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.