DLG and the Winners of the Cape Cod Tournament!

After watching years and years of AAU Basketball and Baseball with C and G, I was finally ready for DLG to take her turn with AAU.  Joining LC's 5th Grade team - and with yours truly as the assistant coach - DLG was doing great as a fourth grader.  Even though she was still a little small to be a forward, she was always going after 50-50 balls, always getting big rebounds and always making the big pass when she needed to.

Although our first tournament ended 0-3, including a very tough loss in the first game of the season, the girls came to play in the second tournament of the season.  While I was watching baseball with the boys, DLG's team was mowing down the competition in Kingston.  First a 3 point win and then a 10 point win to go 2-0 on Saturday.  I was excited to coach the team on Sunday as we were facing a weaker team that needed a coach.  As LC agreed to coach the other team, I coached the girls.

We started out on fire going a three quarters court trap.  We jump out to an early 6 point lead.  DLG has 2 of the points on a nice put back rebounding on the weak side.  More up and down the floor as our lead widens.  DLG scores another basket, this time a little 10 footer.  The girl is on fire!  We are up 16 at the half.  LC is pissed since she really wanted to beat me, even though that would mean a loss for her team.

Champions!

No such luck though as the girls extend their lead to 24.  DLG lays another one in to have 6 points for the game.  Working on a double double is she as her rebound totals go up as well.  We run out the clock to win by 26.  DLG ended the game with 6 points, 8 rebounds, 3 steals and a bunch of hustle plays on 50-50 balls.  Easily this was her best game ever.  On to the Championship Game!

After the fight (a story for another day that included a couple of 9th Grade girls teams) and thinking that we would face the press again in the Championship Game, we were set up to break their press.  We had 12 and 14 ready to go.  But we never needed it.  They played half court man to man which played right into our strengths.  We executed some good pass and cuts and scored on a bunch of offensive rebounds.  It was great to see as the girls pulled away to win the Championship by 13 points.

After going 0-3 in the first tournament, we come out firing in teh second tournament to go 4-0.  Great job by the team!     

2016 Million Dollar Question - Warriors Vs. Kobe

LC is asleep.  DLG is asleep.  C is asleep.  G is taking a "nap" so he can watch both games.  In one of the biggest nights in NBA regular season history, the Warriors are in the Bay Area looking to beat the record for most wins in NBA history while at the same time, the Lakers' Kobe Bryant was playing his last game ever.  The games would both be televised so we could watch both.  Which would you choose?

Forget about the facts that the Red Sox are on, and that the Brooklyn Nets are playing for a possible 3rd pick in the NBA Draft, and that the Celtics are playing for home field advantage against the Heat - 5 points in the Third Quarter!.  The two big games are coming up late night.  The Lakers and the Jazz and the Warriors and the Grizzlies.  Which game would you choose.

Why not, him?

G wanted me to wake him up when the games started.  I'm debating it since it is a school night and 10::30 is pretty late.  I actually asked him which game he wants to watch and told me both.  I laughed.  But it is Kobe and the Warriors that we're talking about so I guess I'm not that surprised that he wants to watch both.  Which would you rather watch?

I don't know how long I'll watch myself.  I guess as along as I can legitimately stop G from waking up while the games started.  I told him that I would DVR both games.  Not good enough.  So I told him to take that nap and I will get him up.  No guarantees, but I will try.

Watching Kobe Bryant warm up on ESPN2 reminds me why I hate him.  Preening for the cameras, fans for some reason chanting his name, bricks raining from the baseline, fake fawning from the media, it was all there for us to cringe over.  Magic Johnson emceeing this affair is all we need to know about the cheese factor.  Shaq, Derek Fisher, KD, Dwayne Wade, I'm waiting, Dirk, Pop, KG (await KG?) Carmelo, Steph, LeBron, Pau Gasol, Lamar, and Phil Jackson, Jack Nicholson all said their good byes.  The chants of "Kobe" are making me hungry.  It's the Kobe Farewell Game.

Switching over to ESPN and it is still Kobe on that station as well.  Now the Warriors.  Let's here from Scottie Pippen, Steve Kerr, Steph Curry, Draymond Green, Honestly, I feel a let down.  But that will remain to be seen. 

Kobe finally scores with 5:12 left in the first quarter, after going 0-5, he turns back the clock with a great backboard block and then a little floater on the other end.  He then follows that up with another another two points.  Then another 2 points.  He's going off!  He has 15 of his teams 19 points in the First Quarter as the Lakers are down by 2 after the First Quarter.  I guess I should stop disliking him now.  On a team with Nick Young and D'Angelo Russell, I have other Lakers that I can dislike too.

G still won't get up.

Meanwhile Steph Curry has 20 in the First Quarter as the Warriors take a 37-23 lead after the First.  He looks on fire tonight as he has made 6 3-pointers in the First.  I'm not sure what it means to have the best regular season ever if they don't win the NBA Championship, but that is just a detail that will have to work out.

And with that, with G still asleep, I decide to fight on another day.  You know, DVRs are useful for this purpose.

G is still asleep.