I must first start off by saying I'm sorry for not posting my many memories on the hottest site on the web. It's been extremely busy at work lately, which is good. Also, this is the only time I've been able to use the web(at work). Now Kristen and I finally(after 6 months) have internet capabilitys. Now one of these days I might pass Lel as the ultimate crawler. But this is not a blog so here we go.
During my four year run in high school my parents sent me to basketball camp every summer. It wasn't just any camp, this was the best in the nation. The players I went head to head with everyday are now in the N.B.A.
I must say I did hold my own for a little white boy from the C-Town. The camp took place at Robert Morris College in Pittsburg and brought out the best in teachers and players.
Syracuse was always my favorite school. It was a dream of mine to one day play for jim Bohiem and the Orangemen in upstate New York. On this particular day I was preparing for a game at camp. I noticed this older white man wearing a Syracuse jersey near our court. I started talking to him about the history of Syracuse basketball. I could tell he was impressed by my knowledge of the team history. He then told me that he was here because Syracuse was recruiting a shooting guard at camp. I ask who and found out I was going to be playing this guy in about ten minutes.
It was on. I had the perfect scenario to carry out my destiny that I had dreamed about for years. It was all on me to play the best game I could ever envision. To make it even more dramatic, I was matched up with this dude. I play shooting guard as well. I have always been a team player in basketball, but this game meant my future in this field, at least I thought.
Our team won the jump ball and I got the ball right away. I took a dribble and busted a jumper right in this kid's face. That's pretty much how the rest of the game went. I never made a mistake, and this kid was on me the whole time. My teamates couldn't believe it.
The game was tied with under 30 seconds left. The other team had the ball. This dude I'm guarding has the ball and I know he wants to take the shot. I get picked by this big 250 pound guy who ends up playing at Duke. My man gets free and hits a wide open jumper with little time left to put his team up by 2. Our squad has no timeouts left so we have to go with it. The ball is pushed up by our point guard and I recieve it about 4 feet after halfcourt. I grab the ball and realize I'm head to head against the person who is going to take the spot at Syracuse I've been dreaming about my whole life. The two dribbles I take leave me at the 3 point line at the left wing. I pull up and bust a three pointer right in the face of this dude. The buzzer goes off and it's like slow motion on the final shot of Hoosiers. Do you think I would write a depressing story here? Of course I hit the shot as time expires.
For someone who plays this sport a game winner is the most pleasing individual accomplishment. Needless to say the Syracuse scout loved me but told me I was too small. The guy I was lighting up all day was 6'3 and about 185. And by the way he got kicked off the team half way through his freshman year and is probally now selling crank on Jefferson avenue.
It all happens for a reason. I now am taking care of the greatest girl in the world, in the 2nd greatest city in the world(behind Detroit) and loving every second of it. ONE!
