Thu, Sep 13th 2007, 15:42
Hey everyone, it’s been a few days since my last blog. I hope everyone enjoyed some of my top-5 lists. I certainly got some more interesting requests for top-5s. It’s been a busy couple weeks for me. Training camp starts in a little more than two weeks and I’ve been doing everything I can to make sure I’m in great shape for the season.I’m doing a lot of different things right now- running, biking, swimming, core training, pilates, and lifting. I feel like when September 29th comes I’ll be ready to go. Most of our team has reported to Orlando and is playing pickup ball and working out together. Turk is finishing up at the Euro Championships in Spain and Carlos is taking a little time off after playing all summer with the Puerto Rican national team. The guys all look great. We are going to have a good year, I can feel it. I’m most impressed with our veterans. All of them are in great shape and geared up for the upcoming season. We all think we can do some special things in the East this year. At the same time, we all realize that the East is going to be a lot tougher. It seems like most of the playoff teams from a year ago have improved their rosters. Boston, of course, probably performed the biggest facelift to their team. They are going to be tough to beat.
On Friday, the whole team took a private plane up to Philadelphia to attend Floyd “Pete” Nelson’s funeral. My thought’s and prayers go out to Jameer and his family as they deal with the loss of a loved one. The funeral service was emotional and incredibly well-attended. It was obvious that Pete’s life had an impact on a lot of people.
Last Saturday, I attended a charity event in Orlando. The proceeds from the event were going to benefit underprivileged children in foster homes. They had a bunch of kids there from the program and a couple of them gave some inspiring speeches. It makes you realize that we can’t control our circumstances, but we can control our attitude and the amount of work we put in to make our dreams come true. Anyway, there was a silent auction as well as a good old-fashioned auction. I originally didn’t bid on anything but I ended up bidding on, and winning, a customized golf cart. I’m not going to lie to you, I’m pretty excited about it. It’s bright yellow with some sweet rims. Obviously, there’s no courses that will allow me to play with a bright yellow golf cart so I’ll have to paint it green. But it’s still tight. And the donation I made goes to charity, which makes it even cooler.
Ok, not much else is going on- it’s the time of year when I start to really prepare for the next 7-9 months. Things will be going a lot quicker then and I’ll be able to blog about more stuff- hopefully a lot of basketball, because that’s what I love. I haven’t been back to Duke since the K Academy in July but I’m definitely going to be pulling for those guys this year. We should be pretty darn good.
Shorter blog today, I know, but I got some stuff to do around the house and want to get a good night of sleep. I’ve got physicals in the morning and am going to be a guest on one of my friend’s radio shows. And all that is happening before workouts at 10 am.
Oh, one more thing- yes, I’m a huge Red Sox fan. It’s a big weekend for the Sox. Manny Ramirez is my favorite baseball player ever and the rumor is he might be back in the lineup this weekend versus the Yanks. Hope it’s true.
Everyone take care and be real. To end this blog I thought I’d give you a top-5 and also one of my favorite quotes ever.
Top-5 CD’s out RIGHT NOW
1. Kanye West-Graduation
2. Kanye West-Graduation
3. Kanye West-Graduation
4. Kanye West-Graduation
5. You get the idea- go get the CD. And don’t download music illegally. NOT cool.
“It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly…who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who have never known neither victory nor defeat.”
-Teddy Roosevelt