League Win/The Jerusalem Experience

This week was exciting and featured some things that I have not done before.  First, we won our sixth league game to rise to 4-2 in the league.  Our game was against Nahariya who is expected to compete with us for a position in the Israeli final 4.  Because of this, the game was especially big.  We started out very slow and were fortunate to have one of our big men, Brooks Sales, basically carry us for the first few minutes.  After our team finally woke up, we were still having trouble and went into the half down 9 points.  We knew that a big second half would be needed but things were not looking good when on the first possession of the 3rd quarter one of their guards had a nasty tip dunk over a few of our players.  This might have woken us up because our team went on a serious run and took control of the game from that point on.  Our defense clamped down and held them to 21 second half points.  I played pretty well for the 4 minutes the coach gave me.  I had a rebound, a tip steal that started a break and contested shots.  It was a very good win for our team and set us back on the right track.  

Another fun thing I got to do was travel to Jerusalem with my parents.  We went on a small tour called the Jerusalem experience.  All together, there were 4 tourists and 1 guide so it was a very personal tour.  We visited Western Wall, The Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the arab shops, the Via Dolorosa (the final walk Jesus had with the cross), the Jewish Quarter, the Muslim Quarter, the cistern where parts of the cross were found, saw the Dome of the Rock (not allowed to go in), and the Ethiopian Monastery.  It was very interesting to see all of these holy sites even though I am not religious.  There was a certain vibe that you could feel while approaching some of these historic monuments.  It was also a trip that I would not have made by myself.  I was glad to have the opportunity to share it with my parents as they are going home tomorrow.  This will be an easier departure though because I will be traveling back to the states in only a couple of weeks now.  It was a fun week hitting some spots that I would have not seen on my own.  I've got another hard week of practice so we can keep winning games..

Loss/Fashion Show/Parents Arrival

A few things have happened in the past few days.  First, I picked up my parents from the airport on Saturday morning.  This was nice to get another visit from some people from the states.  They were very jet-lagged from the long overnight flight so we didn't do too much the first day.  The next day, our team had a huge game against Jerusalem (another team who was 3-1 in the league and had just come off a huge win over Maccabi Tel Aviv).  We knew that they were the most talented team we had played so far and our fans knew this as well.  The game was packed on both sides and at some points it was so loud in the gym you could not hear yourself think.  We started out kind of slow and the game was back and forth in the first half.  After the break, they went on a little run and took about a ten point lead going into the fourth quarter.  After everything was looking bad for us, we cut the lead to 4 points with a couple of minutes to go.  On probably the biggest possession of the game, they're 3 man who was 6'9" buried his 7th 3 pointer of the game.  This was the final dagger that put the game out of reach for us.  It was tough for our team because our fans had come out so strong for this game and we let them down.  Hopefully this will wake up our team because we are no longer at the top of the league. 

The day after our game was the fashion show.  6 of the guys from our team were selected to appear in a fashion show and escort the girls out who were competing.  This was not something that I was used to especially with the cloths they gave me.  I would never wear this type of clothing in the States.... ever.  The jeans were tight and the shirt was fit for a guy about a foot shorter than me. They also gave me a small sweater to wrap around my neck for a very preppy look.  What made it more interesting was the fact that a few hundred people were at the show watching.  One of my teammates Todd was saying that he was more nervous before the fashion show than before any type of basketball game.  Walking down the runway was a very different thing for me but I have to say it was a little fun.  

I will probably spend the rest of the week hitting all of the "tourist" spots in Israel with my parents.  This will no doubt be a good thing for me because I have to admit that I have not been hitting any of these spots on my own.  It is fun to see a different part of Israel that I have not seen.  Also, I am very excited to say that I will be coming home for a little over a week right before christmas.  It is less than 3 weeks away and I look forward to seeing everybody back in the states.  

Cup Win

Last night, we played Galil in a rematch game.  This time, instead of playing in a regular league game, we played them in the Israeli cup (a tournament with all of the teams in Israel).  The game didn't start off very well for us.  We did not have the proper energy and the game was not going in our direction.  After a poor first half, Galil pushed the lead to around 15 points about mid way through the 3rd quarter.  At this point, things were not looking very good for our chances of winning the game.  Finally, our team woke up and went on a run that seemed to last only a few minutes.  I looked back up at the scoreboard and we were tied.  The whole 4th quarter was very close and we got some bounces and well timed misses by their team.  At the end, we won by 2 points.  Very close game.  As for me, the coach played me for about 3 minutes in the first half.  I had 1 rebound, 1 block, 1 assist and no shot attempts in my time on the floor.  It was fun to get on the floor but I still wish I could have stayed on the court a little longer.  Great win for our team.  

As for some off the court things..

My parents are coming to Israel tomorrow!  I am waking up tomorrow morning to pick up Steve and my mom from the airport in Tel Aviv.  They will be staying with me for a week and two days.  It is a great week to visit because they will get to see 2 very good games as well as share some good meals with me.  I also learned some other great news from our coach today at the morning practice.  He said we will be getting to stay home for christmas!  this is a big deal because we did not know whether or not we were going to be allowed to stay home for the holiday.  This makes me very happy and I am looking forward to it.  I have to keep working here though because we have Jerusalem coming into Haifa in 2 days...

First Loss

Last night, we had our first loss in the league.  We had an away game at Galil which is about an hour away from Haifa.  They brought out a full house and for the first time this season, we were missing our large section of "green apes" to cheer us on and wave our flags.  This may have had something to do with the outcome but either way we didn't play our best.  Galil was torching us off the dribble and through constant pick and rolls.  On the other end, they were really getting us out of what we wanted to do.  They were packing the inside and our outside shots were not falling with consistency.  Even with all of this, we still held a 5 point lead with about a minute and half remaining.  From this point, everything that had to go wrong for us to lose went wrong.  They tied the game in regulation and then proceeded to beat us in overtime.  It was an especially tough game to lose because the coach did not give me any minutes.  I really felt I could have given our team a boost especially with all the heavy minutes the other bigs played.  For whatever reason though I didn't get in and had to watch the loss.  Not an easy night.  Good thing for us we get them at home this thursday in a cup game.  We should get them back.  

In some more positive news, my parents will be coming to see me this saturday.  They will be staying for a week including Thanksgiving.  This is not a holiday that people celebrate in Israel obviously but we will still celebrate it by cooking a nice dinner.  I am looking forward to this and hopefully we can have a good visit.  

First Home Game

This Sunday was our first home game of the season.  There was much anticipation from the fans in Haifa because we had a good start to the season so far but had yet to play in front of them.  Our good start really helped with bringing the fans out to the game.  We had a packed gym with fans beating on drums and waving 10 foot flags around the arena.  It was a great atmosphere..  Now on to the game.  We started out pretty well and pushed our lead to about 12 at the half.  When the 3rd quarter started, the other team went on a 13-0 run to take the lead.  After this bad start we fought back and ended up winning the game by 19 points.  The game really showed some of the mental toughness we have on our team.  As for me, the coach put me in for about 3 minutes in the first half and about 1 in the second.  Not very much time but it was still fun to get out there on the court in such a great basketball atmosphere.  I ended up with 2 points, 1 rebound and 1 block.  One of the problems with playing on such a good team is trying to get in the game.  It can be frustrating sitting on the bench for the majority of the game but I was happy to see our team get the win.  Overall it was a successful night for us except one of our players got injured.  Gur Porat, a 3 point specialist, hurt his shoulder and should be out for a few weeks.  He will be missed but hopefully we will be able to stay winning.  

Another fun thing that happened to me was the owner of the team (Jeff Rosen) and the vice president took Todd Golden and myself out to dinner on Friday evening.  This was fun because we got to share our thoughts and ideas with the head man in the organization.  He is a very positive man with high goals for our team as a whole and the individual parts as well.  Marketing all of the players is something that is very important to him.  It was very nice of him to take the time to share dinner with some of the players.  We are now in first place in the league and hopefully we can stay there.  Another important game coming up next week..

2-0

Since my last post we have played two games and won two games in the league.  The first game was last sunday.  It was an away game against Ironi Ramat-Gan.  It was a relatively easy win for our team.  We were down by about 8 or 9 in the first half before taking the lead and not looking back the rest of the game.  For me, this particular game was uneventful because I got no playing time.  This was the first time that I had not played in a game in a very long time.  After the game, the coach told me to keep my head up, work hard, and wait for an opportunity.  The whole week in practice afterwards I had that thought in my mind.  I just wanted more than anything to get in the game and help contribute to the game.  

Anyways, it turned out I would get my chance in our next away game at Maccabi Rishon LeZion.  The coach gave me minutes in every quarter.  This was very exciting for me.  It was a really fun experience to be in a game with fans from our team and the opposing team both screaming at the top of their lungs.  I ended up with a total of 15 minutes in this game.  I also had my first career point in the first division of Israel.  It turns out I will have to stay on my first though until my next opportunity.  I didn't have a "stat stuffer" kind of night but thats fine with me.  I feel as though I played solid defense, had no turnovers, always boxed out, and ran the floor hard.  Everything else will come.  It was a great feeling to get on the floor and show the coach he could count on me when the other big guys needed a break.  We ended up winning by 20+.  Our next game will be our home opener against Hapoel Holon.  Hopefully the fans in Haifa will notice our 2-0 start and come out in full.  It should be an exciting game and I look forward to this week for our preparation for this game.  

One thing that I missed out on this week was Halloween.  In Israel, Halloween is not celebrated like it is in the US.  I saw no people dressed in costumes, no trick-or-treaters, and nothing resembling the holiday in the stores.  It was a little different for me because I usually eat tons of candy on Halloween.  This had to have been the first year in the history of my life where not a piece of candy was eaten by me.  Not a huge deal, I guess there is a first for everything.  I want to send a shoutout to Uri Sagi and I hope to have a good week..

October 25th

This week, things got back to normal... playing basketball and working out.  We had our first official game of the season this past Wednesday.  It was a "cup" game which is a tournament with all the teams in Israel regardless of division.  The bus ride down to Be'eri was about 3 hours.  Not a pleasant ride considering the seats were not made for tall people.  One nice thing the team did though was to stop about an hour away at a Hotel so the team could lay down in some beds and rest before the game.  We left a little extra early in order to give us this extra rest time.  also, we got to see some of the countryside of Israel.  It was nice but a little interesting when I found out the game was to be played only a few kilometers from Gaza.  We played a second division team and had little trouble with the game.  We ended up winning by 40+.  I got to play some minutes but a lot of my minutes came when the game had already been decided.  It is really tough just watching the game but it is something that I will have to get used to..  hopefully not too much though.  The next day in practice the coach talked with me and told me I have to improve my rebounding and some aspects of my defense.  Rebounding never used to be a problem with me but sometimes I feel like the rebounds are never falling in my direction.  I'll need to be more proactive in getting some more rebounds in the future.  We also have our first league game tomorrow.  It should be a good test for our team because it will be the first time our team has played in the first division in Israel in a number of years.  

Another issue that came up this week before one of the practices was our christmas break.  They were talking about giving us a break but having to be back before christmas.  What kind of christmas break is that?  I guess not a christmas break at all, just a break..  It would be from about the 15th of Dec to the 22nd of Dec.  this would be so we could have 2 weeks of practice before our next game. Most of the guys on the team, especially the Americans, say we don't need that much preparation.  The coach may think we'll be out of shape though with a longer break.  Of course, this all depends on if we win our next cup game.  It's all very complicated but I think if our team keeps winning games we might have a better chance to argue our way to get to stay home for christmas.  If we're losing, we might not have the luxury of arguing our way.  Anyways, I hope we get a chance to be home for christmas because my whole life I have never missed a christmas with my family.  It is a very big deal for most everybody so you can see why I'm curious about what might happen.  I'll just have my fingers crossed and hope for the best..

A feeling of home..

This week was filled with many emotional highs and lows.  First lets talk about the high's.  As I mentioned in an earlier blog, my long time friend Caleb Kimbrough and girlfriend would be making visits to Israel this week.  The visits were amazing.  Kelly and I drove down to Tel Aviv to pick Caleb and two teammates up and bring them to Haifa for a night.  It was such an amazing feeling to have two people who are so close to you in the car with you half way across the world.  I felt like I was on top of the world in that car ride..  who wouldn't?  After a night in Haifa I drove Caleb and his teammates back to Tel Aviv the next day so they could play against the Globetrotters.  Kelly and I continued to have a great week.  I felt like I was on vacation and not working with her there.  We went to all the "tourist" spots in Haifa and even went on a suspended cable car ride over part of the city.  Sadly, all vacations have to come to an end.  This is where my emotional lows came in.  After being so happy with these people here, I was equally as upset when they had to leave.  Thats just what happens when people you are close to you have to leave..  I can't dwell on the negative feelings though and focus on the positive.  Nobody can be ever satisfied if they always want more.  Take whats given and be grateful.  Easier said than done.  

Now on to a little basketball..  We had two scrimmages this week and both of them were won by us.  We played the same team both games and had better success the first game.  we won by about 20.  the second game we snuck by with about a 7 or 8 point win.  Still, we look to have a very strong team.  My playing time varied between the two games.  I had many more minutes in the first game than in the second.  Don't really know the reason but what else can I do besides keep playing and trying my hardest.  This coming week should be a good test to see where we're at as a team.  Real gamest start soon and our first league game is in about a week.  These are the games that really matter and I think our team is up to the challenge..    

October 10th

The past week has been exciting/different for me for a few reasons.  First, the holiday of Yom Kippur.  In Israel, nobody drives from 6pm in the evening til 6pm the next evening.  This was very different for me to have a "curfew" during the day.  I thought to myself,  if I'm not jewish or Israeli, why do I have to not drive?  After talking with some of my teammates about it though I decided not to drive and respect the holiday.  It almost seemed like a ghost town with NO cars on the road.  Quite an odd sight to see these days.  Anyways, this week was also the first time I got paid!  I have been here for a little over a month now and it was a good feeling to get paid.  This will allow me to better show some special visitors around this week. 

2 people who are very close to me are coming to Israel for the first time.  First, my longtime teammate and great friend Caleb Kimbrough will be coming to Israel while on tour with the world famous Harlem Globetrotters.  He plays with the Washington Generals (the team they play and always beat... sorry Caleb).  I know how competitive he is and I'm sure he doesn't like losing but he's getting paid to lose.  Not a bad job at all.  Last(but surely not least), my girlfriend Kelly will be coming Tomorrow!  I'm very excited about this :) We have been talking on video chat while here but it's just not the same as being with the person.  I will definitely show her a good time on her fall break.  I am extremely excited about my visitors this week.  I can't wait to show them around my new country and take them to the spots that I have learned. As for the basketball..  We are still practicing and getting ready for our first game.  We have another scrimmage this Sunday and it will be another chance for me to show the coaches what I've got.  I'm just starting to get more comfortable on the court even though I have to go against the two "bulls" (the other two big guys on our team) every day in practice.  I find new bruises and sores on me everyday.  It will only help me get better though.  Ido beats me up in the lane every day but when he's done, he tells me its all out of love. 

 Can't wait for this week..  should be a good one.    

First Month in Israel

When I first landed in Israel after a long 10.5 hour flight I thought to myself, "what have I got myself into"?  I was now in a desert land far away from home and everything that I have ever known.  Since then however, Israel has grown on me.  Getting used to a different culture is not the easiest thing to do but it is slowly getting easier as time passes.  So much is different over here.  Most of the signs are written in Hebrew which is basically impossible to understand to someone who has never known another language other than English and a little Spanish.  The good thing about Israel is about 80% of the people here speak english.  So after all, it turned out to be one of the easiest countries to go to and feel at home.  

After I drove an hour north to Haifa from Tel Aviv I finally got to settle down in my new home.  I was given an apartment and a car to use while here.  Having your own place is nice but is quite different from living with 3 other roommates.  My whole college career, I had roommates and this is the first time that I have actually lived alone.  It is somewhat peaceful and an adjustment to somebody who is used to having others always living with him.  Anyways, on to my teammates..  

Total, there are 7 players from America on my team.  Brooks, BJ, Tamir, Todd, Doron, Davon and myself are the Americans on the team.  This is nice because it makes me feel more at home with a good few others in the same shoes as me.  Also, all of the Israeli players on the team are easy to get along with.  All but one speak perfect english as well as the coaches.  It basically feels like an American team playing in Israel.  Not too bad for my first job after speaking with some of the other American guys who have played in other countries including some Eastern European countries where nobody speaks any english.  Now on to some basketball..

This experience on the court is going to be different from what I've grown used to.  Going from being the star on the team to a role player has been a little tough for me so far.  In college, my teammates would pass me the ball almost every possession.. not the case here.  I am now forced to learn to play a lot without the ball and to have a "full" defensive responsibility.  I used to be able to just sit in the paint and wait for the rebound.  Now I am forced to constantly run out and defend pick and rolls because that is how many of the teams play over here.  It should be a great learning experience gaining tips from all the experienced guys on my team this season.  It will be a difficult time spending most of the game on the bench but it's what must be done right now.  My motivation has kicked up a degree though because watching the game for me just isn't the same.  We'll see what happens..