Every athlete has a dream of becoming a champion. We’ve all fallen asleep to the thought of holding the championship trophy high above our heads to the cheers of the crowd. Champagne and confetti showers have also been known to be present on the joyous occasion of being crowned champion. We all want it, but we don’t all get it.
I’ve been lucky enough to feel this jubilation, this moment in time in which you have finally cashed in all your hard work and sacrifice to be known as the best at some level. Becoming champion is so much more than the celebration. Its sets in stone the amazing journey you’ve taken to reach your ultimate goal. We remember every step of the way, every up and down, every disappointment, every obstacle, every relationship, and most importantly, the final triumph. The bond between a championship team is strong, and almost impossible to break.
For the first time in my European career, I have a chance to earn this title of champion. Last year was my first time playing in the post season since college. Its truly a blessing to be in this position just one year later. I have only been with Stelmet Zielona Góra for two months, but even in this short time, I have felt the full range of emotions that a championship team would feel throughout there quest to become ‘King’. When I arrived, I experienced the ‘unknown’, the transition period, or time when players are getting to know each other and bond on and off the court. I was able to experience short glimpses of our team’s excellence, as well as less remarkable performances. Lucky for me, in this short time, it was never too good of a high or too bad a low. Even in the first two rounds of the playoffs we have experienced a bit of adversity and showed that we are capable of coming together and fighting relentlessly for our collective goal.
To say that I am excited about the opportunity presented before us would be a great understatement. We all want to be remembered for doing great things, and these opportunities are not always in front of us to grab hold of. There is no doubt that we are faced with a huge challenge, but even the chance to compete makes it all worth it. I look forward to experiencing the energy of the Finals here in the Tauron Basket Liga of Poland, and I can’t wait to see our crowd in our games here in Zielona Góra!! Go Stelmet! ONE TEAM, ONE DREAM!
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