flashback, and watch it come to a close.

listen to the video as you read(:

last friday night was my last night playing in a lady cards uniform.

I said goodbye to number thirty two.

and I watched the last four years I spent in that uniform flash in my mind as I stood on the foul line with 15 seconds left in the game and I looked up in the stands at a very important fan of mine.

this is him.

and this is what was going through my mind.

my dad.

you see ever since I was like, well old enough to walk my dad has pushed me do five very important things...

1. be confident. 

never let anyone tell you you are not good enough. never let them tell you that you cant do something. and always have pride in the fact that God blessed you with talent and although some people may be intimidated by your confidence you will show others the blessing of knowing who you are and being okay with that.

2. be committed. 

never let something stand in the way of finishing something you have set out to do. even if its harder than you expected if its Gods will it will be worth it no matter what the obstacle.

3. be competitive. 

have a drive inside of you like no other. always have a strong desire to succeed and do the best you can do. 

4. be compassionate.

even when others are mean and nasty to you... love them. no matter how they treat you show them Gods love through your reactions.

and 

5. dream big.

never limit the possibilities. because with God they are limitless.

always have faith that God will do great things through you.

and no matter what KNOW that whatever it is God has for you in this life... He will shape it into what you dream for. 

and as strange as this may seem... I have used every one of these principals in this simple little game of throwing a round leather ball into a round metal hoop.

had I not known the things he and my mom have taught me.. I would not have been near as successful as a basketball player and of course not as successful in life.

basketball for me is over... well at least in this uniform.

but it has taught me more lessons than I ever expected it to.

and thats what I was thinking as I glanced at him in the third round playoff game, on the foul line, down by ten,  fifteen seconds left, with tears in my eyes.

I looked at him because I needed to be reminded of all the good that basketball has done for me... and not just focus on the fact that it was coming to a close.

and as I saw the smallest of tears come to his eyes... I knew that he was proud to be my daddy..

not because I was a good basketball player but because I had learned these lessons and done my best to apply them to my life.