A Basketball Dream from TAIWAN 台灣

"Whoever wants it more, GETS IT." - How bad do you want success? (Recommended by Coach David Blatt)

2011-11-19T21:22:00.000+08:00

Hi Dreamers! It's been a while.

Before we share with you Coach David Blatt's talk on "A Basketball Dream - Make It Real" A BBALL Talk., just want to share with you some inspiration that he passed on.

Hope you feel inspired. Wish you success - in your own definition :)

"A Basketball Dream - Make It Real" A BBALL Talk. - David Rivers

2011-11-05T00:59:00.000+08:00

"A Basketball Dream - Make It Real" A BBALL Talk. - Jasonn Hannibal

2011-10-30T23:55:00.002+08:00

From our friend, Jasonn Hannibal, a Pro Basketball player in Polzela, Slovenia, originally from across the Atlantic - Toronto, Canada. A player with a Great HEART! Hear his story of how he Made Real his Basketball Dream by himself below! If you have any questions to ask Jasonn, feel free to leave a comment below, he'd be delighted to answer them for you!

"A Basketball Dream - Make It Real" A BBALL Talk. Promo Video

2011-10-22T02:07:00.002+08:00

Just like TED Talks, A BBALL Talk. is about ideas worth sharing, and our idea is "the inspiration through Sports" and we aim at sharing that with YOU, and the rest of the World. Hope you like it! STAY TUNED for the separate talks.

Coach K Duke HOF Speech

2011-09-25T05:40:00.001+08:00

Coach K talking about Heart. Congrats Coach! For making it into the DUKE Hall of Fame. We love YOU!

Our first LITHUANIAN post from "A Basketball Dream - Make It Real" A BBALL Talk interpreter (AWESOME one, too!) Henrikas Urbonas (Lietuvos/English)

2011-09-24T00:39:00.001+08:00

[English]

A Basketball Dream, Make It Real, A Basketball Talk was something really new and at the same time known for such a long time. What do I mean by that? I am true Lithuanian, so I love basketball and I had basketball dream, however sometimes injuries change your plans. As so the dream should change with you and you must be prepared for it. That was emphasized by all the speakers, especially by Coach David Blatt. I will try to tell what I heard in that evening.

We have bunch of teachers in our childhood when we dream the most but because we are such dreamers at that time dream overcome the advices that come from the side, we think that we can do everything just by ourselves. To convince children to listen is a hard process but when you see your idol speaking with you on tv screen it is always easier. That is why I am so thankful for all those people who spoke that evening. It is really important to have right people around you to help to build a bridge to the dream. That was what A Basketball Talk in Klaipeda was all about. Kids had a chance to listen how to succeed from the best. Their eyes were burning but they tried to stay calm, they are basketball players and they know that they need to be a man because the man respects another man. You cannot stop working on your dream if you want to be the best. You need to fight for your dream.

After the talk kids had to go home and then we saw how excited they were. Nobody could hide their emotions any more: "You saw him? You heard what he said? He is amazing etc." Thank you so much for all of you!

[Lietuvos]

Pokalbis apie krepšinio svajonę ir kaip jos pasiekti, man buvo kažkas naujo ir tuo pačiu metu labai pažystama. Esu Lietuvis, todėl myliu krepšinį ir tikrai turėjau krepšinio svajonę, bet gyvenimas yra nenuspėjamas, todėl kartai dėl tokių įvykių kaip traumos svajonė turi šiek tiek pasikeisti. Todėl visada turi būti pasiruošęs tokiems pasikeitimams ir turėti planą B. Visą tai buvo galima išgirsti iš visų tą vakarą šnėkėjusių krepšininkų ir trenerių. Pabandysiu viską trumpai apibendrinti ką tą vakarą visi išgirdome.

Mes turime tiek daug gerų žmonių, tokių kaip tėvai, mokytojai, treneriai kurie mus gali išmokyti tiek daug dalykų, bet kadangi mes esame tokie svajotojai dažniausiai tuos žmonės ignoruojame ir galvojame, kad viską galime pasiekti patys. Pasiekti, kad januolis išgirstų tavo patarimą yra labai sunku, bet kai su jaunuoliu šneką jo idealas arba žmogus kuris yra gerai žinomas visuomenėje, būna daug lengviau. Todėl aš esu labai dėkingas tiems žmonėms kurie sutiko papasakoti jaunuoliams kaip jie pasiekė savo svajonės. Aš net neabejoju, kad tai padės jiems siekti savo krepšinio svajonės. Manau, kiekvienas jų suprato, kad reikia labai sunkiai ir daug dirbti, kad būtum geriausias. Niekada negali sustoti kovoti dėl savo svajonės, nes niekada nebus lengva.

Net jei ir visi pokalbių metu buvo ramus ir susikaupę, bet akyse buvo matyti, kad tai jiems labai svarbu. Po pokalbių jaunieji sportininkai jau nesugėbėjo tvardyti emocijų ir tuoj pat pradėjo analizuoti ką jie tą vakarą išgirdo. Šito vakaro jie tikrai nepamirš kai jie tiesiogiai galėjo pasišnėkėti ar tiesiog nusifotografuoti su tokiais žmonėmis kaip David Rivers, Jasonn Hannibal, Coach David Blatt, Marko Popovic, Omar Samhan, and last but not least, Josh Childress.

中國時報運動天地最後一篇（僅在一個籃球夢）UNEDITED

2011-09-23T03:17:00.001+08:00

小國馬其頓雖敗尤榮大國俄羅斯贏得勝利

馬其頓打進歐洲前四強已是一個奇蹟，在這場第三名之爭，馬其頓的實力讓俄羅斯不敢小覷。

其實在座的14,500名球迷（除了那少許的俄羅斯球迷外）大家心底都很想看到小國再度創造奇蹟。只可惜，俄羅斯這場全隊表現太好，打得很堅決，表現出一副我來就是要贏的模樣。

賽後，被俄羅斯總教練David Blatt邀去跟俄羅斯隊共進慶祝勝利的晚餐。

教練偷偷跟我說其實他根本沒想到他們會得到獎牌，我笑笑跟他說我覺得這次俄羅斯隊的表現令我刮目相看（跟去年在土耳其世錦賽比較起來）

在桌子的另一方，球員正在舉杯慶祝。David說：“會一起喝酒的隊友會一起打球（打起球來像一個隊伍而不是一人球隊）

歐洲最強西班牙與法國之三分及防守大戰

可憐的法國，儘管靠Tony Parker得了26分，依然敵不過籃球強國西班牙。MVP Juan Carlos Navarro可能是歐洲當今最強的後衛。UNSTOPPABLE！

其實我覺得這場法國隊絕對可以打得更好，分數可以更接近。但，因為只要在此次歐錦賽前兩名的球隊就能取得前進明年倫敦奧運的門票，導致Tony沒有盡全力去打（但不怪他，畢竟在打完ＮＢＡ整個賽季還要在夏天馬不停蹄的繼續為自己國家效力打球，這不是一般人能或想要做到的），甚至有幾次運球過半場後丟球（被抄走），連回防都不做。有點可惜。畢竟這是歐錦賽的冠軍賽，心裡對比賽的期待總是會較高。

這趟立陶宛之行，就在這個擁有三百萬人口的籃球國家的籃球首都Kaunas的Zalgris Arena劃上了一個句點。當地的朋友及球隊問我何時還會回來，我笑笑說我不知道。只能說下屆歐錦賽斯洛維尼亞見！See you all at EuroBasket 2013 in Slovenia!

A Day in a Player's life: Konstantinos Kaimakoglou, Greek National Team - On Tournament Ed.

2011-09-12T23:09:00.001+08:00

Hi Dreamers, this' Konstantinos Kaimakoglou. This is my daily schedule during my stay here (in Lithuania)!! The time that happens each activity depends of the time of the game!!
When i wake up in the morning i go straight to breakfast,when i'm done with this i return to the room and get ready for the morning practice!!
Usually it takes about 45 minutes(because it's the game day)! Most of the practice includes shootings drills-stretching and some plays of the opponent...that we have to know how we will face them!
After that we go back to the hotel,take a shower and we go to have lunch,pre game meal is ordinary....spaghetti with red sauce and grilled chicken!!
Then it's time to talk to my fiance,family,friends and check the news on the internet or watch a movie before i take my favorite nap!
Noon time includes coffee and snack and then meeting with the whole team(players and coaches) to refresh the way we will play!
Departure for the gym!!
GAME TIME!!!
Back to the hotel,again a quick shower and dinner!!
Before i go to sleep it's time to relax and do what i did before my nap!!
That's it. Not that exciting as you thought, right? ;)

From A Basketball Girl With A Basketball Dream to our friend Kostas: First of all, EFHARISTO friend. Welcome on board the Dream. Thank you for sharing your daily life with our Dreamers. We wish you nothing but the best things, for your personal life and for HELLAS.

To our Dreamers: Like the video? Kostas filmed it himself (with the help of another friend of ours on the team, Vasileios Xanthopoulos. EFHARISTO!)

Quote of the Day (Coach Igor Kokoskov, Head Coach, Georgia @ EuroBasket 2011, Lithuania)

2011-09-11T08:31:00.000+08:00

"If you're not upset after loosing a game, you're in the wrong business."

And we TOTALLY agree! If you don't feel upset after loosing a deal, you're not fit for being a sales; if you dont' feel upset after not being able to achieve the goals you and your boss set, then you're probably in the wrong business. If that's the case every day, or every now and then, THEN SWITCH JOBS! Find something that you'll be upset after loosing it.

Quote of the Day (Coach Kemzura, Head Coach, Lithuania @ EuroBasket 2011, Lithuania)

2011-09-10T17:46:00.000+08:00

In the post-game press conference last night after France defeated home team Lithuania and left the stadium just a little quieter than normal, Coach Kemzura said (after a longer-than-usual pause), after being asked by a journalist "Coach, what do you think about the possibility of having to LEAVE home this Sunday?" (Sunday will be the deciding match against Germany on who advances to the QF to be held in Kaunas)

"We will not leave. We will WIN."

Dreamers, don't quit just yet.

"A Basketball Dream - Make It Real" A BBALL Talk PREVIEW - Jasonn Hannibal..

2011-09-10T07:38:00.004+08:00

Jasonn Hannibal..Pro Ball Player..Travelled the World playing BBALL!

"A Basketball Dream - Ballin' Lithuania" - An Update

2011-09-09T15:11:00.002+08:00

Hi all! Privet from Moscow, Russia. Almost out of battery, waiting for connecting flight to Riga, Latvia. Then will take the bus to Vilnius! FEEL FREE TO LEAVE YOUR COMMENTS BELOW telling us who you want us to interview at the EUROBASKET and what you would like to know. Out!

Coming up: EuroBasket 2011, Lithuania

2011-09-03T13:32:00.002+08:00

DUKE Blue Devils in CHINA - Reason the Dream is here.

2011-08-02T08:54:00.001+08:00

Coach K & The Blue Devils will be touring QunShan, Shanghai & Beijing later this month.

More info coming up....STAY TUNED.

22nd FIBA Asia Champions Cup - Day 3

2011-06-02T00:42:00.004+08:00

[Day 3 recap from our correspondent from Manila, Philippines]

Hi A Basketball Dream-ers, this' Amir. Today is Monday, May 30 - DAY 3 of the FIBA Asia Champions Cup in Manila.

First game was an Arabic game between Al Itihad from Saudi Arabia and ASU from Jordan and the winner of this game is ASU from Jordan. Mousa Alawadi had game-high 26 points and Sam Daghles had 14 points and 9 assist, a good performance and team Jordan have rest day tomorrow.

Second game was between young and talented players from Malaysia and Duhok from Iraq and one more time the center from KL Dragons from Malaysia had another nice performance with 22 points and 14 rebounds and on the other side Giles from Iraq had 28 points and 15 rebounds, he exploded. What a nice game for him! Even 11 3-pointers didnt help the Dragons win the game but they did well in the 2nd quarter, 25-12 but still lost in the end, what a shame!

In the 3rd game and the game for what could be an early final was between two strong pole of Asia, Mahram from Iran and Al Riyadi from Lebanon.

The game after first quarter finished with 24-12 with Lebanon leading but with the playbooks from Mr. Shahin Tab, head coach of Mahram and nice defensive plays by the Mahram players they won the 2nd quarter 25-13. Third quarter Lebanon won 22-17 and the last quarter was so stressful for both teams and hard to breathe for all the fans in the arena..

With the 3-pointer from Aren Davoodi from Mahram, he put the Iranian team ahead, 74-73 and 50 seconds remaining, a foul from Sam Cheikh gave Lebanon the chance to be in the lead with 2 FTs. Fadi El Khatib who got 25 points missed the first free throw, and gave hope to Mahram. But when he missed the last free throw, Aren from Mahram tried to grab the rebound but the ball touched his hand and went out of bounds. At that moment, all the Mahram fans got nervous and were heart-broken. After the ball was inbounded, Fadi El Khatib again drew another foul and this time he made both free throws and the score was 76-73. Team Mahram later tried to tie the match by shooting a 3 but strong full court pressure by Lebanon didn't allow them to succeed and Mahram lost the game in the end. It was such a close match!

Chris Williams had 32 points with 6 rebounds, while Samad Nikkhahd Bahrami from Mahram had 18 points.
On Lebanon side, the scoring machine Fadi Al Khatib had 25 points and 2 steals, successfully lead his team to the win over Iran.

Fourth and last game was a very quiet game between UAE and Qatar and the arena was almost empty..

Qatar won 78-60. Ngombo from Qatar had 21 points and Courtney from UAE 19 points, were the high scorers of the game.

Tomorrow Day 4 will be rest day for team Mahram and team Jordan but home team Smart Gilas will play Iraq and we expect the arean to be full of Basketball fans.

Thanks for reading!

22nd FIBA Asia Champions Cup, Manila, Philippines - DAY 2

2011-06-01T00:01:00.001+08:00

[From our correspondent in Manila, Philippines]

Hi A Basketball Dream-ers! This is Amir from Manila and today is Sunday May 29. Just got to the Philsport Complex at Pasig where the FIBA games are.

I missed the first and second game but the first game was between Al Itihad from Saudi Arabia and Duhok from Iraq and Al Itihad won the game 83-75 and in the second game another Arabic match between Al Rayyan from Qatar and Al Jalaa Syria. Chauncey Leslie had 30 points and Ngombo with 17 rebounds, both helped their team in their victory.

NOW the third game im excited to explain about this game before the game started the KL Dragons from Malaysia came in the court and the arena was almost full of Filipino fans and guess what?

#9 from Dragons with his hiphop moves and headphone came in and all the people were looking at him and he started to shoot and warm up and I saw the people were laughing at him and after few minutes Smart Gilas from the Philippines came in and the crowd made some noise and I was waiting to see #9 AGUILAR again, who have at least 2 alley-oops each game, he is such a talent. Ok moving along. Lets talk about the game.

Team Malaysia did a great job. A regular team with young players and not so much height but they did something that shocked everybody because they won the first half 40-39. #15 from Malaysia was a great center and with basic moves and simple jump shots he got double double with 31 points and 13 rebounds. However, in the 3rd and fourth quarters Smart Gilas with their strong defensive plays and nice shooting from outside gain the lead to 36 points! 5 players from Smart Gilas had 10 points each with 11 points from Chris Tiu and dominant rebounds from Marcus Douthit and Pauliasi Taulava with 26 rebounds, together they dominated inside the paint.

Smart Gilas beat the Dragons in the end. What I want to share with those of you who weren't there is that # 9 Marcus from Malaysia had 1 technical foul because of what he did and what he showed the crowd to make them be quiet after the Filipino fans made noise against him and booed him. It was a good job by the referee to notice that.

The 4th and final game was between Mahram from Iran and Al Shabab from UAE.

Imagine the Iranian fans there were only around 15 people but what they did to cheer their home team Mahram was more than what all the Filipino fans did together. Even the local fans were all taking picture of the Iranian fans, and also the TV zoomed on them. It was great! The players from Mahram came in and smiled at their fans and Al Shabab also came in the court after the warm up and so begane the game.

First quarter UAE won 24-23 but Mahram overcame in the 2nd quarter and lead by 4 by halftime, 45-41.

In the 3rd quarter UAE came back strong with many 3 pointers, however wasnt enough to overcome the Mahram because of the outstanding performance from Chris Williams, Samb Cheikh, and Samad Nikkhah Bahrami, with 31, 24, 16 points each. Team Iran in the 4th quarter won 26-11 and the final score was 90-73.

After the game, as usual, the Mahram players thanked the fans for what they did and their continuous support.

DAY 2 was even better than DAY 1 in my opinion and I believe DAY 3 will be the best..we'll see! I'm so excited!
Amir H. Gharibi
Manila, Philippines

22nd FIBA Asia Champions Cup, Manila, Philippines - DAY 1

2011-05-29T16:48:00.000+08:00

[Heavy rain and thunder didn't have anything on our correspondent Amir who resides in Manila, Philippines on making it out to the openning day of the 22nd FIBA Asia Champions Cup and here's his LIVE report from the first day..]

Even the heavy rain with thunders didn't stop me from going to watch the 22nd Fiba Asia Champions Cup. When I got there the arena was almost empty except the Iranian fans at the ringside of the court. I wasn't able to watch the first game but the score was 74-66 for Jordan over the Duhok from Iraq but when the Mahram players came in the court suddenly the arena was like 10,000 people shouting IRAN IRAN, even me. I saw some Filipino fans out there, maybe because they wanna see the former NBA player Samaki Walker, player of Aljalaa Syria. It was like a dream! Anyway game started and Iran won the jump ball and Samad got the first 2 points. Iran was leading 11-4 until 6 min of first quarter and after some turnovers from both teams score got close, to 21-17 at first period in 2nd quarter. With dominant plays from team Mahram and the scary block shots from Samb Tidan who got 6 blocks, 12 points, Iran led by 18 points. Also Chris Williams was awesome, he got fouled on his 2 point shot, And-1. He was great, so fast and strong and with this way of playing, the Syria coach (of the opponent team) got mad and shouted HOW MANY TIMES??? and the fans shout back SO MANY TIMES, was really funny and the Iranian players were laughing also. Iran won by 27 points and after the game the players thanked the fans. I was so focused I didn't even notice the arena was suddenly so full of people, the Smart Gilas of the Philippines came in and from other side Al Itihad from Saudi Arabia. Philippines high flyer Japeth Aguilar had 2 alley-oops and the crowd wanted to explode, the game was so exciting but #15 from Al Itihad was not liked by the home crowd because whenever he got the ball the crowd booed him and that made him angry and affected his performance, only got 9 points. Marcus Douthit with 18 points and 2 steals from Smart Gilas helped his team to stay in the lead. This Smart Gilas was a shooting team, so dangerous and their game inside outside with their 1-2 punch Aguilar and Lassiter they did big thing and in the end won 101-69 over Al Itihad. Maybe this time Philippines will go to the finals. The 4th game was an Arabic game between Al Shabab UAE and Al Riyadi Lebanon, the game was so quiet apart from the shouting of coaches and players. Fadi Al Khatib from Lebanon had 29 points and Courtney from Al Shabab 39, the top scorer of each team and #7 Ismail from Lebanon with 17 points and 9 assists also contributed his part. Finally Lebanon got their 1st victory, 109-90 and that's my first day recap of the 22nd FIBA Asia Champions Cup here in Manila, Philippines. The fans and I are looking forward to the 2nd day, lets see wat will happen?!!

Amir h. Gharibi from Manila, Philippines

An excerpt from BIG GAME SMALL WORLD by A. Wolff - A story of Basketball

2011-05-20T22:50:00.000+08:00

"In 1995 a boy named Tomasz was among a dozen people pulled from an avalanche in an Icelandic fishing village. After spending 24 hours buried in snow, he had three questions: Where am I? Is there school today? And who won that game between the Orlando Magic and the Philadelphia 76ers?"

A Basketball Dream - "PASS IT FORWARD" UPDATE & First Reader Feedback

2011-03-29T13:01:00.000+08:00

Hi guys! Ni hao from Shanghai!
It's been a while since I gave you guys an update on ABD. But here I am, back and just wanted to let you know about the global event happening right now (which began at the beginning of this year), i.e. A Basketball Dream - "PASS IT FORWARD".
The book is currently in Shanghai, in very good hands (a former Junior Team member of CS Bologna, Italy). And I have the first feedback from one of our first Dreamers who's been PASSed FORWARD to. His name is Cregg, an amateur Basketball player from St. Vincent. He's as passionate about this game as ABG, and that's precisely the reason why he was chosen to be PASSed forward to. Now let's hear what Cregg has to say.

From : Cregg…I am in deed very happy to have read this book. While it may only be two hundred pages, I was surprise that on every page, there was something I can relate to. This book was passed to me from my dear friend Nancy, who thought it would be an inspiration to me seeing that we had a similar passion for basketball. I can truly say that she was absolutely right. I can assume from reading this book that John Wooden was not merely a man of words but also a man of principles, consideration, compassion, values, integrity, patience and simplicity both as a coach and as a father. One of my favorite quotes in this book is “it is better to travel hopefully than arrive”. As an athlete and student studying away from home it has not been easy to balance both, there are no guideline about how to do so and this book has fill that gap, it has help me to understand my journey more and focus more on reaching my full potential rather the just winning. I always wanted to win no matter what the odds were, and if I don’t, am mad at everyone, but now I realize that winning is not really success but it’s doing the best you can do that really counts. Since I have read this book my attitude towards the game (sports) has changed because it is of a truth that we can only control our outcome and am beginning to see clearly that a team can be a force to reckon with if there is unity. I’m having a lot more fun with my teammates now and our relationship and chemistry in going to the next level. I must say thanks to the late legendary John Wooden for his inspiration and sharing of knowledge, and to Nancy for the opportunity to read this book.

ABD's shout out to Cregg: HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Hope you enjoyed your birthday gift (i.e. THE Book) ;) All the best to your studies, playing pro-ball and most importantly, LIFE!

How do you measure a year? (The New Adventure)

2011-03-09T00:42:00.001+08:00

Hi all!
It's been a while since my last post. Since I've been back home, been preparing for the next adventure that life has installed for me.

And now, I'm ready! (Thanks for waiting)

So before I step foot into the new journey (new journey, SAME Dream), I just want to share a song with you.

There's five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes in a year, what do you choose to measure your year in?

ABD chooses to measure a year in the inspiring moments, both receiving and giving :)

What about you?

"Inspire and be inspired." - ABD

Much love from ABG :)

If/When you have doubts.

2011-02-12T19:01:00.000+08:00

Basketball, Sports & travels, three things I can't live without.

Sometimes, and perhaps just now when I was feeling ill still and standing in the cold waiting for the bus (and having a zillion other things to be done somewhere else) on my way to a Basketball game, I wonder to myself why I do what I do. And maybe I haven't found the perfect answer yet, but all I know is this -

Whenever I DO do what I do, it always feels worthwhile, as soon as I step foot in that stadium, wherever it might be in the world, I feel at home. And nothing beats the feeling of feeling at home.

"No matter where I am, Basketball & Sports make me feel at home"

This' why I do what I do.

Maybe you don't like the same thing as I, or maybe you can't do what I do, but just know this, whatever you're doing, whatever dream you're pursuing, WHENEVER YOU HAVE DOUBTS, just ask yourself this: "Do I feel at home doing what I do?" "Does doing what I do now makes me feel at home?" If the answer is yes, or slightly towards yes, then you know you're on the right track and that you are better off continuing on then regretting not having done it later. This' my take, not sure what you guys think. Feel free to share your takes underneath if you feel like it!

Thanks for reading.

"How Basketball has changed my life" - Georgie's Life Lessons (English/Magyar)

2011-01-28T20:23:00.003+08:00

Hi guys! Once again, ABD is very fortunate to have on board our friend, George from Hungary, who got to play Basketball in two different continents (both the US and Hungary) and got a bit of a taste of the difference, but most importantly whose life was deeply affected by this wonderful sport, and although he's taking the "different" route (he's no longer playing pro), he's enjoying and leading a great life at the moment, and is all but reluctant to share with us all his story and the lessons he's picked up in life from Basketball. Which Lesson (there's 4!) do you agree or disagree with the most? Feel free to have your say! And last but not least, köszönöm, George. ABD is grateful to have you!
"It's wonderful to be able to watch a game with someone as enthusiastic and passionate about this game as you." This' what George said to me when we first met. And it is what has brought us all here, and kept us together. It's the LOVE for this game. ABD has nothing more to be grateful than this love and passion that has been the leading role and the drive for this Dream. Thank you all for reading!

[English]

Hey, everyone. I am Georgie from Hungary and in the following couple of lines I will tell you what basketball means to me. I am pushing 23 and I did not expect that basketball will be a big part of my life by this stage, and if I think about it, it really is not anymore. However the fact that at some point in my life I defined myself as a basketball player does have some lasting effects. What I see when I look back at my „career” is that it taught me some life lessons that shaped my mindset, and made me the guy I am now both in a negative and positive way. What I would like to concentrate on in this article is pointing out these lessons.

I started playing basketball in a club when I turned 14. My dad was a professional player with over a 100 junior national and national team appearances. His career, however, was cut short due to a non-sport-related accident at the age of 24. Although we did practice some layups and stuff on playgrounds when I was little, he never wanted me to be a basketball player. Being a professional athlete is risky to the fullest level. You get injured once and you may lose your living for your whole life, and it was definitely not a road he wanted me to go down on.

My dad always wanted me and my two younger brothers to stand on at least two feet, and always have options. This is why none of my brothers or me ever fully devoted ourselves to basketball. So this is my first life lesson: Georgie’s life lesson #1: Always leave doors open. By the time I was 14 I played soccer, handball, volleyball, basketball and a score of other sports...I was all over the place really. I only felt the urge to join a proper club when I turned 14.

After proving to be talented in the local club, I was „traded” to the historically most successful club of Hungary – my dad’s team’s arch-enemy. The club was past its heyday but the junior teams were still pretty respectable. This is where I first had a really authoritarian coach, the kind of coach figure that was always right. Looking back, it made things really easy for us, as he was someone who always knew what to do, and even if it did not work on the court, he tried.

As I love to talk back to coaches, I did not like him that much. What I learned there is discipline, making good decisions, and most importantly: not to make mistakes. The coach had the concept that you win games by not making mistakes; you have to play totally consciously and in control, and if you can do that you can almost always win. That is the most important lesson for professional athletes, but does not work so well with amateur ones. So my next lesson for pros only: Georgie’s life lesson #2: Do not make mistakes. At that club we were considered professional junior athletes: professional not in salary but mindset, we did not get paid, but we were expected to always want to win and be responsible for our mistakes, and more importantly minimizing them. It was harsh, most of us did not end up being pros, but we did learn some things.

At the age of 18 I went to the US for a year to study and play basketball at a small Silicon Valley private school. There I have experienced a different approach to enthusiasm and professionalism about basketball. Most of our team was just regular high school kids who did not even think about doing basketball on a high level, but they sure give it all they got! They were not talented but enthusiastic; not professional, but they loved the game. Basketball is much bigger in the US than in Hungary, and it was striking to see that the entire community came out to see our games, and hundreds of people cheered on us, while in Hungary we played in front of empty bleachers. The whole atmosphere was professional but the mindset of the players was not. I have a lot to thank to all the people involved in that period of my life.

The most memorable basketball moment of my life took place in California. It was the first game of playoffs, whoever lost got eliminated. At the beginning it seemed like an easy game for us, but our opponents really sucked it up and we played like rubbish. To cut the story short, we had about 10 seconds on the clock trailing by three. Our last offense was running OK, but there was no shot opportunity at 5 seconds remaining, and the guy with the ball got boxed in. He passed it to me with 2 second remaining. I was at the three point line with my back to the basket and I did not have many options at that point. I knew I had a guy behind me, and desperately, still facing away from the basket I turned and shot while initiating contact. Although it was not a sure call, the official called the shooting foul and I had three free throws with 1.4 seconds on the clock. If I made all three, it was a tie, otherwise...not interesting. I missed the first one. The opposing team thought they have won it and cheered themselves. I made the second one. I yelled out to my coach to call a time out. He did, and I told him I got this. My 7’3” tall brother was jumping for the ball, so we could make it work. I had to intentionally miss it, and he had to tip it back in...that was all we had time for. It is not easy to intentionally miss a free throw in the right way. After that incident I tried it several times, and could not get it right. Just missing it was not enough I had to miss it in a way that my brother could reach it and tip it back in. And that was just what I did. I hit the left part of the top of the rim, from where the ball bounced to the backboard giving time for my brother to get in position. He lightly tipped it to the backboard and in the net. Of course we won the game in overtime. It would be easy to call my next life lesson ”never give up”, but is not the case. It is: Georgie’s life lesson #3: Do whatever it takes to reach your goals. Of course this lesson can be easily abused, but what I mean by it is: do not be afraid to miss a free throw if it is the only way you can win the game eventually.

The last period of my basketball life is the one I am in now. After coming back from the US I went back to the senior team of my Hungarian club, but I just could not and did not want to concentrate anymore. That was when basketball became fun for me. I switched teams to play for my university’s team, where I have to attend two practices a week where we mostly just play. I gained 5 kilogramms of fat, and am worse in every element of my game than before...but boy do I have fun! There is no running and working out just playing the game.

Other areas of my life have grown greatly, and I consider myself an overall successful individual. To do everything I do now, I do not have as much time for basketball as I used to do. I do not respect the game anymore, I just enjoy it, and until I have time to do so, and it brings me joy, I will continue to play basketball. My life lesson to this period is: Georgie’s life lesson #4: Set your priorities straight. If you know how you want to live your life, than you should not be carried away by how you used to live it. At first it was weird for me not to go down to the gym every day. But then I got occupied by all the other things that I value higher than basketball, and I am really happy now. Basketball is still a part of my life, but a smaller part. I can totally understand people whose entire life is devoted to the game. Mine is not.

So to sum up the message of this article, I would like to recap my life lessons. Always have doors open because you never know what will happen tomorrow. You can only make decisions if you have options to choose from. If you want to be professional in a field: learn not to make mistakes. Of course being willing to take risks is important to succeed in anything, but too high risks usually turn out to be mistakes. Do whatever it takes to reach your goals. Do not be afraid to make hard decisions, even if they affect your life greatly. Finally, set your priorities straight. This is instrumental in making good decisions. You first have to know what you want to reach it.

[Magyar]

Sziasztok. Georgie vagyok Magyarországról és a következő pár sorban elmesélem, hogy mit jelent számomra a kosárlabda. Már 23 éves vagyok, és nem gondoltam volna, hogy ennyi évesen a kosárlabda nagy részét teszi ki az életemnek, és ha belegondolok valóban nem ez a helyzet. Ennek ellenére annak a tények, hogy életem egy bizonyos részében kosárlabdázóként definiáltam magam, vannak hosszútávú hatásai. Ha visszatekintek a “karrieremre”, azt látom, hogy a sport olyan leckéket adott nekem, amelyek befolyásolták a gondolkodásomat, és nagyban hozzájárultak mind pozitív, mind negatív módon ahhoz, hogy most az vagyok, aki. Ebben az írásban arra szeretnék koncentrálni, hogy bemutassam ezeket a leckéket.

14 évesen kezdtem el klubban kosárlabdázni. Édesapám profi játékos volt több, mint 100 ifi és felnőtt válogatott fellépéssel. A pályafutását egy nem sporttal kapcsolatos baleset törte ketté 24 éves korában. Bár fiatal koromban néha ziccereztünk a játszótéren, soha nem akarta, hogy kosárlabdázó legyek. A profi sportoló lét a lehető legkockázatosabb dolog a világon. Egyszer kell megsérülnöd, és egész életedre elvesztheted a megélhetésedet, és ezt egyértelműen nem kívánta nekem.

Édesapám mindig azt akarta, hogy én és a két fiatalabb testvérem két lábon álljunk, hogy mindig legyen választási lehetőségünk. Ezért van az, hogy sem én, sem a testvéreim nem rendeltük alá magunkat teljesen a kosárlabdának. Ezért ez az első tanulság: Georgie 1. bölcsessége: Mindig hagyjál nyitva ajtókat magad előtt. 14 éves koromig fociztam, kézilabdáztam, röplabdáztam, kosaraztam, és egy csomó másik sportot űztem...majdnem mindent. Csak 14 éves koromra éreztem magamban késztetést arra, hogy egy rendes klubba lemenjek.

Miután kiderült, hogy a helyi csapat tehetsége vagyok, „eladtak” Magyarország legsikeresebb klubjának – édesapám csapatának ősi ellenségének. A klub túl volt a csúcson, de az utánpótláscsapatoknak még mindig meg volt a respektje. Itt volt először igazán parancsoló edzőm, az az edzőfajta, akinek mindig igaza van. Visszanézve ez a tény eléggé megkönnyítette a helyzetünket, mert ő mindig tudta, hogy mit kell tennünk, és ha nem is működött, legalább megpróbálta.

Mivel imádok visszabeszélni az edzőknek, nem nagyon szerettem. Itt tanultam fegyelmet, jó döntéseket hozni, de legfőképp nem hibázni. Az edzőnek az volt a rögeszméje, hogy akkor nyerünk meccseket, ha nem hibázunk; maximálisan tudatosan kell játszanod, és ha ez sikerül akkor majdnem mindig győzöl. Ez a profi sportolók első számú törvénye, de az amatőröknél nem működik annyira jól. Tehát ez a következő lecke csak profiknak: Georgie 2. bölcsessége: Ne hibázz. A klubnál profi utánpótláskorú sportolóként kezeltek minket: profinak nem a fizetés, hanem a gondolkodásmód miatt; nem fizettek, de mindig a győzelmet várták eltőlünk és azt, hogy felelősséget vállaljunk a hibáinkért, és főképpen minimalizáljuk őket. Kemény volt, a legtöbben nem váltunk profivá, de sokmindent tanultunk belőle.

Tizennyolc éves koromban egy évre Amerikába mentem, hogy egy kis Szilícium-völgyi magániskolában tanuljak, és kosarazzam. Itt egy egészen új szintű lelkesedéssel és professzionalizmussal találkoztam, ami a kosárlabdát illeti. A csapat nagy részét egyszerű középiskolás fiúk tették ki, akik nem is gondolkodtak azon, hogy magasabb szinten űzzék a sportot, de mindenképpen mindent beleadtak! Nem voltak tehetségesek, de annál lelkesebbek; nem voltak professzionálisak, de imádták a játékot. A kosárlabda sokkal nagyobb szám Amerikában, mint Magyarországon, és hihetelen volt látni, hogy az egész közösség kilátogatott a meccseinkre, és több százan drukkoltak nekünk, míg otthon üres lelátók előtt játszottunk. Az egésznek kifejezetten profi hangulata volt, kivéve a játékosok gondolkodásmódját. Nagyon sokat köszönhetek mindenkinek, akikhez közöm volt ebben az időszakban.

Kosárlabdapályafutásom legemlékezetesebb pillanata is Kaliforniához kötődik. A rájátszás első meccse volt, egyenes kiesés. Az elején könnyű meccsnek tűnt, de az ellenfél nagyon szívós volt, és mi szörnyen játszottunk. Annyi elég, hogy 10 másodpercünk maradt a meccsből, és 3 ponttal vezetett az ellenfél. Az utolsó támadásunk jól ment, de nem volt belőle dobóhelyzet, amikor már csak 5 másodperc maradt, és a labdás embert becsapdázták. Nekem passzolta, amikor 2 másodperc maradt. Háttal a gyűrűnek a hárompontos vonalon álltam, és addigra nem sok választásom maradt. Tudtam, hogy van valaki mögöttem, és elkeseredetten, még mindig a kosárnak háttal megfordultam és kontaktust keresve eldobtam a labdát. Bár nem volt egyértelmű, a bíró lefújta a dobás közbeni faultot, és három büntetőm volt úgy, hogy 1.4 másodperc volt vissza.Ha mind a hármat bedobom, döntetlen, egyébként...az most nem érdekes. Az első bement. A másodikat kihagytam. Az ellenfél azt hitte itt vége van, már ünnepeltek. Az edzőm időt kért, én pedig megmontam neki, hogy meg tudom csinálni. A 218 centi magas öcsém ugrott a labdáért, tehát meg tudtuk oldani. Szándékosan ki kellett hagynom, és neki be kellett pöciznie...csak erre maradt időnk. Nem egyszerű szándékosan kihagyni egy büntetőt úgy hogy az használható labda legyen. Ez után a meccs után még többször megpróbáltam lemásolni amit ott tettem, de sosem sikerült. Simán kihagyni nem volt elég, mert úgy kellett kihagynom, hogy az öcsém elérje és vissza tudja tenni. Pont ezt tettem. A gyűrű bal oldalát találtam el, ahonnan a palánkra pattant, így az öcsémnek volt ideje a megfelelő helyzetbe kerülni. Könnyedén a palánkra pöccintette és onnan bement. A hosszabbításban természetesen nyertünk. Könnyű lenne a következő bölcséességnek azt írni, hogy „sose add fel”, de nem ez a helyzet. A bölcsesség: Georgie 3. bölcsessége: Tegyél meg bármit, hogy elérd a célodat. Természetesen ez a tanulság könnyen félreértelmezhető, de amire gondolok, az az, hogy: ne félj kihagyni egy büntetőt, ha ez az egyetlen esély arra, hogy végül megnyerjétek a meccset.

Sport-életem legutóbbi fázisa a mostani. Miután visszatértem Amerikából, vissza mentem a nevelőegyesületem felnőttcsapatához, de már nem tudtam és nem akartam eléggé koncentrálni. Innentől vált számomra igazán szórakoztatóvá a kosárlabda. Csapatot váltottam, és csatlakoztam az egyetem kosárlabdacsapatához, ahol csak két edzésre járok egy héten, és azokon is szinte csak játszunk. Felszedtem 5 kilónyi zsírt, és a játékom minden elemében árnyéka vagyok magamnak, de nagyon élvezem! Semmi futás vagy kondizás, csak játék.

Az életem többi része eléggé kinőtte magát, és összességében rendkívül sikeresnek gondolom magam. Ahhoz, hogy minden mostani tevékenységemet nyugodtan végezhessem, nem tudok annyi időt kosárlabdával tölteni mint régebben. Nem tisztelem többé a játékot, csak élvezem, és ameddig engedi időm és örömöt nyújt, folytatom a kosárlabdát. Ennek az időszaknak a bölcsessége: Georgie 4. bölcsessége: Tisztázd magadban a prioritásaidat. Ha tudod, hogy hogyan szeretnéd élni az életedet, nem szabad, hogy a megszokásaid megzavarjanak. Először természetesn furcsa volt nem elmenni edzeni minden nap. De aztán lekötöttminden más, amit többre értékelek a kosárlabdánál, és most boldog vagyok. a kosárlabda még mindig része az életemnek, de egyre kisebb része. Teljesen megértem azokat az embereket, akiknek mindenük a kosárlabda. De nekem nem.

Az írás mondandóját összefoglalva nézzük meg ismét a bölcsességeket, amiket a kosárlabdától tanultam. Mindig hagyj nyitva ajtókat, mert sosem tudhatod mi történik holnap. Csak akkor hozhatsz döntéseket, ha vannak választási lehetőségeid. Ha valamit profi módon akarsz csinálni: tanulj meg nem hibázni. Természetesen a kockázatvállalás fontos a sikerhez, de a túl nagy kockázat gyakran átbillenhet hibába. Tegyél meg bármit, hogy elérd céljaidat. Ne félj a nehéz döntésektől, akkor se, ha azok befolyásolják az életedet. Végül, tisztázd magadban a prioritásaidat. Ez alapvető fontosságú ahhoz, hogy jó döntéseket hozz. Először tudnod kell, hogy mit akarsz ahhoz, hogy elérd.

And for all those interested, here's the video of the (INCREDIBLE) memorable intentionally-missed tipped-in game tie-ing shot. FEEL IT?

A story of Heart (In English/Српска)

2011-01-20T20:46:00.000+08:00

Following is a story of a young Serbian basketball player. A Basketball Dream is fortunate to have met him and even more fortunate to have him tell you his story in his own words. It's a story (in ABD's opinion) of Heart, of an ordinary kid with an extraordinary heart..and PASSION. Hope it serves as an inspiration to you as it has to those of us who knows him. And most of all, ABD wishes him all the best in his future endeavors, be it in basketball or in LIFE!

[English]
Hello everybody. It’s my first time of blogging for “A Basketball Dream”, so I have to say it’s a real pleasure to be a part of your community.
First of all, I would like to introduce myself to all of you. I’m a basketball player from Serbia (Europe) and a person who lives for a game of basketball. I’m not any kind of basketball superstar, I’m just an ordinary player in ordinary world :) I’ll try to, through my story, present why you guys should play basketball, and for others which already play this game how hard work, dedication and luck are important thing and why you should never give up!
My story starts in 1998, when I first time took the ball in my hands. I started playing ball in small local club, with only one skilled coach in whole town. Then comes first game, my first basket, my first turnover… :) The coaches always told for me that I have great talent, but I knew talent is just 5% in basketball and that I have to gain the rest of 95% which means hard work, dedication, inspiration and luck to become a complete player, a good person and learn something new about life! After early days, and a basic skills which I gain, I moved to Belgrade, a Serbian capital, where I played for two clubs – BC Superfund and BC Partizan. Of course, I was in youth teams and for the first time experienced new level of basketball – a junior level. New club, bigger city, new teammates and the most important - for the first time away from home. I knew that's gonna be hard task for me, but I also was ready to take my game to the next level. And I take it. In just 6 months of work with best coaches I ever seen before and great teammates I made great improvement and jump on to the next level of basketball. Of course, beside basketball in Belgrade, I also went to high school there and it makes it even harder to reach all goals. I was running from one part of city to the other to be there in the gym on time for practice. I must admit that I had poor opinion about the school that days, but so soon I realize that the education is maybe the most important things at basketball. If you doubt that, just take a look at your favorite athletes and you well see that all (or a big, big part) of them finished proper education level (college or high school).
Next few years was good years for me, I finished high school, became a senior, played top basketball, and get the chance to become a pro. At this time, I’m waiting a new club, as I feel it’s the best for me to move out on loan and gain needed first team experience. I remember my hardest period in life, which was few years ago when my parents separated, my granny died and all people around me was in deep depression and I can proudly say that only basketball took me out from all that madness and keep me as I am. I also remember my injury and after injury time… It was winter, cold Serbian winter. I tried to, although injury was not particularly severe nature, stay mentally strong and prepare myself for the return. Everything in life can be overcome, including injuries ... It was snowing and I was running outside at -5, -10 degrees of Celsius just to be ready when I step back to the court while all people around watching me and say :“He is crazy!”… No, I’m not crazy, I’m just an inspired young fella who knows what he is living for and what he wants to be in his life. And I know that I’ll never give up! Because that word don’t have place in my word-book. You shouldn’t have not even smallest fear from success. And if you have, try to turn it into positive performances because our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate, our deepest fear is how we are powerful beyond measure! What you think is who you become… And all of you should know that!
And for the end, one of my favorite quote which I always use to inspire myself and all others around me:
“If you are, you breed; If you breed, you talk; If you talk, you quest; If you quest, you think; If you think, you search; If you search, you experiencing; If you experiencing, you learn; If you learn, you grow; If you grow, you want; If you want, you find; If you find, you doubt; If you doubt, you ask; If you ask, you understand; If you understand, you know; And if you know - YOU ARE ALIVE!”

[Српска]
Pozdrav svima. Ovo je moj prvi blog za „košarkaški san“, i moram reći da mi je izuzetna čast što sam deo vaše zajednice.
Pre svega, želeo bih da vam predstavim sebe. Ja sam košarkaš iz Srbije i osoba koja živi za košarku. Nisam nikakva vrsta „košarkaške zvezde“, šta više – ja sam samo jedan običan igrač u jednom običnom svetu. Pokušaću da Vam, kroz moju priču, predstavim zašto biste trebali igrati košarku, a za one koji je već igraju – koliko su naporan rad, posvećenost i sreća važni faktori i zašto nikada ne treba odustajati!
Moja priča počinje 1998, kada sam prvi put uzeo košarkašku loptu u svoje ruke. Pošeo sam u malom lokalnom klubu, sa samo jednim kvalifikovanim trenerom u celom gradu. Ubrzo potom je došla prva utakmica, moj prvi koš, moja prva izgubljena lopta... Treneri su mi uvek govorili da posedujem ogroman talenat, ali sam i sam oduvek znao da je talent samo 5% u košarci i da moram da „pridobijem“ ostalih 95% koji uključuju težak rad, posvećenost, inspiraciju i određenu dozu sreće, da bih postao kompletan igrač, dobra osoba i da bih naučio nešto novo o životu! Posle početnih koraka, i osnovnih košarkaških veština koje sam naučio, prešao sam u Beograd gde sam igrao za dva kluba – Superfund i Partizan. Naravno, igrao sam u mlađim katgorijama i po prvi put iskusio novi nivo košarke – juniorski nivo. Novi klub, mnogo veći grad, novi saigrači i njvažnija novina za mene u životu – po prvi put sam daleko od kuće. Znao sam da će to biti težak zadatak za mene, ali sam bio spreman da svoj nivo igre podignem na novi nivo. I podigao sam. Za samo 6 meseci rada sa najboljim trenerima koje sam do tada video u životu i sjajnim saigračima napravio sam veliki iskorak i uspeo da naučim nešto novo ne samo o igri, već i o košarkaškoj kulturi! Naravno, pored košarke, u Beogradu sam upisao i srednju školu pa mi je sve to izgledalo mnogo teško za ukomponovati. Neretko sam trčao sa jednog na drugi kraj grada da bih bio u sali na vreme za trening. Moram priznati da sam imao loše mišljenje o školi tih dana, ali sam ubrzo shvatio da je obrazovanje možda i najbitnija stvar u košarci. Aako sumnjate u to, samo pogledajte vaše omiljene sportiste i videćete da su svi (ili bar veliki deo njih) završili visoko obrazovanje (koledž ili „jaku“ srednju školu).
Narednih nekoliko godina su bile dobre za mene: završio sam srednju školu, postao prvotimac, igrao dobru košarku i dobio šansu da postanem profesionalac. Trenutno čekam novi klub i smatram da je najbolje za mene da odem u sredinu u kojoj ću igrati i dobiti to preko potrebno iskustvo. Sećam se i najtežeg perioda u svom životu, par godina ranije... Roditelji su se razveli, baba umrla i svi meni najbliži ljudi bili u depresiji, i mogu reći da mi je upravo košarka pomogla da ostanem van tog ludila i ostanem normalan. Takođe se sećam i perioda povrede... Bila je zima, hladna srpska zima... Trudio sam se da, iako povreda nije bila posebno teske prirode, ostanem mentalno jak i spremim sebe za povratak. Sve se u zivotu moze pobediti, pa tako i povreda... Trčao sam na -5, -10 stepeni samo da bih se što spremniji vratio na teren, dok su me svi ljudi gledali i govorili: „On je lud...“ Ne, nisam lud, samo sam jedna izuzetno poslećena osoba koja zna za šta živi i šta želi da postane u životu! I znam da nikada neću odustati, jer ta reč jednostavno ne postoji u mom rečniku! Ne treba imati ni najmanji strah od uspeha. A i ako on postoji, pokušajte da ga pretvorite u pozitivne stvari koje će vas motivisati! Naš najveći strah nije što smo neadkevatni, naš najveći strah je u stvari do koje smo mere i koliko moćni! Ono što misliš je ono što ćeš postati... I svi vi biste trebali to da znate!
I za kraj, jedan od mojih omiljenih citata koji uvek koristim da motivišem sebe i sve druge oko mene, a nadam se da će i vama poslužiti:
„Ako jesi, onda dišeš; Ako dišeš, onda pričas; Ako pričaš, onda pitaš; Ako pitaš, onda misliš; Ako misliš, onda tražiš; Ako tražiš, onda iskušavaš; Ako iskušavaš, onda učiš; Ako učiš, onda rasteš; Ako rasteš, onda želiš; Ako želiš, onda pronalaziš; Ako pronalaziš, onda sumnjaš; Ako sumnjaš, onda se raspituješ; Ako se raspituješ, onda razumeš; Ako razumeš, onda znaš; A ako znaš – ONDA SI ŽIV!

[On Greek Basketball] Olympiakos-Panathinaikos, the 'ETERNAL ENEMIES' of Greek sports (not just football)

2011-01-07T23:18:00.003+08:00

To understand THE rivalry of the capital of Greece (ATHENS), you need to understand a bit of the history in the two clubs, players and most importantly, the FANS. Understanding the football part will help you understand better the rivalry in Basketball, as both clubs host both sports.

...FEEL THE GREEK PASSION?

..DO YOU FEEL IT?

"PASS IT FORWARD" - In memory of a great Basketball coach and life teacher (First post of A Wonderful Year)

2011-01-06T21:27:00.011+08:00

Hi ALL!

Would just like to begin by expressing my very own attitude on all your support on A Basketball Dream in the past year, this wonderful year of Basketball (2010)!
Also would like to continue by wishing you ALL yet another wonderful year to come! (2011) It WILL be another INSPIRING year of Basketball and Sports! ABD promises you that.
I know this will be a great year, 2011, simply BECAUSE I know, deep down in my heart, that whatever happens, whatever come across our paths down the journey, we'll be facing everything with an OPEN heart AND with lots of inspiration! If you have the right attitude, it just can't go wrong. Agreed?

So, to welcome this new year, ABD has initiated a global event called "PASS IT FORWARD". It's an event where a book I've finished reading (after many time of digesting and reviewing and reflecting) in 2010 (passed forward to me by the Houston Rockets assistant Coach) will tour around the world, passing from one person to another, Eastward on Earth. The time spans from January 1, 2011 (the book is already passED forward by yours truly, so no longer here with me) til September 14, 2014 (Why this date is chosen will be revealed further along).
Further description is as follows:

"PASS IT FORWARD"
In memory of a great Basketball coach & life teacher
(http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=173141406050894)

Event: Passing forward the book "A Lifetime of Observations and Reflections On and Off the Court" written by Coach John Wooden

Time: January 1, 2011 - September 14, 2014

Place: AROUND THE WORLD. Starting in Taipei, Taiwan (25°2′N 121°38′E), EASTward.

Why this event: Because I want to pass on the INSPIRATION from this wonderful teacher of life, namely, Coach John Wooden and his wisdom, for it helped me tremendously in keeping my spirit up and the Dream going (of course, this' also due to the recommender and the "passer" of this book, assistant Coach of Houston Rockets, NBA). In passing on the wisdom, I believe we can do our part (small yet not insignificant) to make this world a little bit better by inspiring more hearts, inspiring more Dreams!

How to take part:

Sign-up on the event page on FB, indicate your location on Earth (should you not know your co-ordinates, please check Wikipedia or post the name of your location and ABD will assist you).
Once you receive the book, you have 2 weeks to read, digest or do anything with the book (except please keep it INTACT and take good care of it so it can continue to INSPIRE) and when that time's up, please pass it forward to a friend or a family member or even a stranger, as long as you know that person will be able to benefit from it (please note that it should be someone trusted so we won't loose track of where the book is and eventually loose it).
Once you have chosen the person you want to pass the book forward to after you're done reading, please kindly ask that person to get on the event page on FB and sign-up. The only rule about the person you're passing it on to is that person should be located somewhere Eastward of you (if you don't know your geography too well, this' the perfect time to learn a little more about this World geographical-wise).
Also, when you have finished reading the book, please write your full name and signature on the front page of the book, and your location and the date you pass it forward. In doing so, you will be able to see where this book has been and whose life have (hopefully) been changed due to this very book you are reading/have read.
Share your thoughts on the book on "A Basketball Dream" page on FB. You may WRITE about it, TALK about it, FILM your thoughts, SHOUT OUT your thoughts, in whatever way you want to communicate your thoughts. Be CREATIVE! OR if you're more on the shy side, you may also EMAIL your thoughts to ABD inbox (due to the reason of preventing SPAMS, please check here for the email address), thoughts emailed along with the ones posted on Facebook will be chosen to be put on here at our updates on "PASS IT FORWARD" every 2 months.
Last but not least, ABD WELCOMES EVERY AND EACH ONE OF YOU TO JOIN IN ON THIS WONDERFUL EVENT TO NOT ONLY BE CONNECTED TO BUT ALSO INSPIRE THE REST OF THE WORLD. If you have any suggestions or opinions to share, please don't hesitate to leave a comment below!

LET'S GET IT STARTED! LET THE INSPIRATION BEGIN!!

"Inspire and be inspired." - ABD

Click HERE to watch a video of ABD spreading the inspiration to a class of wonderful 7 year-olds (2nd graders from all over the world)