An Unlikely Contributor

Last week, my Wednesday Night basketball league wrapped up it's season with the consolation and then championship games.  Fortunately, my team was one of the teams that was playing in the championship game.

My team came out of the gate a little slow but made a big third quarter run and we eventually won 72-63.  It was a sweet moment for the team and for me personally.

After a frustrating fall season where I missed most of the season due to injury, I was able to contribute 9 points (4-7 FG, 1-2 FT) 4 rebounds, and 1 assist in the championship game win.  The points were crucial in keeping my team in the game in the second quarter when we were slumping a bit.

Considering I had not played for over 2 months, the fact that I was shooting well was great!  I had not counted on playing at all this season.  However, my injury had healed enough that I felt good enough to return to brief action the week before and contribute more fully last week.

The championship title was the 5th for me in this particular league and 3rd overall this year.  So while the injury was frustrating, the ending was beautiful and adds another story I can talk about in the years to come!

Equal Opportunity Championships

Recently, both of my spring adult league basketball teams won their respective league championships.  I wasn't really expecting this to happen so it was a pleasant surprise.  In total, I have played on EIGHT teams that have championships over the years.

In winning the championships, I updated a picture collage to reflect the two championship teams I was part of this season.  A friend of mine commented that "I was the Robert Horry of recreation basketball".

I know the friend was joking around but this got me to thinking about something.  Unlike the NBA (or other professional basketball leagues), recreational basketball leagues get plenty of chances to win league and/or tournament championships throughout the year.  NBA players get ONE chance to win each season.  If they don't win, they have to wait until next season.

For me, winning two championships in the span of a week is a first and a pretty rare thing for me.  All of my previous championships were very spread out.  But there are players that play in many leagues that could win multiple championships like I did.

My main point is that my eight championships isn't really all that unusual in recreation basketball.  There are just so many leagues / tournaments that you could win more "championships" in one year than some NBA players get in their careers.

All of this being said, sometimes the pursuit of a recreation basketball league or tournament championship can cause players to act irrationally.  They get frustrated at teammates, referees or their own play.   I hope to encourage players to remember a few things:

If you don't win this season, another season is around the corner pretty quickly.  You'll get another opportunity again very quickly.

Even if you win, you are not winning a "ring" like professional players.  If you're lucky, you'll get a t-shirt.  If you're REALLY LUCKY, the organizers might give you a team award or even individual awards.  For me, out of my eight championship teams, I have one t-shirt that reflects me winning anything.  The rest are just photos that I took.

Lastly, never compare your experience to others.  I've got a lot of differing memories of my various championships.  Some of them are hugely positive and some of them are not so positive.    However, if you're only won one championship and the experience was a super great one, then more power to you. No point in comparing yourself to someone else who has more.

Connections That Last For A Lifetime

Last night, my Monday night basketball league completed it's 2013 spring season with the championship game.  My team was fortunate enough to be playing in the game.  Even more fortunate, my team was able to WIN THE CHAMPIONSHIP 66-61.

In looking back, my team had an improbable run.  My team had plenty of potential and chemistry but we only won one out of first five games.   I was forced to make some adjustments and fortunately things worked out.  My team gelled and won it's final give games of the season including the championship.

I'm extremely proud of my team.  We had seven players, five of whom had played in our league before.  We had two new players including one guy who had never played league basketball before.  The other new player was a girl.   She was real small of stature but she is baller and tough as nails.   We had to work hard at our chemistry but everyone played their roles and contributed to the championship win.

While my team's win didn't bring us any trophies or anything like that, I find that it brings lasting memories and connections for all of the players involved.  While I am not close friends with all of my teammates, going through our journey this season will forever bind us.   I don't know how much I will see this particular group of players in the future.  However, anytime I do see them, this championship will be something we can reminisce about for years to come.

Really, this holds true for all of the teams in our league.  All five of the teams finished with a 4-4 record.  Instead of randomly eliminating one of the teams from playoffs, all teams were invited.  It was a first in the league to have this happen.  This made for a exciting playoff and championship games.  So while my team earns the "champion" title, every team in the league had something to be proud of.

Champion Vs Runner Up

Today was a big day for NFL fans in general but also for SF Bay Area football fans as well.  The San Francisco 49ers were playing the Baltimore Ravens in the Super Bowl.  The 49ers have not won a Super Bowl since 1995.  A win would have given the 49ers their sixth Super Bowl Championship in the history of the team.  Unfortunately, things didn't quite go the 49ers way and they lost 34-41.

While there will be plenty of analysis of the game over the coming days, winning a championship cements a team's place in history.   Thus the Ravens will be forever noted as the Super Bowl champions of the 2012-2013 NFL season.   But how big of a difference is there between the champion Ravens and the runner-up 49ers?

The Ravens have earned bragging rights, championship rings, endorsement money and a championship trophy.  The championship is also an important thing when judging whether certain players were "very good" or "elite".  Additionally, if any of the players on the Ravens are Hall Of Fame worthy in the future, winning a championship is taken into consideration.

But let's not forget the 49ers.  The sting of losing the game will be with the 49ers for a while.   They don't get the pride of being a Super Bowl champion.  The endorsements and other perks may not be available to them.  However, the 49ers DO GET RINGS for being the NFC Champions.  Yes, it is a consolation prize.   While most of the players may not be satisfied with being runner-ups, some players will treasure it greatly.  The good news?  For most of the players, they will get back to practice in August and get another shot to try to get back to the Super Bowl.

I always remember a story from the San Francisco Giants 2002 World Series season.  The Giants had won the National League championship and played the Anaheim Angels in the 2002 World Series.   The Giants had a chance to win their first World Series championship in 50+ years but lost to the Angels in 7 games.  While it was a disappointment to all involved,  a veteran player (Shawon Dunston) commented a few years later that he was proud of his National League championship ring.  Dunston had never gotten a chance to play in the World Series until 2002 and thus chose to keep things in perspective despite the tough loss for the team.

Some years ago, I was playing on one of my church basketball leagues.   One of my friends was leading and giving a message to all the teams / players.  He asked us a pretty basic question:  "Can you remember last year's NBA champion?  How about the past 5 years?  10 years?"   Even for a basketball fan like me, I couldn't name all the NBA champions in the past years at that time.

What was the main point? From youth basketball teams, to NBA / NFL teams and the teams in my adult leagues, everyone wants to be a champion.  Yet, even if a team wins (or loses) a championship, a few months later, it will be mostly forgotten over time except for those involved and the fans.

As a fan, I was disappointed the 49ers couldn't win the Super Bowl.  So I can imagine how the players might feel.  However, I hope they take this experience in perspective and realize how much of a blessing it was to JUST PLAY in the Super Bowl.   Never take it for granted that you will get another chance to play again.

Just Another Game

My Monday Night Basketball League concluded it's season with a consolation game and then my team followed up by playing in the league championship game.  Unfortunately, we played a pretty good team and ultimately lost 76-64.  My team came out a little flat to start and fell behind right away.  We spent the rest of the game trying to catch up.

On a personal basis, I played some limited minutes and didn't score in the championship game.  I did the best I could in the few minutes I had on the court.  On a team with a lot of perimeter players,  my offensive skills didn't fit into the team that well this season.    I'm also not a great rebounder or defender but helped out where I could.  I think one little thing people don't notice is that I am a help defender.   I felt I could have helped out a little more as our team played man to man the entire evening.

Regardless, one thing I noticed about my team was they may have been tense.   The starters came out a bit flat and didn't have as much energy as they normally did.   That led to a bit of frustration as we fell behind and struggled to come back.

I say that because I have been there before.   In years past when I played in championship games, I remember thinking about the game constantly, worrying about how I would do and generally just fretting about how "important" this game was.   That led to a lot of struggles and my play in championship games has been spotty.

However, part of the struggles is that I'm not a "star player".  My game depends on teamwork and when some players feel the pressure they put it on themselves to win the game.   I've noticed that either I don't play much in championship games or I don't get as much opportunity to participate on offense.

The one exception was during the Summer of 2011.  We had a solid and balanced team and everyone touched the ball.  We won a hard fought 73-72 game in overtime.  I scored 24 points but we had three other guys (19 points, 15 points and 10 points) in double figures.  I just happened to have a good game in the championship but I was also the one who only scored 2 points in the playoff game the week before.

I remember the Summer 2011 championship game very clearly.  I showed up to the gym early to warm up a bit.  I remember being focused but very relaxed.  A teammate joked that I might get the ball early as I "had been here before".   While I just laughed, it turned out to be true.  I scored 9 of my teams 18 points in the first quarter.

I understand everyone wants to win and get the title of "champion".  I'm fortunate to have six of these "championships".  However,  my experience from the 2011 championship is that you need to let your game come to you.  When you are relaxed, you will definitely play better.

So I'm sure my teammates are disappointed with the loss but they are still young.  They will definitely get the opportunity to play in championship games again.  I hope they will take the experience and learn from it when the next opportunity comes along.

As for me, I get the rare opportunity for a quick turnaround.  I'll be playing on Thursday in another league championship game.   My Thursday team is definitely the underdog and we will have to play well to win.  Unlike my Monday team, my Thursday team doesn't really have a superstar scorer. We all have to pitch in to do well.  Our Thursday team came out hot last week and I am confident we can do the same this week as well!

Championship Double Header

It was playoff week for my Monday (Open Division) and Thursday (Friendship Division) basketball leagues.  Entering the playoffs, both of my teams were probably considered underdogs.  My Monday team was pretty good but faced a distinct size disadvantage against our opponents.  My Thursday team had beaten our playoff opponent the week before but our overall record wasn't that great.  We tended to run hot and cold.

However, both teams came through with some extremely good basketball.  My Monday team played patient, got good shots, and raced out to an early lead.  We eventually would win 77-63.  My Thursday team did one better.  We jumped out to a 16-0 lead, led 33-11 at halftime and ultimately won 53-39.

Thus, somewhat surprisingly, both my teams are in the championship games next week.  In both games, my teams will probably be considered underdogs once again.   Both opponents have a ton of firepower and we will have to work hard to stay competitive.

This will be my first time playing in two championship games in less than a week.  My best season was in 2008 when I played in championship games in a Easter Tournament, Summer Basketball League and a Fall Basketball League (won one, lost two).   As a side note, I will not be the ONLY player playing in both championship games.  A couple of guys who play both teams will be opposing me next week.

As far as importance of these championship games, they are not particular important.  Don't get me wrong.  I definitely would love to win both games.  There is something unique if my teams could come through.  However, by my unofficial count, next week's championship games will be the 13th and 14th I have played in over the 20+ years that I played in adult league basketball.

In my younger days, I was high strung and nervous prior to playoffs and championships.  It got so bad that I didn't do particularly well.  However, I've played in so many playoff and championship games over the years that I realize that it's just another game.  My approach is to treat these games just like any other.  No need to make it more important than it really is.  After all, we don't win trophies or money.  It's all about for a positive memory and pride.

I find that staying relaxed is the best approach.  My goal for next week is to help my teams win both championships.  If we don't win, it's ok.  It takes work to just get to the championship game and that effort should be appreciated.

LeBron Wins First NBA Title

I'm not a fan of LeBron James but also don't hate him.  So having James and the Miami Heat winning this season's NBA championship is no big deal.  Congratulations to the Heat for a good season and they will definitely enjoy the championship experience.

LeBron winning the title reminded me of my adult league championship during the summer of 2011.   Some of the guys on my team had never won any type of championship while playing in various leagues.  I was fortunate to have been part of five different teams.  The experience probably helped me to do well last summer as my team won the championship 73-72 in overtime.

That feeling of winning last summer still resonates even a year later.  The game itself was one of the best I played on as it was a nail bitter.  Some of my teammates from that team still see each other every now and then.  We still talk about that game when we see each other.

So as LeBron celebrates his first NBA title, I am reminded of my team's reaction to winning our title last summer.  Even though the NBA title means more than our adult league championship, it was a great experience to be cherished.  For LeBron, I hope he enjoys this one.  While he will do his best to win more, there is never a guarantee for another one.

A Championship To Remember and Cherish

Monday night, my team (Black - #1 seed) took on the Green team (#3 seed) in the championship game of our Summer Basketball League.  My team was undefeated though hadn't played well the past few weeks and barely beat Grey (#4 seed) 59-52 last week to make the championship game.  On the other hand, Green was a mix of young and old guys and they had upset the Gold team (#2 seed) to make the championship.

There was no consolation game prior so I did not expect too many fans and potentially a low key championship game.  However, the Green team's young guys brought a bevy of friends and family along.    In addition, several of Green's players who had missed a few weeks due to other things, decided to return.  Instead of focusing on just a couple of guys on the Green team, my team had to contend with two others (a older big guy and a younger guard).  I don't know how my teammates were feeling prior to the game.  I was pretty relaxed and actually liked having the crowd there.  That usually makes me focus and play better.

Safe to say the championship game was NOT low key and both teams played at a very high level.  Both teams had opportunities to win but at the end my team played off a thrilling 73-72 OVERTIME win over the Green team.   The win finished off an undefeated (10-0) season.  For me personally, I tallied a game high 24 points (12-17 FT's) to lead my team.   My teammate Paul added 19 while another teammate Duane scored 15.

I could write a dozen pages on all the happenings during the game but I won't do that.   I'll just say that our team had plenty of miscues late in the game, all of which could have lost the game for us.  Yet we hung together, stayed mentally tough and withstood Green's challenge to win.

I do give credit to Green though.  They were incredibly tough and both teams deserved to win.  It was a shame that someone had to lose.  There was some obvious disappointment from some of the young kids but they will have plenty of years ahead of them still.

For me, I absolutely loved our team.  It's a rare thing to get a team of guys that all get along but we did.   Even though we finished undefeated, we had our ups and downs but the chemistry helped us stick together.  

Including Monday's game, this was my 12th championship game that I have played in.  Monday's game ranks as the best and most memorable.   I will remember this game due to the drama, the overtime and all the miscues we had to overcome.  Plus, my 24 points was the most I've ever scored in a championship game.   All of my teammates agreed that Monday's game will be something they will remember for years to come.

Wrapping up, I am thankful for being given the Most Inspirational Player award for my team.  Winning the championship was a GREAT bonus.  Thanks to the league coordinators, my teammates and the other teams were a terrific summer.  I hope to see a lot of the folks again soon.

Reflections on a Championship Season

It's been a couple of days since my Monday night basketball team won the league championship.  I've gotten a chance to reflect on a couple of things which is noted in the two quotes below:


"The road of life twists and turns and no two directions are ever the same. Yet our lessons come from the journey, not the destination."

If you asked San Francisco Giants fans what they remembered most from the 2010 season, most fans would probably say that winning the championship was their most vivid memory.   However, there will be fans will remember each moment on the journey that got the Giants to the 2010 World Series Championship:

1. Winning the NL West on the last day of the regular season. 
2. Brooks Conrad's three errors helping the Giants to win Game 3 of the NLDS and eventually the series
3. Juan Uribe's home run in Game 6 of the NLCS that gave the Giants the win. 
4. Edgar Renteria's home run that proved to the game winner in Game 5 of the World Series. 

For my Monday night basketball team, here are some of my favorite moments from the Fall 2010 basketball season:

1. Game #1 vs. Orange (09/20/10) - Our team's captain was out sick.  I took over the reins and promptly watched our team fall behind 18-2 early to the Orange team.   We were forced to switch up defenses and rallied our way back to an impressive victory. 
2. Game #6 vs. Black (11/01/10) -  This was our second game against the Black team.  In our first meeting on 09/27/10, Black had taken advantage of the fact that our team hadn't quite jelled yet and beat us.  This time around, we were better prepared and hung tough against Black in the first half.  In the second half, our team went on a shooting spree that completely put the game out of reach.   It was a performance that had to be seen to be believed. 
3. Playoff Game #1 vs. White (11/29/10) - Our team had beaten White twice previously.  The first time White had four players.  The second time White had five players.  In the playoff game, White actually had seven players so there would be no more excuses.   Both teams played hard but White held a small lead at halftime.  Our team came out a little slow in the second half and White promptly took a 10 point lead.  However, our team responded to the challenge.  Our defense picked up and the offense followed suit as we rallied to win by 11.  

The final destination of winning the championship was great.  But for me personally, the journey was much more fun that just winning the championship.  The chemistry, relationships and memories we built during the season mean more and will last longer than the actual win in the years to come.

"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven"

This particular quote from the Bible has been one of my favorites for many years.  One of my old high school friends had suggested the quote might fit my personality.  In many ways, I think she was right.

There are many times in our lives that we "want" certain things.  It might be a girlfriend, house, car, job or even a basketball championship.   I have admittedly wanted to win a championship in this particular basketball league for years.   I have to say that I wanted to win for the actual experience itself and not for pride or competitive reasons.  As I mentioned before, I'm the type of guy who likes to get the most out of everything I do.

In a funny way, the timing for my team to win this year was perfect.   In my previous three championship appearances for this league, I was very focused on "winning" but not enjoying the experience.  This past Monday, I played hard but also enjoyed the experience of "just being in the game".  I enjoyed being on the court, on the bench and the camaraderie our team had.

This is not to say that winning the championship wasn't enjoyable.  However, the destination of winning the championship would not have been possible with the journey my teammates and I all took for the past few months.

The final destination was good, the journey was even better and I think the timing for everything was about as perfect as it could have gotten.  For all of this, I give thanks.

Champions! / The Circle Is Complete

My team (Purple) played in our Monday Night Open Basketball League Championship game tonight and defeated Green 52-38 to clinch the title.   Green was missing two of their key offensive players and that definitely gave us an advantage during the game.

Overall, I found the win hugely satisfying on a couple of levels.  On a team level, I couldn't have asked for a better team to play with this season.  Our team is diverse is so many ways.  We range in age from 23 to 52.  We had black, white and Asian players who lived all over the Bay Area (West and East Bay).  Despite all these supposed "differences", the one thing that united us was the game of basketball.  We didn't really have a super star so we had to play as a team and I felt we did that for nearly the entire season.

On a personal level, I feel this win has completed a circle for me.   Back in late 1999 to early 2001, I had a lot of injuries that prevented me from playing basketball for a while.   When I came back from injuries, I wasn't really myself and it took me a long time to mentally get back to playing basketball like I used to.

I remember during the time I was injured and early on when I came back from injury, I was a little envious of guys who were playing and winning the various championships.   I remember wishing that I would get a chance to play for a team that won the championship.

In many ways, my wish was granted as I have now played on five different championship teams and each experience was unique and progressively better:

Spring 2001 -  I was a role player on a team that featured a former professional player from Taiwan.  I played a lot during the regular season but played minimal minutes in the playoffs and did not play at all in the championship.

Summer 2002 - I was injured the whole summer season and did not play while my team went 6-1 during the regular season.   During the playoff and championship games, I was suddenly pressed into duty because of foul trouble.

Summer 2005 - I played the entire season on a dominant team that went 10-0.  I wasn't one of the key guys though I scored 6 out of my team's first 10 points in the playoff game.

Spring 2008 Tournament - My friend and I got asked to play for a team that was formed at the last minute.  The tournament was a mash of young (high school) and adult teams.  Our team beat a couple of high school aged team and an adult team to win the championship.   This was one second ever tournament that I played in and it was an interesting experience to win the title.

Fall 2010 - All the pieces of the past came together tonight.  My team was good but not dominant (5-3 during the regular season).  We didn't have any superstars.  We weren't playing high school kids.  The competition that we played had great players.  Except for small ankle injury that slowed me for a week, I played the entire season and felt like I was contributing heavily.  In addition, this was my first ever championship for this particular league and that is special.

I believe tonight's championship win completes a circle for me in terms of playing basketball.   I'm the type of person that likes to experience different things.  Tonight's experience was one of the best that I've ever had.  If I never win another "championship" in the future, I am content that I have been blessed to have played with my team this season.

What's the future hold for me?  I'm going to keep playing basketball for the near future but with a full eye on just enjoying the game.  Winning is always fun and enjoyable but I'm looking toward what's next in my life.

Reflections on Championship Games Past

It is Saturday evening and it's about 48 hours before my team (Purple) plays in the championship game of our Monday night open basketball league at 7:15 PM.  I figured this is a perfect time to reflect on a previous experience in a basketball championship game.   This would be my first ever basketball championship game during the summer of 1994.

By my count,  Monday night's championship game appearance will be my fourth (Fall 2007, Fall 2008, Spring 2010, Fall 2010) in the particular league I am playing in.  Unfortunately, my teams have not won any of their previous appearances though I am obviously hoping that will change in two days.  In another league I play in, I have played in six championship games (Summer 1994,  Spring 2001, Summer 2002, Summer 2005, Easter 2008 Tournament, Summer 2008) and have won four of them.

In looking back at my first championship game appearance back in 1994, I almost cringe at what I remembered from the experience.  First of all, just making the championship was a surprise.  My team that year was a major underdog in our playoff game but we somehow pulled off the upset to get to the championship game.

The time leading up to the championship game was nerve wracking.  I was 20 years old and hadn't played much organized basketball except for the two seasons (Summer of 1992 and 1993) and some basketball back in 8th grade.

When the day of the championship game arrived, I was a nervous wreck.   If you asked me why, I couldn't give you an exact answer.  However, I would say that perhaps it was similar to a job interview or a first date.  This was definitely something I wanted to go well.

In short, the game did not go well.  The opposing team in the championship game was quite good and gave us a hard time throughout.   My team hung in there but ultimately lost 46-44.  I had a horrid game as I didn't score a point and went 0-5 on the free throw line.  Unlike these days where I play year round, I had to carry the experience of a miserable championship game until the following summer.

Looking back at that 1994 experience today, I see that I put too much stake into the meaning of the championship game.  Winning a championship indeed is a point of pride but not the be all and end all of things.  Unlike professional athletes, the leagues I've played in don't give our trophies or rings.

So even though I have played on 10 championship teams and won four, the only thing I've "won" from the championships is ONE t-shirt.  The rest of the things I've gained is friendships, photos and great memories.   Not to discount the other seasons where I didn't get to the championship, I have great memories of those seasons as well.

As the clock ticks down toward my Monday night championship game, I'm going to do what I regularly do the next few days.  On the day of the game, our team is going to give it their best shot.   Yet at the same time, I am going to fully enjoy the experience.  As I get older, I realize that my days of playing competitive basketball is winding down and it's a great time to appreciate what you have been blessed with.

Championship Bound!

For the better part of nearly 3 months, I've been playing in three basketball leagues.  I play in leagues on Monday, Thursday and Sunday.  The Sunday league didn't go that well as my team went winless in seven games.  The Thursday league hasn't been much better as my team currently has one win in seven games with two left to go.

The saving grace has been my Monday night team.  We finished the regular season with a 5-3 record and the #2 seed in the playoffs.  We squared off in the first round of the league playoffs tonight and rallied to win 75-64.   The win advances us to the league championship next Monday.

I've played tons of league basketball games (some 300+) in the past 18 years.  I've been in every type of game imaginable.  I've played exciting close games that my team has won.  I've also played some bad games where my team has been blown out.

Tonight's game rates as one of more satisfying wins I've ever been part of.  My team played ok in the first half but stumbled badly to start the second half.  We went from being down 4 points to down 10 very early in the second half.   We managed to cut the lead to 6 points with our bench.  The starters came back in and just torched the nets.  The other team was stunned and could not respond as we pulled away for the victory.

The reason that game was satisfying was that we did it as a team.  Our team has one guy who might be considered a star.  The rest of our guys just average players.  In addition, out of the roster of 9 guys, only two guys (27, 23) are under 30 with FOUR guys over 40 (42, 41, 46, 52).

I've learned that chemistry can't be understated which was greatly shown by the San Francisco Giants.  We all get along and pull for each other greatly and that has contributed to our team's success.  We have one more hill to climb next week in the championship game.  I'm confident that our team will continue to play together and give it our best shot next week.  Perhaps some of the San Francisco Giants magic will rub off on my team!