Thanks, Kenny
Hello everybody!
Just got back from our European trip. Paris is definitely is one of the most beautiful cities in the world and although I didn’t play I enjoyed watching the game there. We got the win and it was definitely a good time.
In London, Jay-Z showed up to our practice and he was at the game as well. That’s was pretty cool.
I played in the second game in Europe. We got the win too. I was out there and I made a couple of mistakes, but when you’re a point guard in this League you must have a short-term memory. My motto is, “never get too high on yourself but never get too low.” It was just one bad day. I just have to be ready to pick it up next game versus Boston.
The HoopsHype guys told me what Ben Couch said about the game at London… That even when things weren’t going well for me, I supported my teammates. That’s me. I’m definitely a team player, the way I play the game it’s never about my success or failure, it is about the team success. If I’m on the court I will do everything I can to help my teammates in situations where they can score easily and to be successful both offensively and defensively.
And if I’m on the bench, I’m going to be out there clapping the hardest and rooting my teammates on. I’ve never been a selfish player.
After the game I was sitting by myself, you know, still thinking about some plays in the game where I could have been better at… Then Kenny Smith and Ahmad Rashad walked by.
Kenny, who was the commentator in college during my first three years, told me: “What was it in college, the one thing you had that nobody else had?” And I was thinking and my first response was, “Was the heart?”
Kenny replied: “You had that… But the one thing you had that nobody else had was whenever you stepped on the court you felt that you were the best player. Your mindset then, right now for [making] the NBA, it works. When you are on the court defending Kobe, or playing at the poing guard, you’ve got to have the mindset that you are the best player. Tonight you have a couple of TO’s, and you could have the jitters, but I know the player you are. You’ve got to have a short-term memory at the point guard. Let it go, just be ready not just to do it in every game but in every pratice as well.”
Kenny finally said: “It was just pretty much your first or second game being a PG in the NBA. Just continue to work.”
You know, I took that to heart. From then on, I’ll continue to keep my head up. I know this is a long process and I definitely be better the next game.
Kenny also told me a story about him and Sam Cassell when they played together with the Houston Rockets.
Sam was a rookie and he was complaining about how Rudy Tomjanovich didn’t like his game and how he would always send him to the bench at the sixth minute mark.
Kenny told Cassell: “Look, when you’re out there and I’m on the bench, and you make a mistake, don’t look over to the bench to see if I’m rooting against you or I want you to mess up. I’m here for the rings. When you’re out there, you know the minutes you’re gonna get every night. So play your game, be successful. That’s gonna help the team. Be aggresive, be loose, be fluid.”
I picked up that advice and I’m gonna make sure to use it every time I’m on the court.
By the way, I saw a lot of improvement on the team during this trip. Coach Frank has the flexibility to play many different rotations. When you have a team full of guys so versatile not only on offense but on defense as well, it gives the coach a freedom most coaches would love to have.
That’s all folks, we must practice and prepare to face the world champions, the Boston Celtics.
Bye!