more aggressive on the offense and defense.

There is something that you have to understand about Man, he has this drive in him that is unmatched by any other player on the team. His aggression and force dictate how important winning is to him. every time we lost a game he was not so quick to be over it like most of the players would. He would just sit there silently pondering how we had dropped the game, what had happened, where we would have to improve. Man was our team captain and coach on the floor. He was utterly disappointed when we lost to Keppel.

Schurr marked our first away game of the season which was horrible given the fact that their arena was highly difficult to play in. There is always a huge turn out for their games which means that the arena is almost always filled with constant buzzing and roaring. It gets our team a bit pumped for the game but the Spartans feel invincible.

The Spartans win the tip and set up two quick picks at the baselines for the the wings to get open. Both guards do but the point guard dishes it out to the left, splash. The Spartans are up three to zero. We bring up the ball slowly and rotate it to the right where we attempt to dish it into David; the ball is deflected off the finger tips of David's defender, it reaches the hands of a Spartan guard, he is off for the races; he has numbers but decides to lay it in himself. Spartans five, Matadors zero.

Our first basket comes at the seven point mark of the first when David finally manages to get a clear entry pass that leads to an easy lay-in. By then our team is already down by double digits. Schurr was playing us aggressively and were getting away with some cheap shots. This made Coach Jay ecstatic. He would go on to pick up a technical later on in the game.

Eventually Coach did call a time-out to get ourselves situated. He felt that we were beginning to lose composure, that we were starting to look wild. He wanted us to match their intensity and get to the foul line. In an attempt to play more aggressive, Man kept driving relentlessly to the basket but kept getting called for offensive fouls. Frank tried to do the same but also got hit up with charges that Schurr managed to maneuver in order to clog the lanes.

By the end of the contest, Man, Frank, and David all fouled out of the game. During my time on the court, I kept getting called for hand checks which frustrated me beyond measure. One referee told me to get my hands completely off of the player I was defending when I was simply denying the ball. At the minute mark of the game, I continued to play may guy tightly. I do not care what time is left on the clock, if there is still time left, I am going to play the toughest defense I possibly can regardless of the evident outcome of the game. At this point, the referee on the baseline asked me what I was still doing, he wanted me to ease up and let the game run its course. He told me to lay off my defender, I was really lost for words.

The Schurr game was one of the worst officiated games that I had ever experienced but at the same time we knew that we did not respond to their aggressiveness in the right way. We tried to play aggressive but in reality we were playing with frustration. In addition, we were not playing the defense correctly. Instead of running our sets to find open guys and the best options, we ran our offense through the motions; Coach said we played much like robots and that had to stop. Within the first two games, we were down, 0-2.

Having dropped two games with a margin of over 20 points, it was difficult to think that the season was going to turn around ever so quickly. We had Bell Gardens in another road game but we did not look ready for them. We ran a decent practice but the shear size of the Lancers knocked us off our feet. We are quite a small team but Bell Gardens size only lengthened our disadvantage.

There post players were hustling for the boards and we were getting beat up in the paint. Gonzalez was the only true center on our team and really had no support. In the past, we have been able to beat Bell Gardens with our speed and efficient shooting but that night was not our night. Buckets were not falling for us and fans were going crazy for them.

Now the first three were done. We were 0-3 and heading into yet another upsetting season. I cannot simply point fingers and point a blame on anyone because we were really all at fault but at the time, we could not see that. The upperclassmen felt like the lower classmen did not deserve the playing time that they were receiving and that they were being blamed for the mistakes of the lower classmen while the lower classmen while most of the players in general blamed Coach Jay from attempting to always play an inside-out game when we were clearly much smaller than most teams while Coach Jay argued that if we quit trying to do our own thing and if we set up the offense properly, than we would not be down three games.

It was a back and forth and we failed to work closer together. With each loss, the team needed to be a team more than ever but the relationship between upperclassmen and lower classmen, players to coaches seem to be breaking faster than ever.

    

COMMENTARY: Despite the departure of Kevin Love, Minnesota gains critical talent for a major team rebuild

Although the departure of Kevin Love will likely leave a giant void to fill for the Minnesota Timberwolves, the team is not as bad off as many may think. With the potential in Andrew Wiggins and Anthony Bennett, the Wolves are headed into the 2014-2015 season with quite an interesting line-up.

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Wiggins is expected to put up big numbers this season based off of his exceptional numbers he had already averaged with Kansas this past collegiate year. Wiggins is lengthy and athletic which gives him the ability to effectively put the ball on the floor and really do some damage driving into the lanes. He is an exciting player and his future with the franchise seems to be one in the making.

At 19-years old, Wiggins is way too young to be an immediate leader. However, his energy and youth will help Minnesota keep up and at least contend with other similarly situated teams around the league. As a Freshman for Kansas, Wiggins was already capable of putting up 17.1 points per game and there is no reason why he cannot expand his game in the NBA. Without much other options on the offense, he will have plenty of space to grow and find his comfort zones on the court. There will be plenty of eyes on the 6'8'' rookie but with the sort of coverage the Canadian baller has already embraced thus far, the media and hype should be the least of his worries.

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Unlike Wiggins, Bennett is making his way into his sophomore year in the league. The 2013 first round pick of the NBA had a measly rookie campaign with the Cavaliers, averaging only 4.2 points per game within 12.8 minutes a night. Many have stated that Bennett belongs to the class of NBA players who turned out to be major draft busts but at the same time, the 21-year old small forward still has plenty of time in his career to turn the ship around and show his full capacity as a NBA player. Alongside Wiggins, Bennett may potentially start and in turn, will have much more opportunities to display his talent on the floor. Who knows, perhaps Wiggins and Bennett will form the ultimate Canadian Tandem that will shake the NBA next season.

In addition, the Timberwolves picked up an insanely athletic shooting guard in Zach Lavine. The UCLA guard is known for his crazy hops which he had gladly demonstrated for the NBA during a workout for the Los Angeles Lakers earlier this season. Moreover, Lavine is a relentless slasher who takes it hard to the basket anytime he is able to find some wiggle room in the paint. He is likely going to be a great back up reserve off the bench; an energy guy like Shannon Brown or Gerald Green who could force defenses to collapse.

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As part of the Kevin Love trade, the Wolves also picked up veteran power forward Thaddeus Young who will likely aid Nikola Pekovic in relieving the front court. Young is able to put up mid-range jumpers on an efficient basis which will allow the offense to spread the floor as well as providing Pekovic with more space to operate in the paint. Without a large front court, Minnesota is likely going to play small ball this season and Young fits perfectly into the rebuilding process that the team is undergoing.

Now with these new additions to the team, one must not forget the current ballplayers already on the squad. Veterans including Corey Brewer, Mo Williams, Kevin Martin, Ronny Turiaf, and Ricky Rubio are under contract with the team and will likely prove to be the primary leaders for the team moving forward.

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This is the perfect time for Rubio to assert himself as a dominant point guard who the Wolves can seriously build around. Rubio has been in the league long enough to understand the frustrations of losing out on numerous opportunities to compete in the playoffs and if he is serious about his future in the league, he will definitely work to be the voice that Minnesota so desperately needs; he could be the leader that many expects him to be and if not, well what is wrong with trying it out? With the sort of season approaching, the Wolves have nothing to lose.

In all, Minnesota will not likely make frequent headlines on NBA.com but they do have players that could stir the ship towards the right direction. The Wolves have a future, they just have to work to see it for themselves.

 

Throwback Thursday: The Dream Team

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In the wake of Team USA's second dominate exhibition victory over the Dominican Republic, it is only appropriate to reminisce and remember the formation of one of the greatest teams ever assembled in the history of sports: the 1992 Men's Olympic Basketball Team also referred to as the Dream Team. The legendary line-up included eleven future hall of famers, six of which would go on to win at least one NBA championship with their respective teams.

After losing out on the gold medal in the 1988 Olympic games, the men's basketball team looked to regroup and find a new formula of success as the rest of the world began to make huge strides in the sport. As European stars were allowed to play and represent their countries, Team USA had only been allowed to construct rosters out of amateur players that were still playing in college. The loss in 1988 hit hard and only increased debate on whether or not players from the pros may join the Olympic team roster for the next Olympic games.

In the Spring of 1989, things began to take a turn as Borislav Stankovic of FIBA finally got his wishes to supply active NBA players for the 1992 U.S. team roster. Stankovic had longed for the inclusion of NBA players as he felt it would only do a huge service to the sport and increase its popularity on a global scale. NBA commissioner David Stern was on board with the idea; some of the players were less than thrilled.

Michael Jordan, who had already helped the United States take home gold in the 1984 Olympics was skeptical about joining the team and needed much more than just a simple request to get him over to Barcelona. Jordan wanted to be sure that there were other prominent players on the roster before he joined, he did not want to be the only NBA player on the team.

 Fortunately Earvin "Magic" Johnson was more than welcome to take a spot on the team. Johnson was approaching the end of his historic career and felt that the potential of playing on the team alongside ballplayers that he had already respected for a long time coming, players like Larry Bird who Johnson had established a legendary rivalry with in the '80s. Johnson would finally have the opportunity to spend time and play alongside some of the best players he knew, an opportunity that he never had while chasing NBA titles every season; Bird had the exact same feeling, understanding that his career was closing out, he also wanted an opportunity to play with other admirable players, especially Johnson.

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As Johnson and Bird were on board, John Stockton, Karl Malone, Patrick Ewing, Chris Mullen, David Robinson, Charles Barkley, Scottie Pippen, and Michael Jordan officially rounded out the roster by September 21, 1991.

Later on, Clyde Drexler and Christian Laettner, the only player to come fresh out of his senior year in college, completed the roster by May 12, 1992. The Dream Team was officially assembled and would be coached by the Detroit Pistons head coach Chuck Daly, a man known to deal with various personalities. Daly was the coach of the so-called Detriot "Bad Boys," a team despised by many players in the NBA for their dirty and overly aggressive playing style; Jordan was one of the many who openly shown his discontent in the playing style of the Pistons lead by Isaiah Thomas.

When Thomas was excluded from the roster, many had begun to speculate that Jordan's presence on the team had lead to the exclusion of the infamous point guard. For a while, Isaiah Thomas questions flooded the media and became the forefront of most headlines surrounding Team USA. This is quite possibly the reason why Jordan declined Daly's suggestion of being the captain and face of the squad; instead, Johnson and Bird took up the reigns as the team's co-captains. Pretty soon eleven hall of famers and a NCAA champion packed their bags and headed to La Jolla, California for their first scrimmage against a couple of NCAA all-stars.

Heading into early training, Coach Daly knew that the Dream Team consisted of players who were all probably over their heads. They all had outstanding careers and already established their positions as great basketball players in the eyes of many, including themselves. Coach Daly knew that the team needed to understand that they were not unstoppable, that in any given day, they could falter. So, during a scrimmage against a very young collegiate team full of players who would soon make a name for themselves, guys like Grant Hill, Penny Hardaway, and Chris Webber, Coach Daly limited Jordan's playing time and made awkward substitutions to throw the game, the NCAA all-stars won the contest, 62-54. The scrimmage was a slap to the face and many of the players began to understand the importance of togetherness and working at a high level regardless of the score at any point in any game.

Ever since the scrimmage there was no turning back. The Dream Team went on to dominate in the Tournament of Americas, a tournament that the team needed to do dominate in order to qualify for the Barcelona games.

The team's success was already expected, given the fact that the team had such potential and had already developed a sort of power house label from the very start. What was unexpected was the awe and amount of respect that the opposing team had for them, opting to take pictures with the Americans before and after the contests. At one point during a contest, one of the opposing players took the time he had in between free throws to shake Johnson's hand. The admiration from these teams only showed the importance and the legacy that the Dream Team was about to leave behind for the world to see. By the end of the tournament, the team had beaten their opponents by a margin of fifty points and higher; the dominating did not stop yet.

In Barcelona, the team would cruise to the gold medal game against Croatia, a game that was won by a margin of 32, 117-85, the closest that any team got in contest against the Americans.

The most important aspect of the Dream Team was not the fact that they dominated the way they did nor was it the flashy playing style that they ignited every night they set out to play. The fact that they all banded together as ambassadors of the game is what made the team so great. Many from all around the world got to see the Dream Team play their spectacular games which inspired them to play at a top level themselves. Because of the team, the popularity of basketball increased and reached out globally, touching areas of the world that may have not been as fond of the game before.

As the start of FIBA is coming close, I think that it is fair to say that there will never be a team as great as the 1992 Dream Team in terms of international competition, however, that same drive and passion for the sport is present all around the world and that is because of the 1992 team that not only struck gold, but inspired billions all around the world  




 

A Tale From the Sidelines Part Nine: Finale.

(Continued from Part Eight: Reality Check.)

After a lackluster season, I quickly learned that sometimes expectations cannot be met, regardless of how hard one may try. I found that the important part of it all was not to beat ourselves up for not meeting those goals but reflecting on the effort that we gave to reach them. If we look back and see that we have not much to get to where we are, then that is something to be ashamed about, but if we look back and we see that we gave it our all out on the court, then that is something that we should always be proud about. I felt a little bit of both by the end of my third season in the program.

I felt that I had the potential to push my teammates and myself forward, to step away from my comfort zone and try to lead them the best that I possibly could but that moment never really happened. The season went on with everyone trying to play for themselves, there was really no cohesion or togetherness. At the same time, I hustled and gave my best effort to assert myself as a prominent defender on the team and I believe that I had done the best that I possibly could. I eventually ran out of gas towards the latter part of the season but I worked hard every game.

Now I was coming into my senior year and the future of my short basketball career was placed up in the air once more. After three consecutive years of fighting for playing time, I did not know if there was any more gas left in the tank or more importantly, a motive to keep playing. I had found a new passion for journalism and steadily earned the position as a sports editor for the school paper while nothing was certain when I stepped into the Matador arena.

There were just so many question marks surrounding the final season and I had nothing to really grasp onto, but after some deliberation and thought, I came to the conclusion that I had already dedicated three years to the program and if I left the team now, I would have wasted three years of my high school career. It was not right, not a fitting ending to the work that I had already but into the program, so I decided to stay, leaving the future to go in whatever direction it goes.

After starting the entire season in Junior Varsity, I was really up for anything. I had a taste of being a starter and it felt good but in all honesty as a role player, it did not feel any different than being a reserve. If I started for the team than that would be awesome and if I did not, well then I was fine with that.

When Summer league began, Coach Jay had placed me as a starter and felt good. This year, Coach Jay had entered our team into two different leagues to give us more games to practice in hopes that we would shake off the cobwebs early and get going once the season really started. We were going to play two games, back-to-back for a good four to five weeks. The first game would be played at Don Bosco Tech followed by another game at Arroyo High.

Prior to our first contest, the butterflies were kicking in. I had never played Varsity basketball before and the feeling was a bit daunting. During warm-ups, my stomach seemed to be winning the battle and at the tip, I felt like I was going to hurl.

They won the tip and I was at the top of the key, guarding the point guard. He was good, but he was not going to get by me, I made sure that he worked for every shot that he got. I was never really a fan of gambling or reaching, just staying face to face with the defender, wearing him out until he needed a sub. I was able to contain him for the majority of the opening minutes of the game, but our bigs were giving up defensive boards and that was costing us. The team had second chance opportunities on three consecutive possessions, and down the stretch, their efforts would allow them to win the game.

We really had no time to sulk in our loss as we had to play our second game right after the final buzzer of our first. We packed our bags and raced over to the Arroyo Knight's home turf for our second contest. The butterflies were already out of me by the start of the game against the Knights so I jumped right into it.

the point guard was very crafty and quick but I managed to stay tight on him. He had a good cross over that managed to shake me off every time but I was persistent and stuck close to him. At the five minute mark, I was winded and had to be subbed out for a breather. The game was close and it stayed that way for the reminder of the game. I got back in at the start of the third but this was not my game. Our team needed some scorers and I was not the right player to provide any sort of offensive support. My offense is very unorthodox; I do not have a three-point shot or any flashy cross over move to drive to the basket. When I drive in, its a simple dribble and two step lay-up; the only consistent jumper that I can manage to pull up is the mid range shot by the corner of the free throw line.

After playing a couple of minutes in the third and fourth, I was subbed out for guys who were good at putting the ball into the basket. The game went down to the wire and we were on the losing end. We were down by two with five seconds to go when our point guard Anthony Ponce drove in a did a slow running floater that dropped into the basket.

In overtime, both teams kept it close, trading basket after basket until one of the Knights managed to throw up a clean three-pointer that seemed to be the dagger. However, our team captain Man Nong had other plans. He set himself up at the top of the key, took two screens and hit a fading three point shot leaning towards the right side of the arc. Bang!

Our bench went nuts as we cheered at the heroics of Ponce and Nong as they were literally carrying the team. Nong had to sit out of the second overtime given the fact that he had an awkward landing and began to feel a bit of pain in his chest and lungs. The second overtime was as intense as the first two. Arroyo was desperate for the win, they felt like they just could not seem to but us away. Every time they got out on a five point lead we would come right back with a few lay-ups and jump shots.

They got a bit anxious and got out of hand by the two minute mark of the quarter. We took advantage of it and decided to jump out on them. Guard Kyle Che who won the MVP award for the JV year put the game away with his long range jump shot. We won the game by three.

The team played together and that was really all that I cared about. I felt the unity and the joy in us and it all felt good. I was so excited and pumped, even though I sat on the bench, the fact that we were working together got me going. This is what team sports are meant to be all about: each other. The rest of the Summer League was pretty atrocious. We had a couple of great games but the rest were some that we wanted to forget about quickly.

Nonetheless, the team was composed of eight seniors and seven underclassmen that learned to get along. The underclassmen worked hard during practice to earn their minutes and the upperclassmen tried to keep everyone in check. The chemistry of the team was not perfect as we occasionally argued and fought but for the most part, it was at the best that it possibly could be.

We may not have had a great Summer League but that was expected (after three years of playing for San Gabriel, we all knew this). What is important is how we used that time to find the right attitude to approach the upcoming season. We did not know what to expect about the regular season but we did know we had the potential to be a great team in its own right.


  

Ice Bucket Challenge continues to draw well-needed attention for ALS research

As celebrities and television personalities continue to show their support for ALS research, the Ice Bucket Challenge has quickly extended to the sports world. During this past week, athletes from all around the world and across different sports have generously poured ice-cold buckets of water over their heads for a great cause.

According to the ALS Association (you may find more information at alsa.org), Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, is a horrible progressive degenerative disease that effects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. Motor neurons, which reach from the brain to the spinal cord and from the spinal cord to the muscles in the body, often die which causes the brain to lose its ability to control muscle movement. This often may lead patients to become totally paralyzed in the latter stages of the disease. Although there have been treatment to slow down the progress of ALS in patients, extended research is required to find a cure. The ice bucket challenge helps spread awareness for ALS research and encourages many to donate to the research in hopes that someday a cure could be discovered.

The challenge starts with an individual or group who would go on with the challenge before naming three individuals who they would like to see take it on. The three individuals would subsequently have 24 hours to either dump a bucket of ice water over their heads or make a donation to the ALS Association at alsa.org or do both as many already have.

All over the internet, one may find footage and pictures of the likes of major football stars like Payton Manning or the entire New York Jets squad as they get soaked and drenched. Soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo has recently took on the challenge and has called out Beyonce, Jennifer Lopez, and Lil Wayne. Even WWE Executive and former pro wrestling star Triple H has actively participated, challenging his father in-law and WWE Chairman Vince McMahon who has already responded.

Given the fact that this is primarily a blog focusing on basketball, I could not leave out the fact that Kevin Durant, LeBron James, Chris Paul, Kobe Bryant, the entire USA basketball team, and many more active NBA players have already accepted the challenge. It is pretty hard to pinpoint who has challenged who and where everything starts but it is always nice to see numerous communities, organizations, and individuals who are willing to spare a couple of minutes to spread awareness and to donate to a great cause. Take a look at some of the compilation of NBA greats and what they have done to show their support:

Video Courtesy of Ashok Gamer via YouTube

I think that the ALS Ice Bucket challenge is only one of many examples of how the social media can spread support and well-needed media attention to those organizations that need it the most. These are the moments where we all have to accept the fact that the social media can be be a positive and powerful tool to be utilized for the betterment of our communities; it is really up to the people to dictate what they do with that power.

Once again, for or more information on ALS research and to donate, visit alsa.org.

Throwback Thursday: Laker Great Mychal Thompson

Photo Courtesy of Mike Powell-Allsports

Power forward Mychal Thompson was already considered a great player during his days in Portland and San Antonio but when the savy veteran came to the Lakers franchise, he definitely solidified his career as a solid competitor who had just the right size and length to complement the Lakers fast break offense.

Thompson was chosen by the Portland Trailblazers as the first pick of the 1978 draft. Thompson's rookie season was already a productive one as he averaged 14.7 points and 8.3 rebounds a night. His best season came in the 1981-1982 campaign when his numbers hiked up to 20.8 points and 11.7 total rebounds per game. After seven years in Portland, the team found itself in a rebuilding period and decided to let Thompson go. In 1986, he was eventually picked up by the Spurs and played 49 games with them until his name was, once again, placed on the trading block. Thompson was a 32 year old veteran with eight years under his belt, the Spurs were looking for younger players to develop as their team was looking at a long stretch of improvement and development to come.

Meanwhile, the Lakers were in need of a smart and lengthy big man who could possibly relief Kareem Abdul-Jabaar in games that may go down the stretch. General Manager Jerry West, Coach Pat Riley and point guard Earvin "Magic" Johnson all knew that Thompson was the perfect fit for their team. After being eliminated in the Western Conference by the Houston Rockets in the previous season, the franchise went into the off season looking for players that could potentially improve the Lakers and get them back to the championship caliber form they were in 1985. Thompson was a player that was always on their radar but nothing ever seemed to go into fruition. In all turned around in the month of February in 1987, when the Lakers managed to trade Steve Johnson and a couple of draft picks for Thompson.

Coach Riley was stoked and Thompson did not upset. Playing in only 33 contests as a Laker reserve, Thompson picked up 10.1 points and 4.1 rebounds a night. He was the player that the Lakers needed to defeat an aggressive Boston Celtics team, a player who was willing to go alongside Kareem, Kurt Rambis and A.C. Green in boxing out and fighting for loose balls and rebounds.

Photo Courtesy of dailymail.co.uk

One of Thompson's biggest assets was his ability to run the floor which was perfect for the Show Time brand of basketball. He applied much pressure to his defenders with his speed and agility to loop around screens. Standing at 6'10'' and weighing only 226 lbs, Thompson was a nightmare to chase around for any big man.

In game four of the 1987 NBA Finals against the Celtics, Thompson's shining moment came during a hustle play in which he was able to deflect the ball off of Kevin Mchale's hands after Kareem had missed a free throw. Trailing by one with seven seconds to go, Thompson had given the Lakers another opportunity on the offensive end, the opportunity that turned out to be Johnson's legendary running hook over Mchale, Robert Parish, and Larry Bird which put away the game, 107-106.

Thompson would go on to win the 1987 championship with the Lakers and would manage to come back the next year for a repeat in 1988. The Veteran would play five seasons with the purple and gold before retiring in 1991.

Thompson is currently a television analyst and commentator for the Golden State Warriors, the team that his son, Klay Thompson, currently plays for.
        

A Tale From the Sidelines Part Eight: Reality Check

(Continued from Part Seven: The Lost Summer)

At the start of the pre-season, I had a new mindset and approach to the game that I held confidently to. I knew my strong suite was on the defensive end and that was the skill set that I knew would have to bolster my entire game. However, given the fact that it would be my second year on the team, I knew that I would have to step up my game as a leader on the team.

We had a couple of players on the team who have not been given much playing time their freshman year so it was a huge opportunity for me to become a great leader. Now I knew that the guys were not possibly going to pick up anything from my game on the offensive end, but I did not expect them to. As a matter of fact, during the course of the season, I would soon learn that they would actually teach me a thing or two. However, I hoped to lead the team and encourage them to play better on the defensive end. I am not a very vocal person so I decided to push myself even harder on the defensive end during practice and in games to set good examples. Too bad it never really caught on.

Pretty soon, we had our first contest of the pre-season and all of us were still in square one, ultimately individuals on a regulated team. Our head coach turned out to be Coach Jones, San Gabriel's former Varsity football coach who took his teams to two consecutive CIF contests. Coach Jones proved that he is very capable of leading a football team but after a few years, Coach just decided to fall back on teaching mathematics which he had already been doing along with coaching. Having coached the Varsity girls basketball team for a season or two, it was clear that Coach Jones was not only a great football coach but was also a seriously exceptional basketball coach during his brief stints. With our season approaching and without a head coach, it was only logical to give the reigns to Coach Jones.

Coach Jones is a great "effort" coach which means that he loves to emphasize effort plays and hustle over anything. He is clearly an optimist and brings nothing but positivity but he came to our team just a few weeks shy from the start of the pre-season. We had spent the entire summer training camp without any real coach and so given these circumstances, it was pretty clear that our team was not really prepared for the first contest yet alone the regular season. I have to say, we sill but up quite a fight.

During that opening night, I was in the best shape defensively than I have ever felt. I was also in high spirits after Coach Jones had announced that I was going to start the game after months of coming off the bench.

The game itself picked up pace relatively quickly. People often get heat checks on the offensive end of the floor but I think I got on steady momentum runs defensively. On one play I was able to force a turnover from the point guard off a five second count (in high school basketball, one player may not hold the ball past a five second count) and on the following play I stripped the ball from the same guard which ended up deflecting off his leg; then I forced a 10 second, half court violation. I screamed and yelled "let's go!" to my teammates. I was hyped and excited to be out there but that was not enough. Our offense was sloppy and all over the place; our team defense was still atrocious; rebounding was out of the question.

That opening game defined the rest of the pre-season for the team and it really did not look pretty. Some of the guys really stepped it up their scoring game like sharp shooter Kyle Che who was really firing on all cylinders while sophomore Javier Bobadilla was growing into his potential has a scoring and rebounding machine at the center position, but we were playing out of sync and not like a unit. It felt like freshman year all over again, as though we threw away everything that we learned about cohesion and balance in what basketball is really about: a game played collectively.

By the end of the pre-season, our team had only won a single game over Mountain View. Things did not look too good as we were opening the regular season against Mark Keppel on our home floor. Keppel is the most elite team in our team and we were not ready for them. All of my defensive magic evaporated quickly and I turned into a mediocre player incapable of getting the guys together.

The entire campaign was a bust but it was critical for me to further understand and at least attempt my boundaries. I now knew that I was not a person capable of seriously getting a team together; I was a person who played a great role on the team and in an essence, that was enough for me. We all take different things out of a season and I learned a lot from the experience of actually being an intricate and huge part of the team. There was quite a lot of pressure and I really could not handle that responsibility of getting on the players when they needed a push. I already knew my role and the season helped me understand that. It was great to step beyond those boundaries and playing a second year on Junior Varsity was a great opportunity that I did not and will not regret.

Some of the other guys had great outbreaks in the season to. Che and Bobadilla may have started up the chain of great performances but players like Carlos Olivares and Brandon Miramontes emerged as the season progressed. The younger players were finding their confidence and the balance in playing time was the best that I have ever seen. Coach Jones really knows the importance of keeping his word, he told us that those who worked hard and hustled will get time and that was that. Every night was different and because of this, different players were matched up with the appropriate assignments.

What we lacked was time together and that cost us more than anything. We had a team of people who have not worked or played together and we did not have enough time to build the type of unity that we needed to get together and make a consistent effort. We did not play for each other until it was all too late. However, we all came out of the season with much learned lessons and a sense of maturity that would help us progress with the years of high school basketball to come. As a junior, this meant that I really had one more year, one more season to make a difference before the end of the competitive basketball journey that I had built for the last three years.

Off-Season Prediction: How the Los Angeles Lakers have a shot at taking the 7th or 8th spot of the NBA playoffs

Photo Courtesy of lakernation.com

 Although the NBA season has not officially started, many have already begun to count out the purple and gold from playoff contention, naming the coming season yet another "rebuilding period" for the struggling storied franchise. However, the Lakers' off season moves and pick ups have given them a decent team consisting of a few veterans very capable of leading a young and athletic squad. With the signing of a solid head coach in Byron Scott, who knows how far the team may actually go this year.

Last year, guards Steve Nash and Kobe Bryant, the prevalent leaders of the Lakers, were hobbled by injuries which left the responsibilities to a team full of young and inexperienced players with the majority signed to one year contracts. This year, the Lakers athletic trainer, Gary Viti, has announced that both Nash and Bryant are 100 percent and ready to go for the coming year, which means that there may potentially be quite a backcourt full of experience that younger athletes on the team may take advantage of.

Nash may be seeing to some reduced playing time as he packs in his 19th (and probably final) NBA season but his worth to the team may very well take place behind the scenes and in the team's practice facility where he may help guards like Jeremy Lin and Jordan Clarkson develop important skills any point guard would need moving forward and competing with other elite players in the league. Just ask Goran Dragic, he will probably give you all the details on Nash's influence on his game.

Photo Courtesy of Christian Peterson-Getty Images

Having missed the majority of the season last year, it is definite that Bryant will come back with an aggressive mentality. Although I do not think that Bryant will be the same guard we have seen over the past 18 years of his illustrious career, I still think that he has enough gas left in the tank to be a major threat on the floor. His work ethic and expectations for his teammates has defined his character over the years and this will only help his team get better. It will take Bryant some games to get used to his teammates but the five-time NBA champ has enough experience to adapt and come back into the regular flow of the game promptly.

Photo Courtesy of Andrew D. Bernstein-Getty Images

Now do not get me wrong, the Lakers still have a lot of youth on the roster that consists of players who are likely to stick around for a year or two, but these players are not playing to play or impress other teams that may potentially pick them up next year, they are now playing behind veterans who are hungry for a NBA championship, veterans that are running out of time.

With the addition of effective bigs in Carlos Boozer and Ed Davis, the return of Nick Young, Wesley Johnson, and Xavier Henry, and a huge prospect in Julius Randle, the Lakers are not looking completely the same has the rag-tag team assembled last year. The guys who are returning have had an entire year working together and growing together, the newcomers are excited and eager to play with the veterans, and the veterans are hungry for a championship before their careers are all said and done. The formula may still be uncertain and there are still a lot of question marks surrounding the team but the build during the off season has looked quite decent thus far.

Photo Courtesy of fancloud.com

In addition, the Lakers are not too far off in contending with the other Western Conference squads. It is obvious that the San Antonio Spurs, Oklahoma City Thunder, Golden State Warriors, and the Memphis Grizzlies are sure to make the top spots in the playoffs and give the Lakers a very tough time, but most of the other teams are very capable of defeating.

The Los Angeles Clippers are probably going to make the playoffs in the third or fourth slot given the play of their very dominate front court. However, the team has proven to be quite inconsistent and sloppy at times (note the fact that the Lakers pulled out a victory over the Clippers in the season opener last year). The Lakers could definitely steal some games over their cross town foes with any given moment.

Houston has lost some talent with the departure of Omer Asik, Chandler Parsons, and Jeremy Lin while also adding in some serious drama within the franchise in the wake of the whole James Harden-Dwight Howard "Cornerstones" conflict. The Rockets are still quite a tough team but the Lakers may also snag a win from them.

The Utah Jazz, Sacramento Kings, Dallas Mavericks and Phoenix Suns are all loaded with relatively young talent that are in similar predicaments as the purple and gold. These are the teams that will be fighting very hard to slip into the post-season, so the Lakers will have to make a statement to these teams early on.

Most importantly, Los Angeles has to be able to defeat the teams that know they can. The Minnesota Timberwolves have picked up a huge name in Andrew Wiggins and the New Orleans Pelicans still have the skills at the center position in Anthony Davis but these games are games that the purple and gold can put away with the talent they currently hold in their roster.

With this all being said. The outline of the Los Angeles Lakers are seriously unknown but Laker fans must trust in their team in the process moving forward. As a basketball city, fans tend to be quite impatient with these periods of ambiguity and may lack patience. All in all, fans should not expect an easy season, the Lakers are going to have to fight pretty hard to get into playoff contention and there will definitely be times of struggle but I think that with the potential in the roster and coaching staff, perhaps this year, the Los Angeles Lakers will surprise a lot of people.

COMMENTARY:NBA Basketball: One-on-one spectacle over team sport

Photo Courtesy of slamonline.com

Basketball is not the same as it used to be. I am pretty sure that anyone who genuinely watches the game as an avid fan can see this. Having played for a program in high school, I have learned to appreciate particular aspects of the game that I feel have been long gone and its quite depressing.

As anyone can see through the hike in individual endorsements and marketing ploys of the current stars of the NBA, there are no doubt that basketball is a highly mainstream sport that is beginning to invest in the components of the teams rather than the teams themselves. People seem to be forgetting that basketball is, in itself, a team sport that involves five players going head to head with another five.

 More and more people are discussing how particular players could dominate the league or who is better in one-on-one situations rather than engaging in heartfelt conversations of that concern the entire squadron.

This bothers me and is a huge reason why I have developed the idea of starting a blog like this; a blog where I could find some time to address aspects of the game that I feel may be lost including the idea of teamwork and selflessness in the sport. This blog is also dedicated to the hardworking players that may be overlooked or overshadowed by the greatness of those who have already established a particular lovable character along with their skills to bring to the fans.

Sure, gifted players are entitled to the recognition that they receive but there has been an influx and abnormal focus on these individuals that are not evident in other sports. When we think soccer, football, and baseball, there are sure to be names that come up almost instantaneously but we all generally acknowledge the fact that they are nothing with their teams. However, for basketball, particular names come up and people feel that the team cannot thrive without that player.

For instance, once LeBron James set off for Cleveland and left Miami in the dust, some fans already feel that the Heat may be out of contention for the championship title already! It is crazy how fast fan bases are willing to give up. The media is also another outlet to pay close attention to in this obsession for star status players.

Photo Courtesy of Andy Lyons-Getty Images

The San Antonio Spurs may be the only team that comes closest to sharing their success amongst its entire team. They occasionally have veterans Tim Duncan and Tony Parker to headline their portion of media coverage but they are ultimately your model for what a team should look like. Although Duncan and Parker are placed as the helm for the squad, the duo does not really detract or take from the attention that the rest of the guys on the team may receive. Despite winning the championship the best way a franchise could possibly have, it is funny how the Spurs have not received much media attention this summer.

Instead, we have seen the influx of coverage on James, despite the fact that he has already made his decision to return to Cleveland. By simply searching the web, one may find stories on James' weight loss, James returning to his originally "23" jersey, or James hanging out with Johnny Manziel.

Photo Courtesy of nikebasketball.com

I cannot remember the last time that team work reigned higher in concern than individual talent but I would say that the most noticeable transition must have been during the Era of Michael Jordan. Although basketball greats such as Earvin "Magic" Johnson and Larry Bird made much headway during their prime, their names were not often singled out as much as Jordan and his brand of basketball. When Johnson's name was mentioned, it was often accompanied by the likes of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Cooper, James Worthy, Byron Scott, and much more. When Larry Bird's name got the call, it was shared with Kevin Mchale, Robert Parish, and Danny Ainge.

Photo Courtesy of Jerry Wachter-Getty Images

These were the days when headlines often read 'The Los Angeles Lakers and Johnson' or Boston Celtics and Bird' rather than 'Jordan's Bulls.' Okay, maybe this is a bit of an over exaggeration on my part but all I am trying to say is that the image of basketball has grown to be way to individualistic and it has hurt the image and prestige of the sport.

Children who are starting to play the sport at a younger age are starting to try to emulate their favorite players. They often prefer to run much more isolation plays than rotating the ball and playing as a team. I thought that the whole essence of team sports, well for children, was to contribute to the betterment of the team. I thought that the true lesson was to be able to learn to be willing to make an extra pass to ensure that the team gets the best look on the offense and to actually play some defense.

It is disheartening to play any sort of pickup games at the park nowadays given the fact that once the ball is in bounded to a particular player, that player is likely going to be the one to take the shot. Everyone just wants to take it all on their own and that is that.

When I speak to colleagues and friends who love soccer, baseball, hockey or football over basketball, I often ask them why they may not like basketball, they often scoff before telling me that the game is inflated with individual play, marketing ploys, and is simply way too mainstream.

People who loyally support other team sports have lost their respect in basketball and it really is hard to overlook the flaws of these particular qualities of the sport in its modern era. While professional soccer, baseball, hockey and football are highly entertaining, they are still respected as highly competitive sports that require everyone's cooperation and assignments whereas basketball leaves enough room for an individual player or recognizable face to show boat every night.

I love the game and although the highly competitive end of it is over for me, I still enjoy to play recreationally and watch the pros. However, it is difficult to swallow when other sports seem to bask in their organizations cohesiveness and unity while basketball chooses to highlight only glimpses of a particular group of talent and not the complete potential of their respective teams.

A Tale From the Sidelines Part Seven: The Lost Summer

(Continued from Part Six: When It Hits)

The departure of Coach Tri left a lot of question marks pertaining to where next season would hold. I was now a junior with a better mindset for the game and really had a lot of potential. I knew this because Coach Jay began to place me in many more workouts with the varsity squad which was supposed to make me quite happy but it did not.

I noticed that although Coach Jay was generous with minutes when it comes to the Summer League, he was not so enthusiastic about giving equal playing time during the regular season. He was also a coach that was not a big fan of substitutions and giving his starting five much breathers. As a junior entering into a squad primarily dominated and filled out by seniors, I might as well find my favorite seat on the sidelines to enjoy the show.

However, I decided to keep quite and stick with the varsity squad going into my second Summer League under Coach Jay's playbook. I guess I was hoping that playing the Summer League would allow Coach to give me a chance; he would be able to see my game and how much it has grown from the previous year which followed my very unproductive freshman year. Coach Jay gave me the opportunity to improve last season and gave Coach Tri a good word about the defense that I was very capable of playing. He put me on the map and gave me the chance to play and I was grateful for that. I was hoping that this summer would be the "reboot part 2" or something. Well, long story short, it was not.

With much more players getting entering their senior years, Coach Jay played most of the guys that would probably be at the receiving end of the minutes during the regular season as the younger guys who just finished a year in Junior Varsity would all watch from the sidelines for the majority of the games. I get Coach's decisions and in retrospect, I do not blame him for not giving the younger guys more opportunities; it was only logical for him to work on the guys that he has been working with for three years rather than players whom he has only seen for two years during the summer. But if this was the case, why not let us work out with a separate JV squad, why drag us all along the ride?

We were all told that practicing with Varsity would only build our strengths and that if we could surpass the effort of the Varsity players, perhaps we could earn a spot on the starting lineup of the best team in the San Gabriel High School Basketball program. We all knew that this was a bit far-fetched but we all had wide eyes and felt that perhaps there was nothing that could possibly hurt our game. I do not know about the other Junior Varsity players but for me, it all hurt my confidence.

During the Summer League, I did not perform anything close to the "improved player" that I was supposed to be. When I did check in, I could not do much with the time that I had on the floor. I played about five to eight minutes a game and simply guarded my assigned player, occasionally received the ball only to pass it back out, and that was it. There were no points scored, not much rebounds, occasionally a foul or turnover, and nothing else. To me, the Summer League ended quickly and in a whirl but I knew one thing for sure, I was seriously hoping to not make the Varsity team.

A lot of people do not understand the hardship it is to be in a Varsity team just to be in a Varsity team. As a member of Coach Tri's JV team, we would occasionally catch some of the Varsity games which were obviously played during the "prime-time" or 7:00 slot following our games. During these games, I get to see the anguish in the eyes of the players who basically sit on the bench and do not play a single minute in contest. I knew that feeling, I felt it first hand during my Freshman year and I was not about to go back to that, not after all that I had done to get to the status as a role player during the last campaign I was in.

I knew that Coach Jay wanted me to be a part of his Varsity squad. He liked my defense but I knew he did not trust my offense enough to allow me to play during the season. I saw this and I recognized this during the Summer League. He would put me in to guard the point guard for awhile, get the opposing players to get weary and when they were, I would be subbed back out. If that was my role during the Summer, if five to eight minutes were considered generous, then I knew that my role in Varsity would be a practice defender; to lay all my heart out to guard Phillip Ly, the current starting Varsity Point Guard at the time.

But I felt like I was worth more than just a practice player, I wanted to play basketball because that was what I had joined for in the first place. I knew my role and I knew my limitations as a player, but I felt good enough to play solid and consistent minutes that would not be available in the Varsity team. So as many of my teammates worked on in hope of earning a spot on the Varsity, I tried to think of ways to tell Coach Jay that I wanted to stay in JV.

This was surely going to be the hardest part. How can you possibly tell a coach, a coach who has seen potential in you for quite some time, that you want to stay on JV when you seriously may have a spot on Varsity? It was hard and unfortunately, I never told him.

I told one of the players on the Varsity team and during a drill which I had botched, the player had spilled the beans. He told coach, "He doesn't even want to be on Varsity, he wants time to improve on JV."

I still cringe at the memory of the moment when Coach J just bluntly looks of and tells me to go over to the other end of the court where the JV was practicing. He did not say a single word more. From that day on, I practiced with the JV team, always looking over at the Varsity end and thinking about the decision that I had made. It hurt at times but I knew that I had no real future with the Varsity team at that particular time. Now that I was in JV, I knew that when the moment came where I was ready to play for the Varsity squad, opportunities may not be as plentiful. I knew that Coach Jay would likely trust the other players in my class because they had stuck with him but if, for just one more year, I got to play basketball as an intricate part of the JV team, it would be all worth it, including the sacrifice of my spot on Varsity.

At the moment, I guess I just wanted to play basketball and JV would give me the opportunity to start. Looking back, I have no regrets about my decision to stay on JV, although I always beat myself up for not telling Coach Jay myself. I was scared, afraid, and not brave enough to approach him on my own, to let down a coach that had done so much for me.

But what was more important at the time was getting to know my younger teammates and what the course of the upcoming season would look like. I was the veteran on the team and I needed to bring my A-game. We were still coachless at the moment but we had a few weeks to get prepared, nevertheless. I got to work.

   

Commentary: Injuries are real consequences for "Super-Athletes"

In the spectrum of sports, especially in this modern era, we tend to spoil ourselves. We tend to believe that athletes are these super humans that have the capability of doing, achieving, and risking everything without consequences. Unfortunately, there are consequences and injuries happen to be the ones that keep us all in check; things that we do not want to necessarily foresee.

As avid fans of sports, we tend to get carried away. It is perfectly normal to be amazed and want more from athletes when they soar above the rim and manage to do tremendously difficult maneuvers in mid-air, for them to use their seemingly effortless stealth to get up and down the court. It is easy for these kind of athletes to receive instant praise and attention,but it is also easy to get hurt.

Photo Courtesy of Johnathan Daniel-Getty Images

I am not saying that dunking and acrobatic lay-ups and hard drives to the basket all lead to injuries but no one can ignore the increased possibilities of trying to attempt these maneuvers. It is funny how I am saying this given the fact that I am supposed to part of this new generation of sports fanatics that love the run and gun; quick-paced offensive force that has taken over the NBA as of late, but in all honesty, I am a fan of the "slow-it-down-and-run-some-offense" era of professional basketball. Because of this, I find it quite easy to compare the stars of the past and the new talents destined for success.

Given the way athletes have played in the past, many have been able to become valuable veterans who have stuck around the Association for quite some time; stars like Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan who have played through two-three different decades of basketball without major injuries until late in their careers, are testaments of this older era.

Now with this being said, think about the hike in injuries as of late. Franchise leaders like Derrick Rose and Russell Westbrook have dealt with their fair share of injuries early on in their illustrious careers. All that I am saying is that we, as fans, must have a better understanding of these consequences and not hold these athletes in such a high account for their skills. When Rose returns next season, I hope that nobody complains if he errs in the side of caution and slows down his game a bit. As much as he would love to please the fans with the same bounce, lets face it, we have seen the dangers of Rose playing too quickly.

And then their are the times where things just happen. Injuries like Paul George's and Kevin Ware's occur and it is horrible. They are reminders that anything can happen at any given time when playing a sport as active as basketball; it is a reminder that these athletes, these poster-boys are human too and their bodies are constantly at risk when they are performing out there. With all of this considered, I believe that we must be much more conscious of what athletes are actually capable of doing when they give all their energy and effort that they can to possibly win.

When we see that an athlete has slowed down a bit and may not drive as hard to the basket, lets not respond with an "ah-man" but rather recognize that athlete's wise decision to care for his or her body. Let us praise the individuals will power to return from those injuries and pray for those in recovery.

Let us not be selfish and care solely for the franchise and season, lets take the time to think and encourage athletes to keep making progress in their recovery, and when the do come back, lets cheer as loud as we possibly could.

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Injuries are a force of nature that, for the most part, are uncontrollable so it is important to be considerate when an athlete may refuse to play with the "super" hops they once had.

Vince Carter, the former 2000 dunk contest winner has not shown his athleticism for years and because of it, his popularity did take a dip. However, his care and caution following his knee injury has allowed him to stretch out his career as an effective back-up forward.

Nevertheless, lets stay open-minded guys and not hold players to such high regard, that way they may not feel over-pressured by the expectations, after all basketball is a game where anything can really happen.