Life of Basketball

Podcast Ep 6 Season Recap

2012-05-21T15:37:00.001-07:00

Season Recap, Thank you to my teammates, coaches, and fans. Great to be back home in the good old US Season Recap, Thank you to my teammates, coaches, and fans. Great to be back home in the good old US of A!!! Getting geared up for the Nick Lewis Skills Camp this summer in Phoenix. Going to be a great week!!! Preparing for summer and all the crazy things that are in store so keep checkin back!!
Thanks to Matt for the Website
Thanks to Jack and Reggie for all the work!!

Life of Basketball Ep 6

Podcast Episode 5

2012-04-21T13:49:00.000-07:00

This episode I talk about starting the playoffs and our season in a little recap, talk about what happens at Pizza Hut after our game, and what it has meant to me to live and travel in Europe. Please share with friends and family to help get us moving forward and hopefully on iTUNES. Also leave me a comment about content, ask a questions, or just say you like it!!

www.lobpodcast.podomatic.com

Life of Basketball Ep. 4

2012-04-01T15:46:00.001-07:00

This weeks episode I talk about spring time coming to Poland, doing a little redneck bbq polish style, and introduce "Cooking with Loski". More good stories about living around the world and bouncing a round ball. Subscribe to the feed and download for the ride to work tomorrow!!
www.lobpodcast.podomatic.com

Listen in

2012-03-22T16:37:00.001-07:00

Well I have really taken a liking to this podcasting. I have published 3 episodes and each one gets a little better but bottom line I am just having a really good time with it. It gives me the opportunity to share more stories and share interviews with my teammates which gives you a look at what we do while we are over here playing ball both on and off the court.

Episode 3 I share a few stories about what it is like to stay in hotels in Europe. 6'10" dude sleeping in a small bed. "Big guy on a little bed, big guy on a little bed" also some thoughts on the NFL and the NCAA tourney. Please have a listen and like my podcast page, subscribe through iTunes, leave a comment, ask a question, or whatever you want just enjoy!!

Life of Basketball Podcast ep. 3

Life of Basketball Podcast

2012-03-13T13:46:00.003-07:00

It's official I recorded and publish my first Podcast. Please check it out!! It's a look into the lives of us Basketball players living abroad. I want to give our audience a look into what it is to live overseas and share some great stories and experiences. I will feature a new guest each week, we will chat it up about our lives outside the lines. Leave a comment or suggestions or questions so I can make it a great experience. Also anyone who knows how to get it on iTunes let me know so more people can listen by downloading it. It runs about 45 minutes. Thanks again for following the blog and hopefully you will follow the podcast!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0eNixw6vq8

Frustration Continues

2012-03-09T06:53:00.000-08:00

Most of you who know me know that overall I am a very forward looking positive person but lately I am having to try and be this way even harder. My back continues to be suspect and is taking longer than I want to get better. It has been almost a month since the initial injury and I tried to take a little time off to get better but I dont think I took enough time. The timing was terrible because we were finishing our season gearing up for the playoffs. I missed the last 2 games of the regular season which was tough but good to take some time off. But me being me and not wanting to sit the bench I came back and played in the next 2 games, one was for the Polish Cup and the other was the first game of our Playoff pool. I played really well in both games averaging 12pts and 5 rebounds in the 2 games but after the second game in about 10 days I was in trouble. During the bus ride back from the game the drugs that they had given me to be able to play started to wear off and that was all she wrote. I felt like I had been shot in the lower back. EVERYTHING hurt. There was no position or stance that I could get in that would allow my back to relax.

As any of you who have had back issues it is so frustrating because the back is so a part of everything you do and every move you make. Unlike a ankle sprain or bad finger where you can just tape it up a little tighter and get out there, your back cannot be taped! It is the first injury of this kind that I have had that has continued to just nag along. It is now getting better as I have sat out the last 2 weeks and been getting therapy like crazy everyday but I cant wait to get back out there. Our team is in a bit of turmoil right now with a few bad losses and a change in the coach going into the playoffs. Yep fired our head coach the week before we started the playoffs so that has generated some problems because we are working so hard to be good in the playoffs while also working on incorporating the new system from the new coach. Overall the new coach has been helping us get back to playing better basketball but the learning curve based on the timing of it all is making it a little more difficult. I just want to get healthy so I can help the team get back to where we were and start kicking ass again, cant do much from the sidelines!! Next week it is ON!!! On the lighter side of sports as they would say I am currently working on a Podcast. Ya I know I am joining the craze that has become the podcast world. My idea for the podcast is much like this blog, give a quick insight into basketball from on the court but more importantly I want to deliver some of the "behind the scenes" stuff that we all go through while over here playing in Europe. I will have some of my current and former teammates on as guests so we can just share stories of the craziness that happens over here when we are traveling, playing ball, and just living our lives separated from our family and friends for 8-9 months a year. Letting you get a glimpse of what it takes to be a Pro baller that is beyond just the basketball which gives us a great life style but also takes a little bit from all of us. It should be a fun ride and I hope you will all give feed back and let me know what you think. The first episode should be finished this weekend and I will post it I think on YouTube first and post a link here and on Facebook so you can listen in. The episode will be about an hour long so it can be perfect to listen to while working out or driving to work. Hope it catches some wind but I need the feedback to see if it is even good. So I will send the link out next week for all to enjoy. Thanks for reading!! @TheNickyLew on twitter

Road to Recovery

2012-02-09T13:05:00.000-08:00

There is nothing worse then having to try and battle through an injury. This past week I managed to slip a disc in my lower back during and individual workout. We weren't doing anything out of the ordinary, it was a typical morning workout we have usually twice a week where we work on post moves and get up a ton of shots. Well this particular morning my back decided that it was not going to be happy with me and it crapped out. It was the most interesting and acute pain I had ever experienced. Sure I have been hurt before with sprained ankles and twisted knees but when your back goes out, GAME OVER! There is no comfortable position to sit or lay in and every little movement you make becomes unbearable. Ok enough with the self pity. The real theme of this post is a more outward looking big picture idea. In my case the set back or hurdle is an injury but in the World right now people are struggling with much bigger "injuries" in their daily lives. Mainly I look at the obvious economic situations that hit everyone very hard. There were some serious mistakes made by a lot of people on all levels. Some on purpose, or should I say done with what was thought to be good intentions, and some done without anyone's control. Much like what happens when an athlete is hurt on the court. When we get injured on the court there is an immediate response that usually involves the trainer and a bag of ice to try and immediately relieve the pain. That is what also happens in life. When we are hit with something that hurts us in our lives we immediately look for the first thing that will relieve the pain. In some cases this can be drinking, eating, or consumerism in excess all of which seem at the time to be the best way to dull the immediate pain i.e. the ice from the trainer. But none of these early treatments are good long term. So after the ice has taken affect and the pain has subsided, there must be an objective evaluation of the injury. Where exactly is the pain? What was the cause of the injury? During this period the trainer or doctor tries to get down to the essential parts of the injury so that a proper diagnosis can be made. This I think is the step that most people in dealing with real life situations have the hardest time with. Most often I think it is because evaluating yourself and what part you played in your current situation is something that people are just not comfortable or unable to do. In order to find the route cause of your situation you have to really dig deep and find where the problem started and what was the exact cause? Finally after a diagnosis has been given the treatment or therapy can begin but without an accurate diagnosis of the injury, the treatment can be rendered irrelevant. So if in my case the injury is to my lower back and after the trainer looked me over and tested range of motion and source of pain that obviously is radiating from my back and then says "Ok well looks like you hurt your back so lets do some exercises for your arms and see if that helps?" I would look at him and call him crazy. Well when you are unable to look at yourself and truly diagnose yourself correctly there is no way you can start the proper treatment or therapy to resolve the problem. Treatment can only begin when the true injury has been found. I guess my point in all of this is that in the last week I have really been able to see how much being hurt sucks when you aren't able to do what you love. There is nothing worse then having an injury cause you so sit out, because there wasn't necessarily anything that I did wrong. It just happened and things just happen in life too. But when we are able to dig in and really evaluate what we can do to make our current situation better that is what make us great. I am working hard to do everything I can to make sure that my back is stronger and healthier then ever so that I can continue playing ball. I know that there are situations in all our lives that happen and we just can't control, we all get injured but the thing we can control is what happens next. What do you do now to make sure that it doesn't happen again? Work to make yourself stronger and hopefully avoid future injury. There is no substitute for hard work and dedication. "Life has no smooth road for any of us; and in the bracing atmosphere of a high aim the very roughness stimulates the climber to steadier steps, till the legend, over steep ways to the stars, fulfills itself." – W. C. Doane

Bringing in the New Year

2012-01-12T18:29:00.001-08:00

Well I can't believe that we are already in to 2012. Remember back when we were worried what would happen when the clock hit midnight and the date turned to 2000. People were prepping for the end of the world, stock piling stuff, and bearing in for end of days. Well hahaha now we have the iPad, iPhone, Internet video that can make anyone, Justin Bieber and the no talent Kardashians famous, and working our way back to Mars. But again we are facing another end of days scenario with the Mayan calendar. We must brace for the end, Again. I saw a great cartoon not to long again that depicted to Mayans standing looking at each other and there is a pile of paper in front of them and the first Mayan says "well that's all the paper I have left to finish the calendar" and the second responds "that's really going to mess somebody up someday". (probably didn't do that joke justice so I will try and find it and post it) Anyway moving forward so let's dive into the BBall for all of you who actually read this for that reason. We have continued to do very well and I must say that when we are playing well we are a very good team. We have won 5 in a row coming into the last push of games before the end of the season. I continue to play well in limited minutes but I keep the productivity at a high level and work hard to make sure that when on the court all I have goes into the game. The team has come together very well and I am always very aware of the fact that this isn't an easy thing because it is rare that a team, in Europe, stays together for more then a year so when we do start to come together to play at a high level it is very impressive. That is what separates good teams over here from championship teams, how quickly you can all come together and play as a real team. For the most part this has gone very well for us. Our fans continue to rock the house for our home games. I really wish that I could share with you how great fans are over here, they are in the game every moment and don't stop. Singing chants and banging on drums man it's great. So BBall is going very well for the moment. I don't remember if I have given out our website or if some of you just don't have it so I will include it at the end of this post. On a side note our photographer this year is awesome, definitely one of the best I have had as a pro so there are some great pics on the site and on my Facebook page. To finish out I really wanted to get this post out before the end of this month because the next few weeks will be very difficult for me and my family. I can't believe that it has already been a year since my mother passed away. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't find myself reaching for the phone and saying to myself "I need to call mom she will know what the answer is, or what to do, or just tell me that I am her Nicky boy!". That will probably never go away and I don't think it will be any easier to realize that she will not be on the other end of the phone. But I know that she is looking in time to time and sending a smile on the wings of a butterfly or a funny feeling on my neck. I miss her deeply. I will end on that and to all that knew her and continue to be a part of my life I can't imagine surviving this last year with out all the great love and support I get from you all everyday. Team site: www.wtkanwil.com.pl copy and past in the browser -Thanks for Reading! www.theplaybig.com @TheNickyLew on Twitter

Chiming In

2011-11-29T15:23:00.000-08:00

I will start this post with a quick recap of our season. We are doing very well and just finished up our first run through of all the teams. Overall we are 8-4 sitting in 2nd starting the second round. The second round will be a little tougher for us because a majority of the games will be on the road which is always hard. But if we maintain our confidence and keep working we should end up in a nice spot when all is said and done.

Now down to what I really wanted to write about. I have been sitting back trying to get a grasp of what has been going on in the College sports world lately. The child abuse/molestation cases that have been brought to light make me absolutely sick. Having been an athlete my whole life I have been through all levels of sports and had some extraordinary coaches of whom I owe a great deal. Outside my mom and dad I have to say that these coaches helped mold me into the player, but more importantly the man, I am today. When you are a young kid coming up in the sports world, your coaches become a very important part of you life whether you like it or not. Some coaches may not even know it but kids see everything and hear everything. A coach is looked upon with respect and trust. You look at your coach as someone who you think knows everything and will guide you on the right path. You give them respect, you give them your effort, and most importantly you give them your trust. You trust that during practice they are giving you skills to become a better player, in practice you give them everything you got to make sure you don't let coach or the team down, and finally trust. You trust that coach has your best interest in mind and would never lead you in the wrong direction. Of coarse no one is perfect and coaches will make mistakes but you trust that in the end coach was trying to do the right thing. Coaches wield a lot of power to influence their players and in my experience, and for many players I know and have played with, there has been at least one coach that without him/her they wouldn't be where they are now.

Having said all that I turn now to the atrocities that have unfolded at Penn St and Syracuse. These coaches used ALL the trust and respect that kids put in them and used it to do unspeakable things. Allegedly of coarse and I do believe full heartedly in "innocent until proven guilty". But some of the acts that have been brought forth don't leave much doubt in my mind. A coach who has the gall to use their position to put children in such a terrible situation is inexcusable. We have become so lost in the moment of sport and records and image that we look past the fact that children had their innocence ripped away from them by someone they thought was their guide, their coach. I have nothing but disgust for anyone who would take advantage of a child in any way, shape, or form. Children have one thing that makes them better then us grown ups, innocence! This world is way to tough and sometimes evil to have to force a child out of innocence and into the real world too early. My deepest prayers and sorrow go out to ALL victims of abuse and molestation of any form. We must try to preserve innocence as long as we can, there is plenty of time to grow up.

Here's Winter

2011-11-10T12:41:00.000-08:00

Hello Mr. Frosty. Yep winter just came in nice and fierce in the last few days in Wloclawek. When I stepped off the bus after our long road trip at 5am this morning the weather had definately decided to kick into winter for real. Cold, damp air wiping up your your pant legs is no bueno. May be time for some long john's. Well we got our butts kicked in Turow yesterday. It was just an all around bad game, couldn't throw it in the ocean offensively and they didnt miss ANYTHING in the first half. We have been on a bit of a slide since our 6 game win streak and dropped our last 2 in a row. We got away from playing together and spreading the court. I had a nice double double last week which felt really good and I need to do that a few more times. I am struggling a bit from 3 right now which has really been affecting our game plan. When I am on from outside it really takes pressure off our 5 man and opens the floor WIDE. Makes it harder for the other team to double down and allows our guards to penetrate from every where and dish the ball. We will get right back to where we need to be, top of the Polish league. We are that good and will be at the top at the end of the season.
On a side note I am going to step up on my soap box and preach a bit. I have been following the lockout in the NBA, as a lot of us European players have been, and I must say it doesn't look like there is an end in sight. I am proud to say right now that I am a Profesional Basketball player and Kobe and Lebron are not, hahaha, NICE! I have also read a few articles about players from the NBA who have tried to play over here and all they say is that the living conditions, travel, and lifestyle is terrible. Well you have to be mentally tough and have heart to play over here! The fans are ruthless, refs terrible, and gyms smokey and small. But we love it over here, we play for the love of the game not the money. We play to try and support our families the best we can. I have been given many great things and opportuinties from basketball but I have also given up precious time with family and missed many important events back home but I love and respect this game. I play for the love and I hope that people understand that while it has been great, it is also hard, but the hard makes it great!

Polski

2011-10-19T18:58:00.001-07:00

The new season has started, where in the world is Nick Lewis this year? Well if you speak Polish you would know from the title of this post that I am in Poland. Yep Poland the place where WWII started unfortunately. Must say that so far it has been a very good experience minus the 3 hour wait I had my first day straight of the plane for the doctor to get my physical. I got picked up from the airport and away I went with the driver that was provided by the team to take me the few hour drive to Wloclawek (my current home city). On the way we were going to stop and get my physical out of the way so I would be ready to practice the next day. Well needless to say the doctor got the day wrong and as any of you who have traveled in Europe know that NOTHING is open Sunday, which I actually have come to appreciate as it should be a day off to stay at home. So the doctor was not available for 3 hours. So let's travel for 14 hours, get in a small car for a 2 hour drive, and then sit in a parking lot and wait for the doc. Not a great start but hey gotta roll with the punches.

Amid that suspect start the actual transition to Poland has been really good. The gym that we play in is very nice and def one of the best that I have had as a home court while I have been in Europe. Good weight room and training room available whenever I need which is always a bonus. The guys have been very helpful in the transition but it is always difficult coming into a situation having missed the entire preseason and training camp. That is an important time to develop as a team and find everyone's role. I am just going to have to do it on the fly. No worries like the marines say adapt and over come.

Personal note I am over here this year alone as my beautiful wife got a job that was too good to let go this year. She and our little monster stayed home in Seattle. In the current tough times tough decisions have to be made but we are a strong family and the time will fly by! But if any of you could use a Euro vacation I have room and could always use the company. On a climate note however if you come during the next 3 months plan to dress almost like you are going to explore either one of the poles, bit chilly over here...

Feel free to leave a comment or ask a question, would be great to get a little 2 way communication this year. More interactive blog. Pass Life of Basketball along!

Nicholas Lewis
www.theplaybig.com
Twitter: @thenickylew

Summer time blues!

2011-08-05T15:23:00.001-07:00

Well it's that time of the year again, the hurry up and wait game. Trying to figure out where we are going to play next year is always a stressful time. You just have to keep your fingers crossed and know that hard work will pay off. I also have great representation who work really hard to make sure we get placed on a team that I can take the most advantage of my skills and drive to be successful.

The summer has been great thus far. Been able to spend a lot of time with the family. I must say it is tough going home knowing mom won't be there but life is moving forward and I have spent a lot of great times with dad and the brothers. We are still waiting on summer to come and stay in Seattle so hopefully our last few weeks stateside will be sunny and awesome. I am sorry I wasn't able to get out and see more of the "extended" family but I promise it will be top of the list next summer. Love to you all and I am back in the blogger mode so be on the look out! Also if you have twitter I'm on @thenickylew.

- Thanks for reading and keep checking in!

Goings On

2011-03-11T12:26:00.000-08:00

I really appreciate all the kind words and support I received from the last post. We all know how awesome mom was so I will leave it at that and try not to make anyone cry this time. Things have been moving along pretty well here in good old Strasbourg. Weather has started to turn, we have had a week of sunshine which has been nice to recharge the old batteries.
Basketball is going along and we are still trying to break into and maintain our spot in the top 8 so we can make the playoffs and get some bonuses. We have lost some heartbreakers down the stretch which is very frustrating because one play, shot, or call goes our way and we have 3 more victories. I have been working hard and picking up my defense. It is really frustrating not being able to contribute more but I just keep workin hard and stayin focused.
I have also started my own company called PlayBIG LLC. The goal for me is to start providing summer basketball camps for kids to teach them the much needed fundamentals. I am really excited to be able to give back some of the knowledge and experience I have gained to help kids have opportunities like I did. We are working on a website and trying to lock down dates and locations for our first camp this summer. I will add the website link as soon as we get it finished.

Family Loss

2011-02-21T11:26:00.000-08:00

I start this post with a heavy heart. My loving mother was taken from us on January 23. The cancer that she had so valiantly battled for 6 years finally became too much. She showed me what it really meant to be a survivor. She never let this horrible disease change what she was going to do in this life. My mom took the news that one day she would die and spun around and said screw that I have life to live. Man did she ever live life after she was diagnosed. She hiked some of North America's largest mountains, traveled the world, and gave my dad, brother, and I more love then we even knew we were getting. She truly is my hero. I have been struggling with my loss but I must say it does help to have basketball to return to. At least for a few hours everyday and can forget about "real" life and work hard to become as good a player as I can. My mom would have wanted it no other way. When I came home for Christmas this last December, I sat and had a great conversation with my mom (one of our last). I was not ready to return to France. I didn't want to leave her because I knew something wasn't right. She grabbed me in her hands, kissed my cheek, and said "No tears, you go on, you live your life knowing I will always be with you." I left for the airport a few hours later not knowing that that would be the last time I saw my mom. She I think knew that I was going to be ok because I have my wonderful wife and second family the amazing Helbock clan. I cant say enough about how much I love you guys and how amazing you have been helping me through this.
I still have trouble at night, laying in bed my mind drifts to thoughts of my mom and I have trouble falling asleep. She gave so much of herself to so many and I am so blessed that she was my mom. I will miss her more then I think I even know right now. She is with all the angels and is sipping her coffee mug, walking the beach, and sending rays of sunshine from her big smile down to all of us everyday. I love you MOM!!
It has been very nice to return to France and engage myself in basketball. My teammates and the SIG organization have been so generous and helpful to me and I thank all of them very much. We, as a team, are starting to find ourselves. We have been playing very well over the last few games and especially this last Saturday night when we defeated Pau at home. Again I am very thankful that I get to play a game for a living and have the opportunity to not really have to grow up. I can find my release on the court for my sorrow and pain. But as my Mom always said to me before every game I played since Middle School "Play Big". I will continue to Play Big for Mom knowing she is with me everyday making sure I don't let down.
Thanks to all my friends and family who have been there for me, Jake, and my Dad. Keep checking in and feel free to leave messages!! Love

Bonne Annee

2011-01-13T11:25:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year everyone!!
First to start off I would like to pay respects to my dear friend, uncle, and crazy guy Jim "Uncle Buck" Ford. Jim passed away the 30th of December. I was fortunate to spend a little time with him over the Christmas holiday while I was home and I am so glad I got to see him one last time. He truly was a great friend to our family and in his own special way left an impression on every one of us. I will miss him a lot.
Secondly we also found out that my mom's cancer has really started to rear its ugly head. She is really in a fight now but you would never know it. She looks amazing and has that same amazing outlook on the whole situation. Her smile is like the rays of the sun, it lights up any room and anybody that looks at her can't help but smile back. Also I dont know if anything will compare to a hug from my mom. They truly are one of a kind. We had a great time over Christmas break with her and the family in Arizona. I am really anxious to get back home and spend more time with her. Love you mom!!! (please send happy thoughts and prayers to her every day)
Personal update, I am really getting used to this city. Strasbourg is a truly amazing place. I think that Christmas was created here. The spirit of Christmas in this city from mid-November until New Years is like nothing I have ever seen or experienced. There are Christmas markets set up in all the common squares around the city and you truly feel like you are at the North Pole in Santa's Workshop. Awesome. Also when visiting a Christmas Market you must indulge in Vin Chaude and crepes. Tres Bon!
Now down to Basketball. We have been struggling as of late but I am trying to bring the extra something that the team needs to get to the next level. I am working extremely hard in practice and have been preparing for games like never before. The team is now coming together after a rough start and turnover of players. Now with the second half of the season upon us I believe that we will catch our stride. My time is now and I am doing work!!! Decide Dedicate Deliver

Bon Jour

2010-11-26T08:06:00.000-08:00

Ok everybody I have some news. I recently left the team I was with in Greece and signed with Strasbourg in France. Yes that is right, the Lewis's are back in France. We were having some problems with the team in Greece that of which I do not want to get into too much. I really liked Greece and wanted to stay there to finish out a great season but No Pay No Play. And that's all I have to say about that. (in my Forrest Gump accent)
So now we move forward in France with SIG Strasbourg. The team is located near the German boarder, basically find Paris on a map and go right and barely down a bit (due east and south for the more sophisticated reader). It is the same league that I played in last year so the transition will be very smooth as I know a lot of the players and teams out here. The team is very stable and the organization is awesome. They moved us right into an apartment and had everything set up for us upon arrival. Jessica, Zeus, and I all traveled and arrived safely 2 days ago and had a great Thanksgiving with our new teammates last night.
It is another stepping stone for me and I cant wait to get out and start Kickin Ass starting tomorrow. Getting a little better everyday!!!

New Team website: www.sigbasket.fr

This Week

2010-11-05T12:58:00.000-07:00

Well the official ruling came in and we were penalized 2 games for our crazy fans 2 weeks ago. We will now play the next 2 homes games in an empty arena, minus family and press. So it should be very interesting. We will for sure miss having our crazy fans behind us! It will be a very different atmosphere then we were expecting but we will for sure play hard and work for a win tomorrow.
Some other big news this week was that our head coach quit Tuesday. Yep walked into the locker room Tuesday for weights and coach called us in and said he was leaving the team. It was needless to say a big knock and surprise to me. So now we are playing under our assistant coach who has been doing a good job getting us ready for our big game tomorrow. All this means is that I gotta step my game up to another level and continue to kick ass. I am actually feeling really good and put in a hard work week this week getting ready. But I must say it has been a very trying week with all that has gone down. The great part about my job is that once you step between the lines nothing else that is going on matters. The game goes on and you get to put foot to ass for 40 minutes!
I will have Jessica take some pictures of the empty gym and I will post them next week. Thanks to all the followers that have sent messages and enjoy my writing. Keep coming back.

Empty Gym Video

2010-10-30T12:13:00.000-07:00

The link included is the play and reaction from the crowd from last weeks game you have all been asking about. It's a little long but shows just how great our fans are!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzryuZJsKkY

We have a big game tomorrow against local rival Paok. I'll update next week Allez Iraklis!!
Get more updates and follow on Twitter @Nicholas_Lew

Empty Gym???

2010-10-25T13:28:00.000-07:00

So we started the Greek league last night and it was everything you have heard about the Greek league. We played Panellinios which has historically been a top team in the league. We played in our gym which holds about 3500 people. It isn't the biggest but they pack em in and get crazy. The fan section which is located behind the baseline near our bench, fills up with fans carrying huge flags, signs, and all kinds of noise making devices. Also most of the young men in the crowd go topless which can be a bit scary but hey they are having fun and love basketball.
Ok so about the game. We finally got to start the season amid a player strike by all the Greek players in the league. They are on strike asking for a few things from the league that would guarantee there contracts and help restore the league to where it was before all the economic crisis hit. I will give it to the Greek guys they really are fighting hard to get what they want. Unfortunately it has been hard on the American/foreign guys because we have had to postpone one game last week and had to play last night with only 7 guys. So we went out to play with our 4 american guys plus 2 greek guys and some junior guys. It was a sight for sure.
So we started the game and it was going really well. I was playing well and we were doing our thing to stay in the game. At the half we were only down 5 and definitely had the game swinging in our direction. Coming out at half time we started a little run during which I hit a nice little turn around J in the paint to keep us rolling. That is when it got crazy.
While defending on a fast break I went up and blocked a shot during which the offensive player fell to the ground. While on the ground a fan from our crazy section threw some water on said player which of coarse would make anyone a little pissed. The player jumped up and started toward the stands where his own players held him back. Well I learned very quickly that you do not want to give Greek fans fuel for their fire. His reaction was like giving speed to a tazmanian devil, our fans went nuts! Bottles came flying from everywhere amid chants and middles fingers galour. I must say it was everything you have heard about hooligan soccer fans but in our little confined arena. The noise and tension was incredible. Shortly there after the referees told the players from Panellinios to leave the floor and asked our president to try and calm down the crowd. Well again this action only fueled more fire and the fans had no thoughts of stopping. Well long story short after almost an hour the riot police, yes I said riot police, were able to clear the gym and we continued the last 15 minutes of our game with an empty arena. Yep it was definitely a first for me.
The game ended with us pulling out a 1 point overtime win. Great first greek game of the year! On a short note to some commenters I am for sure taking charge this year and kicking ass and taking names. No more messing around, it is time....
I also have a twitter account now so anyone who is interested in a quicker way to follow me jump on board @Nicholas_Lew on twitter. Just working on some more exposure!

Thessaloniki

2010-10-06T11:28:00.000-07:00

Go for season start.

Well following a very stressful summer working with my agent to get a good contract for this year, we got a good thing! I signed to play for BC Iraklis in Thessaloniki Greece. The team is in the A1 division which is top 2 or 3 leagues in the world. You may have heard of Olympiacos, which is a top team in Athens that we will be playing against, has won a few European Championships and has courted players like Childress and Kliza from the NBA. So I will have a great opportunity to show my stuff and get good looks from top teams around the world. The Greek league has huge respect for its competitiveness throughout the world.

As for me personally I will be given the opportunity to play a lot of minutes and be one of the top guys for the team. This will be awesome for me to be on the court playing in a top league and getting great exposure. I put in a great summer of hardwork thanks mainly to my trainer in Seattle Michael Brandenburg. We worked out together 3 times a week doing crazy speed and agility drills at his facility in Totem Lake. Michael again thanks you so much for kicking my ass everyday to get better. To see some pics from the workouts checkout my facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/Nick-Lewis/129507237259. I put on about 10 pounds of muscle this summer, dropped body fat, and increased my speed and flexibility exponentially which has so far given me a huge step up in my game thus far this season. I came into camp faster, stronger, and in better shape then I have ever been. I came in to work hard and get down to business this year.

To follow the team the website is www.iraklisbc.gr but good luck unless you speak and or can read Greek. Please check this blog for the updates and the facebook page.

The New Year

2010-02-11T05:58:00.000-08:00

2010 has started with a bang that's for sure. Let me start with the fact that it was so great to go back to the States for about a week to celebrate Christmas. It was the perfect time for a break from France and chance to see my family. It was Jessica's and my first Christmas together which was wonderful. We spent 2 days with my parents who came up to visit us in Woodinville which was great. Then for Christmas I spent 3 days with my new family (Jessica's extended family) with dinner Christmas Eve at her Uncle Ron's house. Let me tell you that Uncle Ron knows how to put together a Christmas feast. Man I really enjoyed it! Jessica and I then woke up Christmas day in our own apartment and had our own little Christmas morning and opened a few present just the two of us. We then drove over to Jessica's parents house and had the big traditional Christmas morning with tons of presents and a great breakfast. Momma H then put together a great spread, we dined on lobster and filet mignon for Christmas dinner, that's what I am talking about! Man I love going to the Helbock's there is always tons of food. We unfortunately had to return to France the day after Christmas to get back to reality. We had a wonderful time with all our family but we are fired up to finish out the year in France and then get back to Woodinville for summertime.
The bang also continued with basketball as one of our first trips after Christmas was to the Siberian town of Krasnoyarsk. Now to find this town take out a map of the world. Ok got the map? Now start in Roanne which is a little north of Lyon in the Southeast part of France. Go north to Paris which is where we grab our first flight. We then traveled to Moscow which is of course in Russia, go east and north of Paris about 6-7 inches depending on the scale of your map. Once you find Moscow continue on the map another 6-7 inches until you are almost to China and then go north a few inches and you will find Krasnoyarsk. My point being that it is basically at the edge of the world in the middle of frozen Siberia. The average high for this time of year there is -30 Celsius. So I left the flip flops at home. It took us about 11 hours flight time to reach Krasnoyarsk. It for sure was a once in a life time experience and we played a pretty good game however losing in the end but it is hard to play a game on the road when in the first 3 minutes of the game we had 2 starters get hurt and couldn't finish the game. But we only lost by 5 which is nothing because when they come to play us we will beat them by more than that. In the European Challenge the point differential is all that matters. If they beat us by 5 and we beat them by 6 here in Roanne we win the series. So I think we will be fine.
In the French league we have been on a bit of a slide and now find ourselves in 5th place. But we are still in the top 8 and therefore qualified for our Mid season tourney that the league puts on for the top 8 teams after we have played half our league games. So we are doing just fine. I have continued to play well and I am the 2nd most efficient player in the league based on points scored/minutes played. So I am doing just fine and love the overall experience of playing bball over here in France.
Hope this update finds everyone doing well. Jessica and I miss you all and can't wait to be home for summer.

Joyeux Noel

2009-12-07T14:43:00.000-08:00

Well I am happy to say that I have fallen into a pretty good little routine over here in good old Roanne. We have continued to play well and are sitting in 2nd place. So I am feeling good about the whole thing. I have found my way in our rotation playing pretty well when I get my minutes. I have reached a comfort level finally with the European style of basketball. Do I miss home and maybe even Bakersfield? Umm yah... wow did I just say I missed Bako? Guess so, that little dust pot really found a place in my heart. We had a good run up there and I credit it a lot for developing my game with great support and opportunities.
Now being in France has become very nice. Jessica and I have adapted very well and I have felt that we have made ourselves part of this little community. Minus the language barrier its almost like we are living anywhere back in the states. So to say the least we are enjoying the lifestyle over here.
Ok enough juicy stuff...on with the battles and war stories from the Hardwood. Ok so I will start with a little trip to Cypress. The little island in the Medditeranian Ocean. I have heard it to be a nice place but I guess we went to the wrong spot or made a wrong turn. The place that I saw was basically like Phoenix, meaning desert and hot. No sandy beaches with blue waters. But what do I care I am here for work! So we were to play the Cypress team that is in our group for the Euro Challenge. I have played in a few bad gyms in my day but their gym was right near the bottom. It was like playing at the Boys and Girls Club we used to play at when we were kids. Baskets hung right off the wall with that little 1/4 inch pad underneath which is supposed to protect you if you are smashed into the wall (those work really well right mom, remember the acromion process game). The "Arena Seating" consisted of layered cement benches, I think five high. Much like the seat at an old Roman Amphitheatre. So needless to say they were empty. But whatever, we are here to win and get out. Silly me though I didn't bring my football pads as this game turned into a gladiatorial contest (guess the seats were appropriate). This game simply put was hand to hand combat. It went really well for us and thankfully, minus some lacerations and deep bruises we walked away with a 20 point win. To really appreciate it you have to watch the game film. But hey winning is the best medicine. So we returned home to continue our French league conquest.
We have since played 2 more games in our league winning one and losing one. So we have maintained our seat at the top. Our remaining games before Christmas are very important to solidify a spot at the top to start the second half of the season. I get to go home on the 20th December and can't wait. Much needed R & R and maybe some good Mex food. Hope this update finds you all well!! Au Revoir

Land of the Beginning

2009-11-02T13:07:00.000-08:00

Wow, recently returned from Jerusalem and it is truly an amazing place. I have visited many places including Notre Dame, the Coliseum, and the Vatican but nothing has had such a spiritual feel as the old city of Jerusalem. We traveled to Israel to play a game for the EuroCup Challenge so again I was able to travel to an amazing place for free. The team arranged for us to have a walking tour through the streets of Jerusalem. We had a guide who walked us through the walls starting at the new gate. We proceeded to walk the streets that Jesus, Muhammad, and Constantine had also walked. How is this even possible? The city is the birth place of 3 of the major religions of the world. As I had said before visiting some of the other major sites of the world was truly incredible and I continue to be in awe of the buildings and how our ancestors could accomplish such amazing things. Jerusalem on the other hand has a whole different feel. I can't explain it and I can only say that it almost brings you to tears and you can't really explain why? It may have been the fact that I walked on the same streets and touched the same walls as Jesus Christ. I was able to see the Dome of the Rock where the profit Muhammad rose into heaven. There are not too many places in the world that really reach a person on a level that transcend the physical. You walk down the streets and realize you are walking in spiritual history. The final stop through the city is the Wailing Wall, one of the most holy sites for Jewish people and I was able to place a prayer note in the wall. Placing a prayer in the wall feels like asking God face to face for a personal prayer. The wall has a presence that transcends anything I have ever felt. I was able to place a prayer in a place that has been a keystone of Jewish faith for centuries. There are just not enough ways to describe how amazing an experience the City was. I visited the birth place of my Faith which many Christians only dream of.
The basketball end continues to be good. The team is doing very well and I have been playing well. I have been fortunate to have a european coach who treats his players with great respect. The team as a whole continues to be a great thing. We play well together and I must say that of all the teams I have played for we have really meshed well and hopefully will continue to smash it up on the court. Prayers and love to all back home, Jessica and I miss you all and can't wait to be home for Xmas!

Here We Go in France

2009-09-28T13:28:00.000-07:00

Well I am on my way for another season. I signed a new year contract with Chorale Roanne, which is in France. It's located in the central-south of France. Smallish town about 100,000 people which makes it really easy to get around and get to know some of the locals. I arrived here about a month ago to start the preseason. It has been a pretty smooth transition, minus the language barrier. Don't believe what people say about how knowing Spanish will help you with French cuz the French people just like to drop letters from words and spell things all crazy. So my French is a work in progress but I am happy to report that I can successfully count to 12. (small victories right?)
Basketball-wise I am having a really great time. The first month has consisted of learning the European style of basketball which is very much system oriented as a opposed to American one-on-one. But I am playing well and have been able to maintain my weight which for me is the most important thing. My team I think is going to do very well based on how we have played in our 9 preseason games. We lost only one game by one point and won the rest by at least 8 or 9. So it's a pretty good start considering we have only been together for a month. My team has 4 American players and 2 guys who are pretty much Americans but have European passports so they don't count. See in Europe countries have rules regarding how many American players can be on a team. Here in France the limit is 4 so only 4 guys with American passport are allowed on a team. But in our case we have two guys that have skirted the rules. One guy has an African passport but lives in the US and played in college in the States so he pretty much is an American guy. The other guy has his French passport because his mom is French born and his dad is from the States. So he has dual citizenship but has the French passport so doesn't count against us. This can prove to be a big advantage. It may sound silly but American's are sought after and we play a little different game. So with all this put together we should do very well. Our first league game is this Saturday so it all starts for real.
On a side note our team also qualified for a Euro Cup series which puts teams from countries all around Europe and Asia, pretty much everywhere except the States and we all play for a European Championship. Our first round match is against a team from Jerusalem. They come here to play on October 20 and then we get to travel to Jerusalem to play a game. It's a pretty sweet deal to get to travel to the holy land for basketball. I am really excited about that. I will definitely take lots of pictures.
Jessica and I have traveled here together following our amazing wedding back in August. We were so blessed to have all our friends and family in Seattle to celebrate with us. We send many thanks and tons of love to ALL of you!! I will be posting now for the year so keep tuning in. The team website is http://www.chorale-roanne.com/ but unless you are fluent in French you are gonna need to visit a translation site for some help. CHEERS for now!!

Summer is Here

2009-05-18T08:45:00.000-07:00

The summer has arrived which means the end of the D-league season and the beginning of another journey through the NBA summer league. The end of the D-league season was not very good, well in a word it was shit! We made the playoffs which is a first for the Bakersfield Jam but we didn’t last very long. We drew the Utah Flash in the first round which was in my mind a very good thing. We played well against them all year and matched up with them. The bad part was that it was another road game for us and the D-league first round of the playoffs is only a one game series, so do or die. Die, well we more like we were slaughtered. It was the worst game that we had played all season by far. Not exactly how you like to end what was essentially a very good year for us. So it was over very quickly. Again ending a season is always a tough thing but for us it was made even tougher because of the way it ended. A loss is always hard to deal with but when it is your last game of the season it hurts just a bit more. The only bright side to the whole thing was that it meant that I could get back to Bakersfield a week earlier then we had hoped, back my bags, and head on down the I-5 towards San Diego and never look back.

Bakersfield had been very good to me and I have definitely taken alot more good then bad away from the place but let’s be honest it was a smelly, dirty place that I will not soon be returning to. Now if anyone took offense to that just check out the study done this year that listed good old Bakersfield as one of the worst cities in America in terms of air quality and pollution, which is good when you are an athlete cuz it’s not like we train really hard and breathe alot. But like I said my overall feeling of Bakersfield was very good, hey it’s another pin I can put on the map. (Special thanks to Julian and his amazing family)

So moving forward with my career is turning out to be very good so far. I wasn’t home 4 days before the phone started ringing with an offer to head to Belgium for a month or so to finish their season and help a team in the playoffs (yes that was not a typo, you read correctly Belgium). But the team ended up not needing me and I honestly was ready to just be home for a while. But it was very exciting to know that offers were starting to come in so quickly after the season. Last year I pretty much sat around hoping the phone would ring, this year different story. I am on the radar screen and have been given the opportunity to play for the Chicago Bulls this summer in the NBA summer league in Las Vegas. The summer league, for those of you who are new to the blog, is an opportunity for NBA teams to put together a team of free agents (ME), rookies, and recent draft picks. We meet as a team and play for about 10 days in Vegas against other NBA teams that are doing the same thing. So it is great for guys to showcase their skill and earn a spot on an NBA teams roster for camp that starts in the fall. The camp is the start of the season when all the members of the team actually start practice for the up coming season. This is what you want to achieve through summer league, the opportunity to be with the team in camp and make the final roster.

In the mean time I will be headed to Bradenton, Fl to begin training for the summer league. I have gone down to Florida for the last 2 summers and worked out on the campus of the IMG Training facility. It is a great place to go and just work on your game with other NBA players in an environment where there is now pressure in trying to make a team. This training is completely independent of any teams. It is strictly a workout facility with weights, courts, and food for guys to come on their own and train. The program is run by David Thorpe who is well known in the basketball community and I must say a big part of why I am where I am. He is great to work with because he really focuses on what you individually need to work on to get to the next level. There is no media or outside interference allowed and we just get in there and bust ass twice a day everyday to sharpen our game and get into the greatest shape I have ever been in. It is the perfect way to prepare for the summer league. I will be headed down there around the 2nd of June and will be there until I go to summer league. The basketball lifestyle never ends. By no means is this a complaint I LOVE what I do and have no intentions of stopping anytime soon!

To those of you I got to see this weekend in Phoenix it was absolutely amazing and Jessica and I love you all so much. We are truly blessed to have all of you in our lives and hopefully we will be seeing you all 1 August!