To Hong Kong with Jerry Stackhouse

10 11 2014

A weekend trip to Hong Kong doesn’t make a lot of sense.  Over 15 hours flying for just over 24 hours on the ground is tough.  But Jerry Stackhouse was the perfect candidate for the task.  When asked about 10 days prior to the event, if The Skill Factory could bring a former NBA player to Hong Kong as the Ambassador for the Hong Kong Sports Festival, it seemed unlikely.  But when I connected with Jerry, I knew it would be a great trip.  We visited hospitals, talked to kids, shook hands, took pictures and of course signed autographs.  All with smiles.  Jerry was received by one of his biggest fans in the world who owned Stackhouse jerseys and shoes that even Jerry didn’t have.  The best part about it all was that Jerry did it all with a smile and a pure heart.  Grateful and kind.  Selflessly and with a message.  It was definitely special to see such an influential athlete giving back!  Thank you to the guys in Hong Kong, Jerry, and The Skill Factory!

See the Link for a video recap! 


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Categories : Adventures, Bball Stories, The-Skill-Factory

John Wall, James Harden & more @ TSF

3 09 2013

As a part of Ludacris’ “Luda Day Weekend,”  many celebrities were in Atlanta for Labor Day.  Some of the basketball players included James Harden, John Wall, Kenneth Fareed, Raymond Felton, Josh Powell and more.  The Skill Factory was able to provide  some of these guys with a private and professional place to workout while they were in town.  We were honored to host so many great players.   John Wall & James Hardenpictured #35 John Wall, #33 James Harden

Shout out to James Harden, John Wall, Josh Powell, Shelvin Mack, Hollis Thompson, Tony Delk, Salim Stoudamire, Richard Jeter, Robert Dozier, Ernest Scott, Yamene Coleman, Marcus Johnson, Adrien Borders, BJ Puckett, Kevin Anderson and Spencer Dixon


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Categories : Bball Stories, The-Skill-Factory

2 Chainz and I at 2013 Rucker Park EBC All-Star Game

22 08 2013

I had the opportunity to travel with some players from Atlanta to NYC to play at the greatest outdoor basketball court in history!  Rucker Park is where legends are made and players showcase their talents and prove themselves.

Me&2Chainz

For the 2013 EBC All-Star Game, Atlanta brought some great players sponsored by 2 Chainz to play.  It was an amazing atmosphere with a fun crown, a DJ, play by play, dancers and more.  The game had 3’s dunks, crossovers and some great basketball.  The Atlanta – 2 Chainz Team was winning by 6 with 2 minutes remaining before having a few turnovers and losing the game.

All the guys played hard and earned a lot of respect.  A big thank you to Jah and the AEBL for making it happen!  There are big things in store.  Shout out to the players Wes Witherspoon, Cam Tatum, Evan Ravenel, Lil D, Marcus Johnson, Darrius Garrett.  Special shout-out to my guy Mr. Afrika who represented for the EBC team with some highlight dunks as well.


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Categories : Bball Stories, Music, The-Skill-Factory

My Canon Commercial

27 10 2011

Oddly enough, when I was in Hong Kong last year, I was asked to be a part of a Canon Commercial.  I helped them in having the play make sense in basketball terms and coordinate it with a moving camera and a low basket.  All in all it was a fun day.  The celebrity in the commercial we worked with was Daniel Wu who is apparently the Brad Pitt of Asia.

Click on the link below and click to play the video.  I’m in a red jersey and am the pasty white guy who makes the pass for the dunk.  🙂

http://www.lusciousmotion.com/Luscious_Motion/Canon_Daniel_Wu_Quicktime.html


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Tough 3-Point Loss against MZT

19 12 2010

Playing on TV and at home, we had high hopes coming into the game.  We started slow but got things going and had chances win down the stretch.  It just wasn’t meant to happen this time.  They made two free throws to go up by 4 with 5 seconds remaining in the game and took the win 72-75.

We are scheduled to  have 1 more game before the holiday break but there is a chance the game will be moved to January.

I still can’t do everything like before but my knee is improving everyday.


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Not enough time to get the Win

9 11 2010

On Saturday, we played Torus at home.  We dug a whole but kept fighting til the end.  Torus was happy to see the time expire because we had all the momentum down the stretch.  To see the box score click HERE.  If you notice that I didn’t play, I will send an injury update very soon.


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With the Kids

5 11 2010

Every Tuesday and Thursday I go with a teammate (John) to a nearby village called Novo Celo.  The trip takes about 30 minutes by car and feels like we’re going into the middle of nowhere.  The gym sits on a hill with nothing else around, but on the inside 40-50 kids await our arrival.

We have had a lot of fun working with them in the last few weeks.  The kids are very kind and are a refreshing end to the day.  And even when we forgot to bring the basketballs on Tuesday, they participated in some high-level duck, duck, goose 🙂  It feels great being able to make them smile.

Here is a photo of John lifting one of the kids up for a dunk from our first visit with our entire team.

 


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A Unique Team and GM

28 10 2010

I have an inchoate feeling that there is a bright future for ABA Strumica.  Part of the reason for that is our General Manager.  It is very rare that you come across an American GM in European basketball, especially in Macedonia. But what is truly unique about our GM, Ryan Smith, is that he is a Christian.
The reason Ryan and his wife Jyl are in Macedonia is to share the love of Christ and positively impact Macedonians.  That sure doesn’t sound like most basketball clubs, but it is working.  From top to bottom there is a Christian community supporting the team and doing big things in the lives of the people.
The team regularly takes part in community projects and also works with kids.  Below is a photo of our first workday cleaning up some trash in the community.  The vision for ABA is big and Godly, and I am excited to share a piece of what is taking place.

The Team at Work in Macedonia

If you are interested in giving to the ABA Sports Ministry you can visit http://www.faithandlearning.com and give to ABA Basketball- Balkans Ministry.


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Big Win for ABA Strumica

21 10 2010

We had a great win last night at home 82-74.  It was a great team effort and a much needed win.  The fans and the environment were wonderful here in Strumica.  We hope to keep building on this!  Stats to come soon.


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Players of the Week-Macedonia, Week 2

19 10 2010

They say a couple of nice things about me, but weren’t so nice to the team and teammates.  I truly believe they will realize how wrong they are about our team in the near future.  Here is the LINK.


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