March Madness

March is such a special time of year. I have always loved the month because of basketball and March Madness. I think I inherited it from my father because he used to tell me that it was his favorite time of the year and can probably thank him for being glued to the tv watching the tournament.

I have a lot of great memories of playing in the NCAA tournament and I would love to share them but I didn't intend to do that in this post. I wanted to let everyone back at home know that I am able to watch all of the games and have been doing so for the past 5 tournaments.

The NCAA and CBS have been broadcasting all of the games online since I have been playing in Europe. Most content broadcast online from the United States is usually blocked by location but thankfully the tournament comes in perfectly. This means a lot of late nights for me but it's a small sacrifice for the greatest time of year. Of course if I had/have a game the next day then I would not be up until 3 am.

I would rather watch the game on a big screen at home or in a bar back at home, but my computer screen works just fine for now.

Another Ankle Update

I am slowly but surely making progress toward my ankle recovery and my return to the basketball court. It has been a long and frustrating process but I think that the worst is over. I went to Paris on February 16 to see a specialist to get another opinion on what the correct plan of action should be. The Doctor suggested another injection into the joint to try and relieve the inflammation and to regain the range of motion within the joint.

After discussing the plan with my agent, American doctor and my family we decided to move forward. Unfortunately the plan didn't move as fast as we wanted it too. I was growing frustrated very quickly but the team told me that the French medical system is slow and things don't move quickly. I had to wait a few weeks but I finally had my injection on March 9.

I had already had an injection in my ankle back in December and it went very smoothly without any pain. I wish the same could be said about the most recent injection. The doctor was nice and spoke excellent English but when he put the needle into my ankle it hurt like crazy. The needle has to go in about 2 inches to make sure that the fluid is absorbed into the articulation. Maybe I wasn't ready for it but it was not the most comfortable thing in the world.

I spent the next couple of days on crutches. Not because of pain but because it is best for the fluid to be absorbed into the ankle and I am doing great for the time being. It takes 3-5 days for the injection to work so I shouldn't feel a whole lot better until then.

We are going forward with my return to activity and therapy. We do not need to rush it like last time so we are going slowly. On Monday I will be back on a bike but only at 50%. The goal is to not put too much pressure on the ankle joint and to make sure the medicine is still working. I can resume shooting on Tuesday but not too hard and only taking spot up jumpers. The goal is to try running and jogging on Friday. I can do this right now but we want to try it and see if there is pain after the injection. I am very excited for this day because I have not run in over a month. It's crazy because I hate running but I want to do it again.

So, that is the ankle update for now. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this is the last injection and things will be on the up and up from here on out.

Staying Ready

While I am in my holding pattern right now because of my ankle injury, I am reminded of what Coach Crean used to say: always stay ready because you never know when your number is going to be called. I took this to heart while I was in school. I may not have always been happy with my playing time but I tried to do something about it. I wasn't playing a lot during my senior year so I used to get shots up late at night or when I didn't have class. When my number was finally called at the end of my senior year, I was ready and made the most of my minutes. If I did not stay ready back in 2006 then I would not be where I am today.

I am taking Coach Crean's advice right now. I don't know when I will be back on the court but I am trying to stay ready and be prepared for the comeback. I am eating right, working out and trying to watch as much basketball as possible just so I can stay around the game.

While it is not possible for me to run right now, I go to the gym every day and ride the bike. In addition to riding the bike at the gym, I am also lifting to keep up my strength and working on my flexibility.

I am also watching what I eat because I am not burning a lot of calories on the court. I eat a hearty breakfast of eggs, potatoes and toast every morning. For lunch I usually eat a chicken sandwich and soup. Finally for dinner I will have meat, pasta/potatoes/rice, and vegetables. The older I get and the farther I advance in my career, the more I realize how important it is to eat right.

I have an appointment next Wednesday in Tours, France to get an injection in my ankle. I hope that this works and if it does then I will be ready.