it was nine o'clock in the evening and my father and i were just heading over to grace hall to go shoot hoops. after putting up a few hundred shots i was tired and ready to go home, however, my father had a different idea. he said, "i want you to make ten shots in a row from the following seven spots on the court, if you make nine in a row and miss the tenth, you have to start all over." in my mind i though this would be easy, soon i would find out that this task would change my career as a basketball player.
after being a high school mcdonald's all-american i decided to accept an offer to play basketball for the nebraska huskers under danny nee. doing this became a childhood dream of mine. after starting for the huskers four years in row, i had the opportunity to go to the next level. despite a low projection in the nba draft i was picked up by the denver nuggets. it was there where i learned what it was to live the game of basketball. being around such professionals everyday was such an inspiration. however, being the nba was not as glamorous as most would assume.
after being with the nuggets for six months i ended up having season ending surgery in the fall before the season started. i was at the peak of my game was one of the rookies to watch that season and it all came crashing down. in my mind i wondered why this injury had to come at such an important time in my life. i would only understand this at a later date. again a turning point in my career.
traveling from team to team after the injury was a norm. in fact six teams in four seasons. i struggled to ever get back on track after the injury in my rookie season. the frustration begin to grow and thoughts of giving up basketball had entered my mind. but one day something changed, i remembered that night with my father at grace hall and how i had to make ten shots in row in all seven spots before we could leave for the night. i applied that same mentality to my career in the nba. i began to focus and improve on the things i could control in the game of basketball. from then on no one was ever going to out hussle, out rebound, or beat me baseline again. who knew that this determination would land me back with the denver nuggets. not only did i rejoin my original rookie team but was signed to a team that had a great chance at the nba championship.
the chance to win the nba championship became a reality that season and landed myself the sixth man award that season. in my long and tough road in the nba i thought about giving up, on a daily basis. but with hard work and determination and going back to the basics i made a comeback and hopefully can be an inspiration to others not only in basketball but in life.
had my dad not made me stay to make those ten shots none of this dream would have been a reality. unfortunately for me, i'll never know because i was too tired that night and those ten shots in a row were never made and the future behind them will forever be a mystery...
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