After just under six hours of sleep, 5 a.m. nudges me, letting me know that it’s time to work.

It’s Friday morning.  I know that I need more rest, but that will have to come later.

It’s time to have a great morning!

Coffee, smoothie, dressed in Jordan gear and out the door.

For the next 45 minutes or so, I ride alone in the darkness over the thirty-seven and a half miles of cool asphalt, rap music filling the early morning air as I prepare mentally to get better.

I arrive at my destination and the only light that I can see anywhere around, is that which is pouring out of the large rectangular windows at B Meyer Training.

I have no idea what I’ll be doing on this day.

I never know.

For two months my workouts have been different every single time.

I love it that way.

I grab my bag, my clothes, tell myself it’s going to be a great day and enter the gym.

I’m the first one there.

I’m always, the first one there.

Sign in, morning greetings with Dave and Coach B, bag down, it’s time to work.

After 50 or so minutes of push, I’m drenched in invigorating struggle, and I know I’ve gotten better.

But on this day, I’m not done.

Coach Dave Rubin points to the elliptical and says, “Let’s go!”

I take a deep breath, wipe the hard work from my brow and begin walking in the machine’s direction.

**

Every single morning when I arrive at the gym, Dave Rubin, the guy that’s been training me, is already there.  He’s got the music going, he’s upbeat and he’s ready to help me get better.

Dave’s tough, I’m not gonna lie.  His expectations are high, but they’re coming from the right place.  He’s a HUGE Jordan fan.  Some would say that it’s merely a coincidence, but I don’t believe that.

***

I step on the machine, still not sure what I’m going to be asked to do.

30 seconds prior I had thought that my workout was complete.

Dave says, “OK, let’s get better!  I want you to go all out, as fast as you can…let’s go!”

I begin, giving it every ounce of what I have remaining.  Arms and legs pumping back and forth, up and down, in a torturous rhythmatic performance.

15 seconds in, Dave informs me, “We’re gonna go a minute.”

My mind says, YOU DON’T HAVE A MINUTE KEN!

27, 28, 29, 30

The burn begins sliding up and down my legs, as my pace slows.

“You’re slowing down!  Come on, pick it up!  You’ve got to get stronger at the end of games!  You said you wanna get under a minute in the 300 yd shuttle, let’s go!  Push!”

37…38…39…

The burn isn’t moving.  It’s set up camp on my legs, as I try to give more.

My mind says, YOU GOTTA STOP!

44…45…46…

And it burns like hot cast iron skillets have been strapped to my legs!

My mind says, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?  DON’T YOU FEEL THAT!?  STOP YOU FOOL!

52…53…54…

My legs, perhaps feeling a pain they’ve never felt, are trapped…between a mind and a heart.

My mind is screaming, QUIT!  QUIT!  QUIT!

58…59…60!

My mind is weak…but my heart is strong!

“Great job! OK, now walk it out,” Coach Dave says as he gives me a fist bump and more instruction.

“Control your breathing.”

“Cheek to cheek…move those arms!”

“Give me some light shuffles.”

“OK, you’ve got 15 seconds and we’re going to do it again.”

My mind is telling me, NOOOO!

He says, “Grab a quick sip if you need it.”

I make one step towards the water and then internally say HELL NO!  I’m about to bust this machine’s ass!

I get back on the elliptical, determined to succeed!

My mind is weak, buy my heart is strong!

GIVING MY ALL!

I may never be able to jump out of the gym or keep up with the likes of the facility’s most recognizable athlete, Dwight Howard, but what I can control is my effort!

My whole goal as I prepare on this journey to play Michael Jordan, is to be the best ME, that I can be.

That’s it!  So I push!  I give my all!  I strive to be the best Kenny Eller that I can be!

When God handed out gifts, he may not have given me the natural tools to be the best basketball player, but HE gave me a lot of determination.

HE gave me heart of belief!

Great Mornings!

Much like I control my effort in those early morning workouts, I’ve learned to also control my perspective.

I awake every morning and I tell myself, it’s gonna be a great morning!  Then, it’s gonna be a great afternoon!  Then finally, it’s gonna be a great evening!

Ask me how I’m doing at anytime and I’m going to tell you, “GREAT!”

April of last year, I sent one of my many hope filled emails along this path to a gentleman who has become a friend and mentor.

Dave Hopla received my email and a couple of hours later we spoke.  Three weeks after that initial conversation, we met and shot hoops together.  Since that time, nearly every few weeks I receive a call from Mr. Hopla, checking in to see how I’m doing.

You see Dave doesn’t deal with good.  He only associates himself with Great!

That’s why he shot 98.92% during his basketball shooting clinics last year.  With over 23,000 attempts, while speaking, he made almost 99%.

It seems undoable, but it’s not.

It begins with proper perspective.

Right before we ordered our lunch some nine months ago, Dave said, “People don’t remember good movies, but a GREAT movie, they recount every line!”

He said, “No one remembers good players, but GREAT players…they’re never forgotten!”

He went on with, “So why would you ever want to be good?”

“Why would you want to have a good day, when you can have a GREAT day?” he added, “It begins with how you think!”

Since that meeting and with the help of some Hopla perspective checks, I’ve incorporated this mindset into my daily life.

I ask people every single morning, how they’re doing and I NEVER hear great, other than the handful of people I’m working with, because they’ve heard my Hopla stories.

I hear, “OK”, “I’m good”, “I’ll be better in a bit”, “Alright”, “Ehhh”, and the list of improper responses rolls out like a red carpet, except their red carpet is leading to a mediocre day and worse, a mediocre life.

Shame on them!  Shame on YOU!  Shame on ME, until a few months ago.

You’ve been given the gift of another day, so be respectful of that and make it great!

It begins with YOU!

Getting Better!

There is no doubt in my mind that I’ve gotten better!  No doubt that I’m more prepared!

And the next time the burn says hello in the greatness of morning, my heart will smile the greatest smile and triumphantly say, “LET’S GO!!”

me vs. Michael Jeffrey Jordan…the journey continues!  Thank you so very much for following along!

####

I’ve been working with Dave Rubin and Coach B Meyer for right at two months now.  I really can’t say enough great things about either of them.  I can tell you that I have thouroughly enjoyed every bit of the experience and the improvement physically has far exceeded all of my expectations.  I have just a month remaining on what was my initial commitment, but I can already tell you that the things I’ve learned there I will carry with me for life.  For more information on B Meyer Training, which I HIGHLY endorse, check out BMeyerTraining.com!

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Connect:  Twitter (@KennyEller) and mevsMJ.com Facebook Fan Page.

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If you’re new to the site, I set out in August 2010 to get a game of 1-on-1 vs. my childhood hero Michael Jordan.  This site is about that journey…through every valley, to every mountain top of triumph! 

As the final days and hours of 2011 come to a close, I can’t help but reflect on my official slogan for this year, which was “Life is AMAZING, if you allow it to be!”

For me and my journey of playing Michael Jordan 1-on-1, 2011 was beyond amazing and for that I am so thankful!

Having said that, there were definitely some struggles over the last 365 days, but overall it was without a doubt more than I ever could have expected!

Here is a recap of all that was 2011 for mevsMJ.com!

-1st Quarter-

(January, February, March)

Looking back, January seems like years ago.  I began 2011 gaining my first 1-on-1 match-up win (Me vs. Scott Spencer) and feeling like my game was getting stronger and stronger.  Unfortunately then, but rather fortunately I suppose as I reflect now, I got injured on the next to last day of the month (Pop Goes The Dream) and was faced with painful rehabilitation that consumed the next eight weeks, testing me both physically and mentally.

During the rehab, even though I wasn’t playing, some great things still happened!

The very next day following my injury in the most surprising turn of events, I got some Jordan love! (Jeff Jordan promotes mevsMJ.com!)

Over the eight weeks of rehab I wrote 18 different posts including (Dear MJ:  My Letter to Michael Jordan).  Then exactly 62 days after the injury that left me devastated, I made my comeback in the last part of March against now Virginia Tech Hokies freshman Robert Brown, a good friend and the very first player to really believe in what I’m doing here on this site! (I’m Back!!!!)

-2nd Quarter-

(April, May, June)

I gave my life to the Lord when I was 23 years old (Yes, I’m a huge Jordan fan, but no, I didn’t plan that!)  I’ve sprinkled my faith over many of the posts I’ve written on this site and I mention that to say that I always feel that God has a plan for me.  During the injury I believed that and as I went through the second quarter of 2011, HE left me amazed as things began happening so quickly that I could hardly keep up!

April began with me meeting up with a talented young man named Ziarekenya Smith!  He had gained National accliam for his Jordan typeface, pictured to the right.  (God Inspired Designs)

From there, a simple hope filled email returned back to me, someone I now call a friend and mentor, Dave Hopla. (My time with Dave Hopla, World’s Greatest Shooter)

Then, still in April, I took on my first real professional basketball player, in what was the worst showing of my life! (Me vs. Garfield Blair)

May began with another no and then the biggest YES to date! (Nick Anderson Called Me!!!)

While nothing ever materialized with Nick, it was beyond cool having the former NBA player call me on MY cell phone!

Later in the month I had the blessing of getting to know and workout with then one of the top high school coaches in the country and now George Washington assistant coach, Kevin Sutton! (My First Workout with Coach Kevin Sutton!)

June came around, I played much better against my second professional player (Me vs. Andy Gebru) and had my third rematch with Robert Brown (Me vs. Robert Brown – Round 3).

-3rd Quarter-

(July, August, September)

The third quarter of 2011 kept up the momentum with me spending a little time with Tracy McGrady and even getting a shout out from T-Mac himself! (My Time with T-Mac)

On August 22nd, mevsMJ.com turned 1 year old. (me vs. Michael Jordan – 365 Days Later!)

In September I flew to Vegas for Impact Basketball’s Competitive League, where I told Chauncey Billups, John Wall, Rudy Gay, OJ Mayo, Corey Maggette, Jared Dudley and more about my journey to play Michael Jordan and almost had a shootout with NBA Sharpshooter Damon Jones! (Me vs. Damon Jones – The Shootout That Almost Was)

-4th Quarter-

(October, November, December)

In October I switched things up a bit and did my first video post (Where Are You Going?) so that everyone could actually hear me speak!  [Side note:  I often wonder how people sound when I’m reading their blogs/posts.]

A few days later, by reader request, I posted a video of me draining 22 of 24 from the 3 point line. (Is This Why NBA Guys Won’t Play Me??)  So pretty!

Mid November, I began working harder and sweating more than I probably ever have in my life! (Me + B Meyer Training – The Man Behind Dwight Howard)

On Thanksgiving day, Eric Griffin and I helped one young man’s dream come true, in what was one of the most fulfilling moments of my life.  (Thanksgiving Day Dreams)

Then the moment I had been waiting for happened!

→Michael Jordan KNOWS!!!←

I‘m still blown away by what happened in the first moments of December, the last grouping of days of 2011!

In what played out like some scene from an inspirational movie, I met Michael Jordan! (Michael Jordan Knows About ME and mevsMJ.com!)

As I wrote when I began this post, LIFE IS AMAZING, IF YOU ALLOW IT TO BE!

####

Through all that has happened on this journey, the part I never really anticipated is all of the great people that would come into my life and become true friends.

This mevsMJ.com walk has always been about truly believing that anything is possible with faith and hard work and I really feel that through 2011 that became more eveident than ever!

I’ve always believed in me vs. Michael Jordan and now I’m sure a few more people do too!  That’s a great thing!

For every person that has read a post, for each one of you that has believed in what I’m doing, for those who took time out of their life to help my dream come true, for those of you that I’m fortunate enough to call my friends, I say THANK YOU!

2011 was an unbelievable ride!

Off to 2012 we go!

me vs. MJ…the journey continues!!!!!  Thank you for following along!

Connect:  Twitter (@KennyEller) and mevsMJ.com Facebook Fan Page.

No one sees me when I’m all alone on the court, soaked with sweat, searching for a breath, with the sadistically hot sun laughing above.

No one sees me when all that separates another repetition from quitting is the desire to improve alone.

No one sees me when I’m in the gym launching one shot after the other against imaginary defenders, preparing mentally for my next 1-on-1 match-up.

No one sees the blackened toe nails and bruises or feels the aching muscles and back.

The most anyone will ever see me do is play and in those moments the results of the work I’ve done when no one is watching will finally be evident.

“You can map out a fight plan or a life plan, but when the action starts, you’re down to your reflexes. That’s where your roadwork shows. If you cheated on that in the dark of the morning, well, you’re going to get found out now, under the bright lights.” – Joe Frazier (Former Heavyweight Boxing Champion)

That Joe Frazier quote is one of my all-time favorites. Being on this journey I’ve gained a much deeper appreciation for the amount of work that goes into being great at a given task.

Too often we credit someone’s success to what we perceive as an innate ability to do something and while that natural ability is a must to play hoops professionally, the countless hours spent polishing and perfecting the skill set when no one is watching will ultimately determine if anyone ever watches.

There is no part of me that enjoys pushing myself to exhaustion, running suicide after suicide.

It’s not enjoyable for me to dribble a basketball through my legs and behind my back over and over again with the hope that one day it will feel as natural as walking.

Doing those things and more, doing the roadwork, working on the weaknesses, isn’t fun. The reward for the hard work is sometimes months away, but when it all comes together, there isn’t a better feeling in the World.

From Robert Brown to Andy Gebru, Dave Hopla to Garfield Blair, the commonality amongst them all is their willingness to work extremely hard when no one is watching.

While playing is where the fun is found, they understand that playing in and of itself won’t get them to their finish line. I now understand that too.

I’ve had the blessing of being exposed to some amazing players and coaches on this journey of mine to play Michael Jordan and they’ve shared with me what it takes to get where they are.

While I will never reach their level of success in basketball, my goal is to make the most of this opportunity and to be the best basketball player that I can be.

So I run and shoot, I dribble and ache, and do my best to improve because I’m not at the top of my game yet.

My best may still be many days away, but it will come…that is, if I do the roadwork.

####

If you’re new here, I set out in August 2010 to get a game of 1-on-1 vs. my childhood hero Michael Jordan.  This site is about that journey…through every valley, to every mountain top of triumph!

Anything Is Possible with Faith & Hard Work!

####

Connect:  Twitter (@KennyEller) and mevsMJ.com Facebook Page.

God has a plan for me.

I have no better way to describe what is happening in my life these days than to give credit where credit is due.

In the last month and a half, I just happened to meet the designer of the Jordan typeface, just happened to come across and work with Dave Hopla, just happened to get connected with pro basketball player Garfield Blair, just happened to meet my next 1-on-1 opponent (more on this in a later post), just happened to get a call from Nick Anderson and just happened to yesterday morning meet one of the top basketball coaches in America, Kevin Sutton.

I believe in God and I don’t believe that many things just happen.

####

As I said I would in my last post, I’ve been at the gym every morning this week working on my free throws.  Working on getting past the mental block I’m currently battling and moving closer to my goal of 100 free throws in a row.

I’d love to report that I’ve pushed past my personal best of 34 makes in a row already, but I haven’t.  Yesterday, I got to 25 and 29 on two separate occasions before I missed.

Making and missing free throws isn’t what today’s post is about though.  Making and missing free throws was merely the vehicle for what is coming next on my journey to face Michael Jordan.

####

Yesterday morning, I stood at the line, and just before I let another shot go, four people began making their way across the baseline underneath the basket.  As the ball swished through the net and down to the floor one of the gentlemen in the group, wearing a baseball cap, smiled and said, “I’ve got it!”

As I looked up to thank him, I realized it was non other than Coach Kevin Sutton.

Kevin Sutton

In his 24 years of coaching, both at the collegiate and high school level, Kevin Sutton has coached 13 players that were drafted into the NBA, Europe or WNBA.  He has also coached and developed around 100 players that went on to play college basketball.

Most recently he built Montverde Academy into a National powerhouse, with an amazing 158-31 record, including a National Championship in 2007.

This year Sutton was also named the Head Coach for USA Basketball’s 2011 Junior National Select Team, which featured players like Austin Rivers, Brad Beal, Michael Gilchrist, Anthony Davis and James McAdoo.

He also has worked at numerous prestigious basketball camps including, Michael Jordan Flight School!

I’m On A Journey to Play Michael Jordan

I introduced myself to Coach Sutton and the people he was with and began telling them about my journey to play my childhood hero Michael Jordan.  I told them what I’ve done so far with training and who I’ve played.

After I was done giving them a brief mevsMJ.com overview and explaining how amazing the journey has been thus far, Coach Sutton invited me to come train with him and a select group of individuals that include current college, top tier high school and even the occasional NBA player!

Working with Kevin Sutton

So starting next Tuesday I will begin another journey within this wonderful journey that is mevsMJ.com.

Next week I will begin working with Kevin Sutton!!

I called Coach Sutton Wednesday afternoon to confirm the time and location for next week and asked him how many times I could attend.

He responded, “You can come as often as you like!”

Life Is Amazing, If You Allow It To Be (My 2011 Slogan)

Wonderful, amazing, life changing things are happening at a rapid pace these non-ordinary days.

I’m telling you…Life is Amazing, if you allow it to be!!!

As always, thank you for the continued support and love!

**Do me a huge favor and spread the mevsMJ.com word by sharing on Facebook, Twitter, or anything else you like!

I stepped to the line, planted my right foot directly behind the tac the same way I had done the previous 27 times, took one dribble, found the valve, took the shot, held the follow through and heard the net pop for my 28^th free throw in a row.

If you were at the gym yesterday morning that is what you would have seen watching me shoot.

This is what you couldn’t have seen:

My breathing sporadic and shortened, my heart rate slightly increased.  I need to calm down.  Is my hair sticking to my forehead?  I’m just seven shots from being able to call Dave Hopla and tell him I have a new free throw record!  This ball is sticky.  Stay calm Kenny.  You’ve got this.  Don’t be nervous.  Psshhh, nervous.  Just shoot it like normal.  Hold your follow through.  Don’t be flat.  Give the ball a chance to go in.  Come onnnnn.

It’s transparency time.  I’ve been stuck at 34 free throw makes in a row for almost two months now and it has become mental at this point.

Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve gotten to 26, 22, 27, 33, 25, 28 and so on and then I’ll miss one free throw and go right back to making them again.

Oh, by the way, going back to how this post began, I missed my 29^th free throw yesterday morning.

I’ve tried to keep what Mr. Hopla said in mind and just focus on the current moment, the current shot, but every time I get within a couple of shots of my current record (34 in a row) the weight of the moment gets the better of me.

The funny thing is, I KNOW there is absolutely NO PRESSURE on me.  I know that what I’m feeling is self-inflicted, yet it still happens.

I told a friend the other day about my struggle and they suggested a simple solution consisting of this:  Just don’t be nervous.

Hmmm, they are right, it’s just not quite that easy…at least not right now.

I felt the same way, the same nervous energy or my leg itches nonsense, when my record was 16 in a row at some point last year and through work, 16 is now like me drinking a cup of coffee in the morning…it’s almost automatic.

Ahhh, THROUGH WORK!

Due to work, aka the job that pays me, and the gym being used for AAU tournaments, I haven’t been able to get in as much basketball work as I would have liked over the last two weeks, so it’s time to do something about it.

In an effort to assassinate this mental block of mine, I will be at the gym EVERY SINGLE MORNING this week when it opens.  I will then put in a minimum of 1 hour each day shooting free throws.

It’s time to set a new record.

It’s time to get over this mental blockage.

It’s time to get past 34 and get closer to my goal of 100 Free Throws in a row!!

Mental block…soon I will tell you, Adios!!

Wish me luck!

Nick Anderson Update:

There has been no official date or time set for my meeting with Nick Anderson.  We have exchanged a few texts (crazy right?!?!) and hope to have a meeting time set shortly.  As soon as something is set, I’ll make a BIG UPDATE!

Thanks for reading and for your support!

I jumped out of bed this past Friday morning, grabbed a quick bite to eat and headed to the gym to get some makes in.  I went to work on my game.  I went to break records.  I entered the gym upbeat and full of energy, but left frustrated and a little down.

Actually, I left fairly upset.  So much so that it affected me the remainder of the day and even as I was trying to fall asleep that night.

I wasn’t as upset by the fact that I didn’t break my free throw record (only got to 33 makes in a row) as I was with what two individuals said to me while I was there.

Without me asking, a young kid and a middle aged man both told me at separate times throughout my shooting work that I’m, “pretty good.”

I thanked them with a smile, but internally I cringed.

It’s ALL ABOUT Perspective

Until two Friday’s ago, being told by two complete strangers “I’m pretty good,” most likely would have stroked my ego nicely.  I mean, who doesn’t like compliments?

The issue for me is that since my time with Dave Hopla, the greatest basketball shooter in the World, I don’t see “pretty good” as a compliment anymore.

Like Dave said on more than one occasion during our time together, “No one remembers a pretty good movie, but a Great movie, everyone remembers!”

I WANT TO BE GREAT!

“You’re Pretty Good!”

After the youngster (14 yrs old) stopped me between shots and asked how often I play basketball before tagging our conversation with, “You’re pretty good!” all I could think about as I went back to shooting was what he would say if he saw Dave Hopla shoot.

I knew he wouldn’t say, “Hey, you’re pretty good!”  He’d probably call every one of his friends, record video on his cell phone, or sit there in disbelief with drool running out of his mouth.

The thing is, he was right about me.  I currently am just that…“pretty good.”  While he and his friends were there, sometimes just watching me, I shot 71.42% from 15-17 feet, 92.77% from the free throw line, and 61.40% from the high school three-point line.

I shot “pretty good.”

Being Exposed To Greatness

I’ve written in the past about how scope, or what you’re exposed to, can change your life.  I wrote about how being exposed to people that are great at what they do gives the growing individual a peep hole to see why they are successful.  I closed that post with nine very challenging words….

When is the last time you expanded your scope?

Dave Hopla didn’t just expand my scope (He makes over 98% of his shots).  He torched the paint off of the binoculars, and dropped a nuclear bomb on my basketball belief system.

He changed my thought process when I’m shooting the ball and while the majority would say this whole post is a little extreme, and maybe I should ease up and just take the compliment, the truth is, GREATNESS DOESN’T EASE UP!

We all “want to be” Great!  Right???

Saying I want to be great and being great is only separated by a crevasse the size of the Grand Canyon.

Being exposed to true Greatness, I now see that in blistering, vibrant 3D.

It’s easy to go around chanting, “Like Mike, If I Could Be Like Mike!” but when you actually attempt to be like Mike or Dave Hopla you find out that it isn’t so easy.

The work they put in to their craft would make most Doctorate students want to re-enroll and do it all over again, as opposed to taking on the work load of the great ones.

So instead, most settle for “pretty good” if that, Mr. Jordan and Mr. Hopla get admired like the pyramids and life goes on.

Will I Ever Be A “Great Shooter” Like Dave Hopla?

Is it possible?  Yes, without a smidgen of doubt, it is possible for me to be a great shooter like Dave.

The real question is will it happen?

Dave didn’t hide any part of his preparation into becoming a great shooter when we met.  In fact he reduced it down to this:

“If you want to be the best shooter in the world it’s simple.  You’ve got to do two things.  First, you’ve got to shoot with correct form.  Then you have to shoot the ball correctly more times than anyone else in the world.” – Dave Hopla, World’s Greatest Basketball Shooter

Ahhh, and that my friends, is the tough part.

Since Dave and I met on April 15^th, I’ve made 1,311 shots.  That, P90X, work, and this blog, have left me more than spent each evening.  For greatness though, it’s not enough.

Dave, while on vacation, has made 3,317 shots.  He will add another 500 makes this morning.

Greatness takes dedication.  It takes truckloads full of work.  It’s never easy.  It seems impossible, but it’s not.

I’ve seen greatness in person and it’s one the most beautiful things you can ever experience.

Human capability is often capped by our mental approach.  Most times we achieve what we are exposed to as people.  Studies will show income levels, social circles, and so on, follow this trend.

Then every so often a Roger Bannister, Michael Jordan, or Dave Hopla comes along and refuses to accept current standards of excellence.  They bust through the previously set standard like the Incredible Hulk, inspire dreamers, and become GREAT!

They don’t accept being someone’s definition of “pretty good!”

I can’t either.

Will you?

####

After almost three hours at the gym that Friday, soaked with sweat, I handed the basketball back to the staff member and someone I had never seen before said, “Your shot looks a little flat, but it’s pretty good.”

I said nothing, knowing that “pretty good” is only a momentary rest stop for where I’m going.

me vs. MJ…the fantastic journey continues!  As always, thank you for supporting me and for following along.

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Me vs. Garfield Blair Tomorrow!!!!

Tomorrow I’ll lace up the Jordans and take on my next 1-on-1 opponent Garfield Blair!  Garfield (6’5″) is the starting shooting guard for the Jamaican National team.  (Read more about Garfield here)

Be sure to check back for pictures and video!!

Wish me luck!!!

With pizza slices the size of my head and two large bowls of Italian wedding soup in front of us, the greatest basketball shooter in the World sat across from me in a small Italian restaurant located in Naples, Florida, looked at me with his intense sky blue colored eyes and said…

“If you want to be the greatest shooter in the world it’s simple.  You’ve got to do two things.  First, you’ve got to shoot with correct form.  Then you have to shoot the ball correctly more times than anyone else in the world.”

In full ShamWow mode, trying to soak up every bit of knowledge, I nodded my head in agreement and took another bite of pizza.

It sounded so simple.

We were almost three hours in to our meeting and to this point the man sporting Jordan gear from head to toe had made everything seem so simple.  I suppose I should have expected as much, as he is without debate the very best at what he does.

Only one person can have other people, NBA people, refer to them as the best shooter in the universe and that man is Dave Hopla.

What Future NBA Hall of Famers Say:

Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers

“I never miss an opportunity to work with Dave.  He’s the best in the business.”

Ray Allen, Boston Celtics

“Dave has not only helped my shooting, but he improved my overall game.  He has given me the confidence in all phases of my game.”

The Stats to Prove It (Dave Hopla’s Personal Records):

• 1234 free throws in a row.
• 211 high school 3-pointers in a row.
• 181 college 3-pointers in a row.
• 78 NBA 3-pointers in a row.

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The Man That Makes Over 98% Of His Shots!

For Hopla who played college ball in Nebraska before playing professional basketball overseas and in the CBA, he wasn’t always the greatest shooter.  It’s something that he has worked on for the better part of his life.

Encouraged at the age of 16 by a coach, while at a basketball camp, Dave began tracking every shot he took.

Now 53 years old, he can flip through one of 58 notebooks and tell you the percentage of every free throw, off the dribble jumper, college three pointer, NBA three pointer, etc. that he took on any given day over the last 37 years!

That kind of shooting prowess led him to start Dave Hopla Shooting Clinics in 1987, where he goes around and teaches his mastery of shooting all over the world as a shooting instructor and motivational speaker.

It also landed him an assistant coaching job with the NBA’s Toronto Raptors and then Washington Wizards from 2005-2009.

Want Stats?

In 2004 he made 98.89% of his shots!  In 2005 he shot a blistering 98.20%, making 35,332 of 35,979 shots!

During the summer of 2007 he attended 31 camps where he shot 99.19% (11,093 of 11,183)!!  A further breakdown will show you that Dave was 260 for 281 from the 3-point line for a percentage of 92.52% and on three occasions he was perfect from the field (263 of 263 on 6/25 at the University of Maryland, 339 of 339 on 7/28 at the CT Starters camp and 272 of 272 on 8/2 at UCLA) during his lecture.

Oh yeah, I forgot, he gives his motivational speech WHILE HE IS SHOOTING!!!!!

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How I Got To Meet The Master

While down in Miami a couple of weeks ago, I saw a tweet from the NBA that said, “When you’re training in the offseason, do you keep a log of how many shots you make?  Why you should.”  Lounging on the bed in the hotel room at the time, I clicked the link, read the title “The Man Who Doesn’t Miss Shots”, perked up and read thoroughly.  Within 30 seconds my jaw was scraping the floor.  My mind was telling me this couldn’t possibly be true.

“Could someone be this great?” I asked myself, still filled with doubt.

I’ve always considered myself and my brother (159 free throws in a row) really good shooters (I now think of myself as a great shooter in the making…more on this later), so to read that someone hardly ever misses seemed a bit far fetched.  To read that someone could give a speech and shoot AND make every single shot, seemed undoable!

I know basketball.  It’s what I’ve done more than anything else in my life and anyone who’s every played with me will tell you that I can shoot the ball.

I went into a trance and began searching for every single thing I could find on Dave Hopla.  I had to know more.

After reading several articles and watching a couple of videos I was amazed.  It was like someone had just proven to me that Santa Claus is REAL!

I went to Dave’s website and sent him an email on April 6th, explaining my goal here at mevsMJ.com and my wish to work with him.  Pleasantly to my surprise, he responded right back.  Within a couple of hours we were on the phone discussing when we could meet.  He just happened to be coming down to Florida seven days later and said that he would give me a call when he got in and make some time for me then.

I was so excited!  So thankful for such a blessing!  This was BIG!

I called my brother and told him of Hopla and his shooting percentages, to which he responded, “No way! What’s he tracking lay-ups!”

I understood his lack of belief.  I had felt the same way before I read numerous NBA players singing his praise.  Before I saw him make 17 consecutive NBA three pointers in 60 seconds (video below).

It did truly seem like some sort of tall tale from back when we were kids, yet it wasn’t.

A week later, like clockwork, Dave Hopla called and asked if I could make it down to Naples on Friday, the 15th.  A quick check of my calendar and I enthusiastically said, “YES!”

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I arrived at the compound (the friend’s property he and his family were staying at was truly amazing) around 8:45am, about 15 minutes early, only to find Dave waiting at the gate, notepad in hand.

I parked my car down Pistol Pete Lane (seriously, how cool is that!) got out, thanked Dave again for meeting with me, and the lessons began.

We entered the gym and he placed his notepad down, to which I asked, “Is that where you track all of your shots?”

He confirmed that it was one of many and asked me for any date.  I gave him May 25^th, to which he said with a smile, “That’s your birthday right.”

A little surprised, I said yes and he explained that birthdays are what most people give.

He quickly flipped through the notebook until he got to May 25^th 2010.  There on a page of notebook paper were diagrams detailing where he shot on the court and a lot of numbers.  On that day in May, Dave made 295 of 314 shots for a percentage of 93.94%…an off day for him.

He then grabbed a basketball and took me through his form shooting routine that he does before every workout.  It consists of starting with one hand (shooting hand) a few feet from the basket and making five shots before moving back a couple feet and making five more and so on.  Dave’s last five shots come from the NBA three-point mark.  He then adds the support hand and goes through the same routine.

The key in the above is adding the principles below:

• Toes to Target: make sure your toes are pointing to the basket.
• Feet shoulder-width apart.
• Form the letter L with your shooting arm.
• Wrinkle the wrist: the skin on your wrist should wrinkle up when you cock it.
• Bend and extend your legs.
• Make sure your elbow is above your eyebrow.
• Hand to the hoop.
• Freeze the follow-through.

With eyes that couldn’t believe what they were seeing, I watched Dave make shot after shot with one hand, most of them nothing but net, while he was talking to me.  He then continued the same shooting dominance adding his support hand.  It was mind boggling to me.

The Mind of the Greatest Shooter

As you may know, I’m working to make 100 free throws in a row before 10/21/2011.  Thus far I’m up to 34 makes in a row and one of the things I was most interested in with Dave was the mental aspect of being able to stay focused and calm while trying to stay perfect.

I explained to him that when I get close to whatever my current high is, I can feel the weight of every shot increase.  I have to calm my breathing down, etc.

He said that he just thinks about each individual shot, whether it’s the first one or the 500^th in a row.  He told me to not think about the next one, because you won’t get to the next one if you don’t make the current shot.

He then told me to step to the line and, “let’s see what you’ve got.”

Shooting Free Throws In Front Of The Best

I stepped to the line, took a couple of dribbles and made my first three free throws.  I really wasn’t that nervous because I know I can shoot the ball.  Still, there was definitely the feeling of I BETTER MAKE THESE going through me.

I missed my fourth and Dave went into correction mode.

He asked me, “How do you know where to line up at the free throw line?”

I didn’t really know.  I just lined up and shot.

He then stepped to the line and showed me the Tac, which is at the center of every free throw line and explained that he lines up there so that he knows he’s in the same spot each and every time.

He then asked, “What do you look at when you shoot the ball?”

Now I know that many people either look at the front or back of the rim when they shoot, but I honestly have never really focused on either.  So I told him the truth, that I didn’t really know what I looked at, I just shot the ball.

It was the right answer, kind of!

He said if you focus on the front of the rim, you’re focusing on being short on your shot and if you focus on the back of the rim you’re focusing on being long on your shot.  He told me to focus on the center of the basket because that’s where I wanted the ball to go.

He then showed me where he places his shooting hand on the ball.  He explained that there are several center points on an NBA basketball, one of them being the valve.  So every time he’s shooting free throws the valve is between the index and middle finger of his shooting hand.  This ensures that his hands are properly aligned each and every shot.

I stepped back to the line, “Toe, Tac, Target, Find the valve” and began firing away, getting encouragement and reminders to freeze my follow through, along the way.

After a couple of hours and numerous shooting lessons and stories we headed to lunch, where we discussed my journey to play Michael Jordan and the progress thus far, as well as his experience working with many NBA greats.

It was as if I had known Dave Hopla for years.

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Shooting Contest (Me vs. Hopla!)

We came back from lunch and I wanted to get a picture with him before I set off back home, so he asked his wife if she would take a picture of us back at the court.  She said of course and while she was completing what she was doing, we went back to the gym to shoot around.

Actually we had a shooting contest!

Dave picked five spots on the court from 15-17 feet (the same five the NBA uses for the 3-point contest) and instructed that in order to move from the first spot to the next, you’d have to make five shots in a row.  The first to complete this, make the 25 shots, would win.

He said I could go first.

Now keep in mind, we had just come back from an hour and a half lunch and had done no stretching or warming up whatsoever!

I took my first shot and it clanked off the rim.  Not good.  After seeing Dave shoot in person, I knew I wouldn’t get many chances.

Luckily for me, he missed his first shot too!

With relief, I stepped up and attempted to capitalize, but missed my second shot as well.

Game Over.

Dave stepped up and made 25 in a row!  One shot right after the other, in rapid succession.  I was passing the ball to him and laughing at the same time, it was unreal!

Who does that with no warm up shots?  Dave Hopla does.

Not thoroughly beaten enough, I asked for more.  So Dave said ok, we’ll do the same five spots from three-point land (I of course still had to make the 25 15-17 footers before I got to the 3-pt line).

He took the ball and missed his first three pointer.

I made two or three in a row from spot number one and then he caught fire.  He finished me off with 20 consecutive makes from three point range.  I was still stuck at spot numero uno.

Dave’s wife came in about that time and took our picture.  I told her that I almost had him beat, to which she kinda of gave me a very polite YEAH RIGHT look…haha!

Still in awe, he asked me if I wanted to do another contest.  I of course said yes!

This time we would shot from the same ten spots, but in order to move to the next you had to swish the shot, nothing but net.  If the ball even grazed the rim, you lost possession of the ball.

I again started first and quickly found myself down five shots.

Then it happened.  I dialed it in and got on a roll.

I made 6 shots in a row, all swishes, nothing but net, including four three pointers!  I was getting perfect passes and being cheered on and encouraged by Dave Hopla, the very best in the world!!

It was so surreal!

In the end I lost that one too, but I had a blast!

I said my goodbyes and with a “I can’t believe that just happened” feeling running throughout me, I got in my car and headed home so incredibly thankful.

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So Much More Than The Best Shooter In The World

Dave Hopla is far more than the best shooter in the World.  In the five or so hours we spent together, not only did he give me a clinic in shooting, he left me with many life lessons.  Lessons that I will apply to my daily living.  Lessons that will impact all of those around me.  For that, I am truly thankful.

I’ve been saying for a couple of months that life truly is amazing if you allow it to be.  Meeting Dave Hopla is an example of just that.  An email led to a phone call, which led to a meeting, which led to a friendship.

The amount of time and kindness shown to me on his VACATION blew me away.  That amount of generosity and selflessness truly makes me want to be a better human.

He is without doubt one of the nicest and kindest people I’ve ever met.

Thank you Mr. Dave Hopla!

Tracking My Shots!

The next morning, now back at home, I got into the local gym around 8:30am and tracked every single shot.

453 makes out of 600 shots (not a planned number) for a percentage of 75.5%. (click here to see breakdown of shots)

While my numbers are far from Hopla-esque, I found much joy in the experience.

I could hear Dave rooting me on.  “Toe, Tac, Target!”, “Never hit the front of the rim, give the shot a chance!”, “Way to shoot the ball!”

When he teaches, the impact that’s made is called the Hopla Effect.

The Hopla effect was definitely made on me and that’s bad news for my upcoming opponents! (Are you reading this MJ? ;-))

The Great One Checking In

Over the past week Dave has checked in with me a couple of times through text or phone call to hear about my progress.  I told him that I am tracking every shot and that people are looking at me funny, but that they just don’t understand.

He offered another lesson:

“In order to be great, you have to be different.  Otherwise you will be average or good at best.  Keep charting shots.”

Greatness, here I come!!

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Dave Setting Records and Teaching! (Videos):

Dave Setting the Record for Most NBA 3 Pointers made from the corner in 1 minute with one ball and one passer:

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shDlDnozpLM

Dave Breaking the World Record for most Free Throws with one ball and one passer in 1 minute (25 makes in a row):
httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2_T3ivNKfs&feature=related

Dave Hopla Free Throw Instruction:

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4TOUBG1kCJg&feature=BFa&list=PL3F39FC6A9E51C062&index=2

[If you’re reading this via email or RSS feed the videos may not show up.  Click here to view.]

Some Of My Favorite Hopla-isms

During our time together Dave said many things that stuck with me.  These are a few of my favorites!

“No one remembers pretty good, so be great!”

“Anyone can make shots. I want swishes!”

“You hear everyone saying that took this many shots.  Who cares about shots?  I care about makes!”

“I don’t call them rebounders, I call them passers.  Rebounder refers to you missing.  I plan on making every shot!”

More on Dave Hopla

If you’d like more information on Dave Hopla, you can check out his website, www.DaveHopla.com.  You can also follow Dave on Twitter.

iHopla Coming Soon!!

Dave is in the process of bringing everything he’s done for the last 37 years and turning that into an iPhone application called iHopla.  He hopes to have it available to everyone looking to be GREAT very soon!

I’ve seen how it’s going to look and I can’t wait!!

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Connect:  Twitter (@KennyEller) and mevsMJ.com Facebook Fan Page.

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If you’re new to the site, I set out in August 2010 to get a game of 1-on-1 vs. my childhood hero Michael Jordan.  This site is about that journey…through every valley, to every mountain top of triumph! 

I’ve been excited to announce this to everyone and late last night I got the confirmation.

It’s BIG!

Tomorrow morning I will have something in common with Michael Jordan!!!

Tomorrow I take the NEXT GIGANTIC STEP in my preparation to play the greatest basketball player in the world, Michael Jordan…by working with the greatest basketball shooter in the world, Dave Hopla!!!

Dave Hopla (The Greatest Basketball Shooter in the World!)

Imagine making more than 98% of the shots you take! (In 2007 Hopla, who writes down the results of ever shot he takes, made 99.19% making 11,093 of 11,183)

Envision draining 1,234 free throws in a row without a miss.

Dream of making 211 high school 3-pointers in a row without a miss.

Fantasize dropping 181 college 3-pointers in a row without a miss.

Visualize yourself shooting and watching 78 NBA 3-pointers go in, in a row without a miss.

I can only imagine, envision, dream of, fantasize and visualize (right now), but that is Dave Hopla’s life!

He’s the greatest basketball shooter in the world!

He makes shots!

Besides his “Airness”, Hopla has personally worked with the likes of future Hall of Famers Kobe Bryant and Ray Allen.  He has also worked over the years with numerous NBA, WNBA and College teams to improve their shooting percentages.

Now, around 11am on Friday morning, Dave Hopla will work with me!

I AM SO EXCITED, THANKFUL and HUMBLED!!!

Anything is possible!!!

me vs. MJ…the journey continues!!!

*For more information on Dave Hopla, check out his website www.davehopla.com.