Leading by example

That was an amazing second half. I am not referring to the quality of our opponent tonight. I'm not even talking about wins and losses. I care about effort. Teamwork. Aggressiveness. Smart decisions. Relentless energy every step, every foot of the floor. Working together defensively. We got that in the second half.

The first half? Let's just say the video won't lie. It was unspirited. Uninspiring. People jogging, walking as if we were the NBA all-stars playing a third-world basketball team. It was the kind of basketball that had me questioning our heart, and that's precisely what you heard me talk about through that first half. When the other team dives for three loose balls while we stand there and watch, it's beyond embarrassing. It's an indication of where our true character lies. For us to allow a bunch of 12- and 13-year-olds to show MORE HEART than us ... I never thought I'd ever see that from a Thunder team.

But it happened. I let you know. Then the second half arrived and we became the team with HEART. Desire. Focus. Hustle. We supported each other. We dove for balls on the ground. The result? We dominated. The other team wilted. Basketball, like life, is 90% mental. It is heart and motivation that cause action and results. A team unified and working together while playing with pure hustle and effort can completely disrupt any opponent. It can break the opponents' spirit.

That's what Thunder basketball is about: Playing the game with 100% effort that never, ever ceases, win or lose. That's why we will continue to play with complete, pure desire, and anyone who won't do this will find himself resting on the bench. It's not personal, guys. It's simply a way of playing the game right. We've done it before, through many leagues and tournaments. It's why we have so many come-from-behind wins, down 15, 17 points. We'll keep doing it and be grateful for this great game.

Please note below the updated schedule. The NJB 17U league begins on Friday. As in TOMORROW! The schedule was sent to me last night and I missed it. We have a game on Friday and another on Sunday to go along with this week's Aiea tournament (15U) and a CAL (15U) game on Sunday morning.

Fun, fun, fun!

Schedule
Friday, 5:00 p.m., Thunder vs. Pearl City Chargers (Aiea Tournament 15U), Aiea Gym
Friday, 7:00 p.m., Thunder vs. TBA (NJB League 17U), Kilauea Gym

Saturday, 1:45-7:00 p.m., Playoffs (Aiea Tournament 15U), Aiea Gym

Sunday, 10:10 a.m. Thunder vs. TBA (CAL 15U League), Kilauea Gym
Sunday, 2:00 p.m. Thunder vs. TBA (NJB 17U League), Palolo Gym

So, that's six games (two are at the Aiea Tournament playoffs on Saturday) in three days. Like I said, FUN!

I lub dis game.