A sturdy tree stood right in the center of the busy New York City, unmindful of the tall buildings around it. The tree had his roots, spread out mostly on the foundations where those buildings were built. It was different from the outside, but it was unknowingly connected beyond everyone’s sight…

Jeremy Lin, on his first day of training camp, was waived by the Golden State Warriors. It was not a popular decision, but it was a risk that they had to do to free some salary cap in luring DeAndre Jordan from the L.A. Clippers. The Houston Rockets claimed Lin’s waiver, only to waive him again for Samuel Dalembert. After constant trips to the D-league and a pile of frustrations, Lin’s NBA dream was slowly drifting away.

The Asian-American, who was a Harvard graduate and a college standout, was never given the chance to prove himself. Frankly, nobody really thought that he could make it. He was too small and skinny. Many doubted him.

But Lin was never fazed about how everybody treated him. He just looked around the bleachers and saw some of the people who believed in him and all the doubts went away. This was an added pressure. However, it gave him strength to move on and never quit.

He never craved attention and he never talked more about himself—always crediting others for their win.

Just weeks ago, Lin had an unguaranteed contract. He even slept on his brother’s couch just to secure him a shelter. He was virtually a nobody. New York Knicks coach Mike D’ Antoni had seen how Lin worked so hard in practice. But being the fourth point guard in the team, Lin was dispensable. He was the first one to be out or waived if the team went shopping for marquee players elsewhere.

This was before D’Antoni started to use Lin when two of his superstars, Amar’e Stoudemire and Camelo Anthony, were unavailable.

After Baron Davis’ injury got extended and with shortage of point guards, Lin finally got the chance that he had been waiting for. Three straight games he scored an average of 23.3 points and eight assists per game.

This was a Cinderella story where the “happy ever after” still continues.

On the biggest game and right in front of a hometown crowd, Lin’s ultimate test came from one of the NBA’s greatest player, Kobe Bryant. Kobe and the Lakers had just won a one-point game against their bitter rival Boston Celtics. And without Carmelo and Amar’e the Lakers wouldn’t have any problem in winning against the Knicks. Except they failed to hand out the script to Lin.

Lin scored a career-high 38 points and outshined the game’s biggest star. This was a testament of his greatness, a seemingly touching message that everyone can make it.

As a fan waived his placard with the message L.I.N. (Legend In New York), I remembered that tree standing right in the center of the busy New York City.

Greatness comes in different sizes and form. We may be different but somehow connected.

submitted also in bleacher: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1063613-new-york-knicks-the-jeremy-lin-connection

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Sir Isaac Newton got the idea of the law of gravity from a falling apple. It is through a simple natural event that came out very special.

Andrew Bogut might have learned a lot from falling—no matter how high you got up, there’s always the possibility of going down. He had been in and out of the injured list since 2006. There were a lot of promises and talent.

However, somehow everything falls short of what was expected. In his sophomore year when he was averaging close to a double-double performance, he sprained his left foot and missed the final 15 games of the season.

He also missed the end of the 2009-10 season when he dislocated his right elbow and broke his right hand in a fall. He was also sidelined for 43 games with an injured back in the 2008-09 season.

It seems like a never-ending list of injuries throughout his career. It was inevitable for a seven-foot, 260-pound giant to get injured—the bigger they are, the harder they fall.

Bogut knew the risk of going after loose balls or grabbing a rebound on top of everybody. He knows that his physical play will surely take its toll eventually. But this is all about playing your best. And Bogut knew what he had to do to contribute to the team.

This is all about self-worth and no one puts more pressure on him than himself.

Bogut was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2005 draft, and his position (center) has required full attention—center of the offense and center of hope on a struggling franchise that had constantly failed on a championship run.

In their January 25 game against the Houston Rockets, Bogut was more motivated than ever. This was the team that has continuously dominated them since 1999. And while a driving Kyle Lowry went straight to the basket, Bogut was prepared to get up and block the shot.

For a moment, he was successful, however, when he came down his foot landed awkwardly on Carl Landry’s foot. Bogut will miss eight-to-12 weeks with a fractured left ankle in a compressed season. Bogut now has another setback and another pile of frustrations on his promising career.

For 12 games, he was leading his team in blocks and was averaging 11.3 points with eight rebounds, and now he will spend again more time on the bench and in rehabilitation.

Bogut is hoping something good will come out of his injury. If Newton came up with gravity on falling apples, why not on a falling Bogut?

Lesson learned: There are failures more triumphant than victories.

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Six years ago, people would laugh at the thought that Tracy McGrady would end up as a role player in the future.

A seven-time All-Star, a two-time NBA scoring champion and a future Hall-of-Famer, it was never a question, not even an inkling of doubt on Tracy’s greatness.

However, with an injury-laden career, those glory days are seemingly over.

Tracy was like a veteran boxer who refused to accept defeat and continued to fight, hoping for that one redemption to get him back on top.

Bounced around for four different teams in two seasons, quitting was never an option. It was about getting back and proving everybody wrong.

This was the same player who scored 13 points in 35 seconds on a game against the San Antonio Spurs, including a steal and the game winning three-point shot in the 2004-2005 season.

He had always been a leader, a clutch shooter…and when it mattered, Tracy became the game’s biggest closer.

He could drop 62 points and averaged 28 points per game, but he never got past the first round in the playoffs. This was his Achilles heel—a label that somehow haunted him throughout.

T-Mac wanted that chance—redemption that could somehow prove his legacy that he is just more than skills and empty promises.
Tracy Mcgrady’s 13 points in 35 seconds

The NBA is on a shorter season—a shorter route to a championship, and this could be that one magical run for McGrady. This could be the promise of going deep into the playoffs, and maybe winning a ring in return.

Everyone thought his career was over until Atlanta took the risk and signed him up. The team knew how fragile and risky Tracy is with all his injuries. However, they knew that sometimes little steps can get you back on top…you just have to let them try.

For Tracy, he got another opportunity…another shot on that elusive first round.
He had been in the benched for too long, mostly in street clothes and this has become a reality check for him—one man could not carry a team.

Tracy McGrady knows his role in Atlanta. He would be having limited minutes and sometimes get to stay more often in the bench. But he could help this team to reach their true potential. He could be the big brother and the guiding voice.

Although he won’t be the scoring champion anymore, somehow being there can be equally effective.

This time, last chance entails a definite promise.

“You should have seen me when I put on my uniform. I felt like a kid all over again.” -Tracy McGrady

Jess Matthew Beltran is also a blog contributor of Gold Star Games, a tailgate gear company.

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The sold-out Target Center electrified as the crowd anticipated a new season for the Minnesota Timberwolves. This is the new-look Wolves—a new promise to a team full of frustrations and disappointments. This is the new beginning, the small flicker of light at the end of the tunnel.

Ricky Rubio knows he had to carry loads of expectations on the team. It has been four years since the last time the Target Center had a sold-out season home opener, and all eyes are on the 180-pound Spaniard.

The people in Minnesota have been waiting for two years, losing 132 games and losing fans in return. Heartaches are already an understatement…dreams and hopes have been continuously crushed that they already became numb to failures. Two years of anticipation, and they don’t care if Rubio doesn’t live up to their expectations, they just wanted change…they wanted Ricky to try. They have been a laughing stock and in the rock-bottom for too long, and for once they crave something that had been so elusive…winning.

As starting point guard Luke Ridnour drew his second foul, the Wolves new coach, Rick Adelman, called Rubio. The crowd all pumped up, rose to their feet and started clapping. Ricky, who looks nervous, blew some wind on his closed fists. For years, Ricky has lived up to high expectations; he has been a pro since he was 14 years old, and he had been accustomed to critics and failures. This is his moment, the part when all great players take their baptism of fire.

As Ricky holds the ball, everything was swept aside. He was playing like he had been in the NBA for years. His passing was flashy, and yet it was so accurate and précise. His one-hand pass to a Derrick Williams over-the-back dunk drew some “ohhhs and aahs” in the crowd.

Six assists and six points on top of his five rebounds were quite impressive for a rookie debut. J.J. Barea, the flashy play-making point guard, also was impressive and together with Rubio creates an exciting backcourt tandem.

It was a close game, and the crowd this time got excited for their new Wolves. Although they lost to a stronger and more jelled team in the Oklahoma City Thunders, they have seen the confidence and resiliency that they have been waiting for all along.

A championship may be a long shot to the moon or even a playoff spot since 2004. However, they are just content knowing they are done with losing and are slowly getting back up. It was a painful and discouraging process, but with Rubio and the new-look Wolves…it’s all worth it. Welcome to the Rubio Show.

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It’s final. The 27-year-old who is still in his prime, Brandon Roy, just announced his untimely retirement.

It wasn’t how anyone wanted his career to end—not like this, not without a fight…one season, one last stand for a championship. However, Brandon knew his borrowed time was up.

A warrior not only fights, but knows when to stop the fight. He could go down swinging, or he could walk out while he still can—literally.

All his life was all about basketball. All those last-second clutch shots, the playoffs, All-Star appearances and head-to-head matchups with Kobe and other stars in the NBA are now part of a distant memory. Portland will always be his home, and the people in Oregon will always be his family.

However, two torn ACLs and no cartilage on both knees leaves him with no other choice.

He came into the NBA with no fanfare, no self-proclaiming, no tattoos or outrageous hair styles. He was old school or an old soul that came to the league with just one intention─to be the best.

Now Brandon Roy exits the same way he entered.

Roy plays beyond his age, a cerebral player whose moves are very calculated. He knows when to pass, when to shoot and plays in the clutch. He was always pushing himself to be better.

That is Brandon’s greatest strength that eventually became his weakness. Even with his injury, he pushed himself past the limit. This wasn’t just for stats or his career; this was for the people in Portland, who always believed in him.

After injuring his right knee in April 2010, he was expected to miss at least the first round of the playoffs, but instead played in Game 4 after only eight days of recovery time. Portland won that game with Roy putting his team on his back, despite his ailing knee.

His injured knees were a problem since he was in college, but it never really mattered as long as his team was winning; as long as everybody was happy.

His encore performance came unexpectedly. It was against the then-defending champions Dallas Mavericks, who were leading by a wide margin. Roy scored 18 points in the fourth quarter, including a four-point play that tied the game. With the game tied and with still 49 seconds left in regulation, Brandon scored a bank shot from the middle of the paint.

The crowd went wild as Roy pumped his fist in the air. It was his way of saying goodbye, although nobody thought it was his last game, but Roy subconsciously knew his time was up. His journey had come to an end, but his legacy lives on.

Brandon Roy had to give up his dreams; he had to give up basketball. As he ended his career, he made one big sacrifice─he gave Portland hope amidst Greg Oden’s injury and Lamarcus Aldridge’s recent heart surgery. His retirement gave Portland an “amnesty clause” to get Jamal Crawford in return.

Yes, Brandon Roy has just retired with no media hoopla and no circus. He exited the way he started. That’s what old school players do.

Brandon Roy was victorious during his final curtain.

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Hours and minutes have passed, and the anticipation of Chris Paul going to the Los Angeles Lakers seems like a dream that is slowly becoming a reality. I have never been this intense and this glued to Twitter, patiently waiting for Yahoo! Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski’s updates.

The New Orleans Hornets are making their full offense before they get checkmate. In a perfect world, they would have wanted Paul to sign up an extension and end his career in New Orleans. However, Paul wanted out in NO. He wanted to win and earn a ring of his own. He wanted to be in New York and form a triumvirate with Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire.

With the Knicks going another direction and getting the services of prized big man Tyson Chandler, it looks like Paul will be out of the picture this season. The Knicks will have to unload Ronny Turiaf and Chauncy Billups’ $14.2 million contract to accommodate Chandler. So, the Los Angeles Lakers presented something that general manager Dell Demps will find hard to refuse.

This came as a three-way deal involving the Lakers, Hornets and the Houston Rockets. The Lakers would end up with Paul while LA would ship two All-Star players in Pau Gasol to the Rockets and Lamar Odom to the Hornets. The Hornets will also get Luis Scola, Kevin Martin and Goran Dragic, plus the 2012 first-round pick that came from the Knicks.

The Hornets will get quality and very talented players and will have a pretty competitive lineup with Scola, Lamar Odom, Trevor Ariza, Martin and Jarrett Jack, and the Rockets will have Gasol as Yao Ming’s replacement, while also luring quality big man Nene from Denver. The Lakers, on the other hand, will boost a lineup with Bynum, Metta World Peace, Kobe Bryant and Paul. They are also negotiating for a Dwight Howard trade with Bynum and might sign up Turiaf.

All in all, this seems to be a good trade for all the parties involved. The Hornets will get something good in return, without the drama and media hoopla like what happened with Cleveland and LeBron James.

But just like a dream, NBA Commissioner David Stern woke us up back to reality. All of a sudden, the deal was off. Adrian Wojnarowski reported the power-hungry Stern wasn’t going to let Paul dictate where he wanted to go. The NBA owners pushed Stern to pull the trigger, and the deal was off. The board of governors and league office could only make a pathetic excuse like “for basketball reasons.”

Just as I expected—hours and minutes of waiting, I knew this thing could happen.

It was just too good to be true.

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“Cancer might’ve taken my leg, but it can’t take my smile,” said Wayman Tisdale as he smiled while holding his bass guitar. This is how he approached life—he smiled while playing his music.

I was one of the lucky few to be given a chance to watch the advance screener on the Wayman Tisdale story. And it was a privileged look on a person who gave so much and expected nothing in return.

Wayman was an All-American, Olympian and 12-year NBA veteran. He was a ferocious rebounder and a great scorer. He always went on and off the court with a smile. This was his trademark, a gesture that lifted up any person’s or teammate’s spirits.

It was his way of saying that even if you are on the losing end, everything is still going to be all right.

And when Wayman was alone and frustrated, he would slip out of a room and grab his guitar and start playing.

This was his therapy…it got him through frustrating games, through losing teams and through the death of his father. It always brought him back to his childhood memory, when his father was a pastor, and he would listen to all the music and start playing.

Wayman had no formal training; he didn’t even know how to read notes. It was like the moment he grabbed the guitar, he already felt a connection. Music was his first love and when he was not lifting people’s lives, it’s his music and his family that kept him going.

After his NBA career, Wayman finally went back to his first love. He became a jazz artist and produced eight albums. His last album was called Rebound, released after he was diagnosed with the cancer that led to amputation of his right leg.

“You have to be strong mentally; you have to be strong mentally…” Wayman said as he went through the whole ordeal with a positive outlook. Many questioned and were amazed how he handled the situation so positively, and he just said, “You got my leg but you can’t get my spirit” then flashed that familiar grin.

It was also a situation that made Wayman’s faith stronger.

He wanted to preach about how to be strong and always to trust God’s infinite plan. This was his calling, and his music was his instrument to reach wounded souls. He received calls from strangers thanking him for his music. There was one who contemplated suicide, but after hearing his music, he changed his mind.

“Rebound” was Wayman’s last word of encouragement—rebound to what you are going through right now…

Though Wayman is no longer with us, the fight that he fought wasn’t in vain. Even though I never met him personally, his story inspired me to get up and to stand with my head up high.

This is Wayman Tisdale’s legacy…and his music lives on.

THE WAYMAN TISDALE STORY SCREENING DATES

October 29 Holland Hall Tulsa, OK (reception
6:30p/screening 7:30p)

November 3 Murdoch Theater Wichita, KS (screening
7:00p)
*Charity Event for Victory in the Valley Cancer Center

November 4 Lloyd Noble Center | Oklahoma University Norman,
OK (reception 6p/screening 7p)
*Sponsored by the Scott Carter Foundation

November 6 Moorehouse Church Oklahoma City, OK
(screening 7p)

November 9 Oklahoma Hall of Fame Muskogee, OK
(screening 7p)
*with Marcus Miller

November 11 Tabernacle Baptist Church Wichita, KS
(doors 6:30p/screening 7p)

November 12 Booker T. Washington High School Tulsa, OK
(doors 6:30p/screening 7:30p)

November 12 Skokie Theater Chicago, IL (screening
7p)

November 13 Bishop McGuinness High School Oklahoma City, OK
(screening 4p)

November 16 LA Live Cinemas Los Angeles, CA (doors
7p/screening 8p)
*Charity event for A.C Green Youth Foundation

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Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf could only nod his head and smiled when asked about the recent NBA season lockout. It was something Abdul-Rauf had gone through after the 1998-1999 shortened season. He was always the ever reliable point guard who is destined to greatness but came out stumbling on his way out. He had always hoped for a graceful exit, but it was a luxury that he could never get.

No regrets… everything happened with a purpose. His refusal to stand for the “Star-Spangled banner” before games was a choice—standing to the flag, conflicts his Ismalic beliefs.

The league was able to make a compromising agreement with Rauf, but it shortly backfired. People don’t seem to understand such an act, especially when he was born and raised in America. Everybody knows who Chris Wayne Jackson is. He was the two-time consensus All-American first team.

He had an illustrious college career in Louisiana State University that landed him as Denver Nuggets third pick in the 1990 draft. Chris Jackson in 1991 converted to Islam and changed his name to Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf.

Mahmoud continued to play in the NBA until 1998. And after his contract ended with Sacramento going to a lockout season, he was one of the first few players who went to play overseas. It wasn’t what he really wanted, but he waited for offers to other NBA teams, but it never came.

He played in Turkey, Russia, Italy, Greece, Saudi Arabia, and had a short stint in the expansion NBA team, the Vancouver Grizzlies. It was tough, but he knew he had to be tough. He was diagnosed with Tourette’s Syndrome back then, and yet he still came out athletic. Because it’s his choice, no one can tell him to stop basketball or he is not good enough to land minutes in the NBA.

Choices… and somehow it became the word that best explains this lockout.

As the situation (lockout) continues, Mahmoud wants everyone to carefully study their options. Not everyone gets to play in the NBA, and not everyone gets to stay there forever. It is always a privilege and players, coaches, commissioners and owners should know that.

At 42, Mahmoud still plays competitive and professional basketball. His recent stint was with the Kyoto Hannaryz team of Japan. He will still play even if he goes in the golden age of 50.

Every now and then, he thinks about the NBA. He thinks about what could have been a great career.

Everything happens with a purpose, and slowly it becomes a powerful phrase that put him back into reality.

A lockout seems to become a crossroad—you got to pick your road of destination. The only catch is there is no turning back.

We cannot choose our exits, but at least we are given choices.

Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf still plays with passion and plays with the same intensity. This is what he wants everyone to remember. It’s been quite a journey so far but for some instance, it was worthwhile.

“No regrets…”

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As the sun’s last ray of light touches the land, the majestic eagle soared into the horizon for one last time, for one last glimpse of the day that was.
Welcoming the night with hopes of a brighter tomorrow—more horizons to conquer and more journeys to come.

It somehow translates to how Grant Hill hopes to achieve. It has been quite a journey so far. With all the ups and downs, through times when he wanted to give up, through countless of surgeries and frustrations, he always found more reasons to get up and fight back.
It’s not about winning championships, MVPs or playing in the All-stars. For Grant, it is deeper than that…
This is going to be all about legacy and how he goes down in the history books.

In the 2005-2006 season that was one dark cloud that Grant vividly remembers, after a series of nagging injuries, including a groin injury. He had a close call of calling it quits. It has been those injuries that made the best out of him on his prime. However, he refused to let it dictate his career, as long as he can move, as long as he can still shoot the ball, there is still hope.
It was a gradual step of getting back to the top. However, Grant is determined to go into that process.

Five years later at age 38, Grant still looks back on the past with a dignified heart, knowing how he fought back and how it made him not just a better player but also a better person. This would be his 18th year going to next season and he still feels he could still go on for two more years. With all of his greatness and promises there is still a lot of catching up to do.

With retirement nearing in, Grant still feels unsecured about his legacy. He was the majestic eagle that soared for one last journey hoping to catch up the last ray of light.

However, Grant Hill’s legacy has already been etched out. There seemed to be a few players who could play multiple positions like what he did…

One last journey and one last hope but what Grant Hill failed to notice is that no matter how the last flicker of light touches the land… it’s still the same horizon after all.

He already made his legacy when he fought his way up.

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I knew this would happen. Like the sun that had finished its cycle, welcoming the night where the stars majestically shine ever so brightly… Yao Ming has finally retired.

One of the best big men in basketball history will finally walk away from the sport that brought him glory and greatness. At 30 years old and a recurring foot injury, Yao clearly had enough of rehabilitation and surgeries. He decided to walk away while he still can walk.

It wasn’t to everybody’s surprise. Yao had been sidelined since December 2010 because of a stress fracture that developed on his left ankle, the same leg that has been troubling him for years.

He was an iconic figure that brought down barriers on a sport that was invented and dominated by the Americans. Many believed that he would fail in his transition to the NBA. But Yao never entertained the thought of failure. Never did he question his talent and work ethic. Everybody is capable of greatness; it’s just a matter of how much you want it.

The NBA was more than just basketball to Yao; it was more about building bridges and closing the gap.

It was one promising career, although it didn’t end how we’d hoped, but Yao still delivered its promise—he built the bridge equally majestic to the great wall.

There won’t be any Yao Ming, not with his enormous talent and his 7’6″ frame. His height was his gift, and it was also his burden. His leg eventually gave up on his 300-pound body and a nation with billions of people putting their hopes on Yao’s shoulder.

The gentle giant has finally retired. Out from the limelight, and out from all the expectations. For the first time on his life, he is finally free… free from the countless surgeries and rehabilitation and free from all obligations. He leaves the sport in good hands.

Yao Ming is undoubtedly a future hall of famer. At 30 years old, he could still try to come back and do it for one last time. But how much rehabilitation and surgery could he bear? Eventually, it would end like this.

He belongs rightfully up there… right among the stars who majestically shine so bright.

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