Category: Basketball

The bad, the good, and the peacock

We lost the opening game of the finals in dramatic fashion. We were up big in the 4th and blew it at the end. I was invisible offensively and had a costly turnover with under a minute left. Then to top it off I broke my glass water bottle in the locker room. This is the same locker room where I broke the screen of my phone earlier in the year. I need to be very careful of what I bring to that cursed place next game.

I was thinking that night, “I wish there was something I could take to rid myself of this horrible, sinking, aching gloominess.” It gave me a better understanding of how people get hooked on pain killers. Thankfully I didn’t have any narcotics handy. I had to deal with the hurt the old-fashioned way, which for me involves staying on the internet until I literally can’t keep my eyes open and then falling asleep before the negative thoughts can overwhelm me. Continue reading “The bad, the good, and the peacock”

Going to the Chip!

We successfully fended off Yavne and punched our ticket to the best of 5 championship series. I was a little worried before the game because I saw that this man was in attendance.

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Does he not look like a movie villain? I consider this guy to be my Israeli arch nemesis. 2 years ago he was on the team that swept me out of the final four, last year he was on the team that handed me my only 2nd Division loss, and this year he was on the only team in the league to sweep us. Nothing good has ever come from being in the same gym as the one and only Guy Cohen. Continue reading “Going to the Chip!”

Playoff Update/ Book Reviews

We advanced to the final four. I played the second game of the first round series with a mask on. It was terrible. I was happy that the team gave me anything, but trust me that this mask was not meant to be worn during basketball games. It has these pads all over it that kill my peripheral vision. I felt like I was playing with glaucoma. Surprisingly, the most noticeable affect was on my ball handling. I never realized how much I actually rely on my peripheral vision when dribbling. Probably something I should work on.

I was so ineffective that game that I decided to chuck the mask for our first game against Yavne. My nose is still sore, and if I caught an elbow I would be down for the count, but I figured the chances of that happening twice in 4 games was slim. Not the best logic, but I’m trying to win a championship here, ya feel me.

I got a little nervous during the pre game introductions. I saw one of their players whispering to their assistant coach, and they both started staring at me. This team is notorious for hard fouls and tough defense, and I was praying they weren’t concocting a plot to “accidentally” hit me in the face. Continue reading “Playoff Update/ Book Reviews”

More Bad Luck

The bad luck continues. I broke my nose during the first quarter of Monday’s game after attempting to double team their big guy. This did not have the intended effect, because instead of passing the ball out he decided to move my face out of the way with his elbow. It did not feel good. I knew instantly my nose was broken, so I was just hoping I didn’t have a concussion. I felt pretty dazed for a while but I never felt nauseated and I never lost consciousness so I figured I was OK on the head injury front.

I contemplated going back in the game for the second half, but I got talked out of it by people who were thinking more clearly than I was. That ended up being the right decision because we won by 20. A total of 0 players from the other team asked if I was alright. Real classy Hod Hasheron. Hopefully we can beat them tonight at their place and advance to the semi-finals. I have to wear a mask. I’m hoping I pull a Richard Hamilton and love it so much that I wear it for years. Continue reading “More Bad Luck”

Practice Fight, Media Consumption

Practice got a little out of hand today. One guy made a drive to the basket, another guy hit him with a hard foul, and then they got in each others faces. Then, guy #1 had the audacity to put his hands on guy #2’s neck, sort of holding him back, in a gesture that said “im older than you, so you might want to back the F up.” Of course, that sent guy#2 into a frenzy, and fists started flying. I’ve always said that these Israelis get too comfortable putting their hands on and around peoples faces. That kind of thing might send me over the edge too. Continue reading “Practice Fight, Media Consumption”

Back on the Court, Thoughts on My Lamp

I am back! I made the decision to fly home and rehab my foot. I think it was a wise choice. I might have gone crazy fighting with the trainers out here when they insisted I do squats and leg presses.

I got back to Israel last Tuesday, and played that night. I didn’t feel 100 percent, but at least there was no pain in my foot. I played 18 solid minutes and came through with some clutch free throws in the last 30 seconds. I hit 3 out of 4 to help seal it, but a teammate still told me that I had let him down, because “white boys ain’t supposed to miss free throws.” A fair point.

Our team is going to be on TV tomorrow, 7:30 in Israel, 9:30 AM PST. You should be able to watch it if you go to this site and click on the basketball looking things: http://one.co.il/

Now it’s time to analyze what is written on the side of the box that my lamp came in. Continue reading “Back on the Court, Thoughts on My Lamp”