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?

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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!!!

Three posts ago, on February 10^th, I posted the following [To the Partner of a Dreamer (a short letter)] and the response both surprised and humbled me.

The truth is, I thought it was one of the worst things I had written to date.  While the initial idea was there, I just couldn’t seem to get exactly what I wanted out of the effort.  As I was almost finished, I got up, walked into the family room and told my wife, this one (post) is struggling.  She asked if I was ready for her to read it, as she always proofs my posts before I schedule them, but I told her there was no need.  I wasn’t proud of it.

I went to bed and set my alarm for an hour earlier than usual, hoping that when I woke up I would have a fresh mind and somehow be able to fix the less than stellar attempt that would then be only a couple of hours from going live.  The alarm went off, I got up, sat in front of my computer and stared at the screen.  I couldn’t come up with anything.  My wife went ahead and read it 5 minutes before it was published and reassured me it was good, with her usual, “It’s really good!” tag.  I shook my head, sorry that I couldn’t have done a better job, closed my laptop and went to work.

Then it happened.

One retweet, then another, then a feature in a post, then another rt, and another and another and another.  The post that I felt was one of my weakest showings was quickly climbing the mevsMJ.com all time viewed list.

One reader called it probably his favorite post I’ve done.  Another said they loved it!  I was blown away.

If my hard drive hadn’t crashed (yes, I know I need to backup) the week before, and I had a back up post ready, I would have probably used it instead.

If I didn’t have it drilled in my head to “post on schedule” I probably would have skipped Thursday’s posting.

Both of those would have been a mistake.

In less than two weeks, the grouping of words that I wouldn’t have published has become the 5^th most viewed post in this site’s 6^th month existence.

The point is, sometimes we have no clue the impact we will have on others.

While I still don’t feel it is one of my top five writings or even close, it’s not for me to judge.  You, the readers do that part.

My part is to do my very best each and every time to make an impact and ultimately, as Seth Godin says, SHIP!

Are you a SHIPPER or do you just like to box things up?  There is a Grand Canyon sized difference between the two.

Ship, Ship, SHIIIIIIIPPPPPP!

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Happy 6^th Month Anniversary mevsMJ.com!!!

Today marks exactly 6 months since I hit the publish button on the first post and this site went live.  I’ve got to tell you, I’m proud of what has been accomplished thus far and BEYOND excited to share with you what is coming up next.

The upcoming plans are going to be BIG!  Stay tuned and THANK YOU SO MUCH for ALL OF YOUR SUPPORT, LOVE, and ENCOURAGEMENT!

Every time someone takes the time to read one of my posts, make a comment, RT, or Facebook Like, it really does mean the world to me.  THANK YOU!

Here is to what is ahead!!!

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Injury Update

Last Friday I went for my first session of rehab (see injury) and let me tell you, it was paaaaaaaiiiiiinfuuullll!

The specialist used a series of tools to scrape down on the muscle fibers and break up the scar tissue.  I left feeling like my leg was in worse shape, but after some extensive icing and stretching, the next day it did feel a little better and continued to improve throughout the weekend.

Saturday, I strapped on my Jordans for the first time in three weeks and drove to the rec center to take some free throws and do some dribbling.  While I still have pain and am not allowed to attempt to jump or run, it was just nice to be back out there.

I went back to therapy on Monday morning and went through some more pain, but I am feeling so much better than I did a week ago.

I’m not sure exactly how long it will be until I’m cleared or even confident to push myself, but I’ve come a long way and that is a blessing!

As always thanks for your support!

I used to buy bags of socks.  You know, buy one bag, get one half off or even free.  The 20 pairs of socks for $10 deal.   Regular socks.

In my “sock drawer” I have ten or so pair of black and even more white.   Some of the white ones are solid and some have grey along the toes and the heel.   In all I have a nice selection, but if they didn’t come in a clear bag or in packet of four or five hugged by some thin paper and glue, I wasn’t buying them.

I spent enough money on my basketball kicks (Jordans of course) and I surely wasn’t going to spend extra on socks.   After all, they were just socks!

I’ve lived this way my entire life.  I just never really saw the value in them.

Basketball Socks (How I uncovered this secret society)

Did you know they make socks specifically for basketball?  I had no clue.

Recently I was forced to retire a pair of Jordans (do you see a trend in me wearing things as long as possible) and when I put on the next pair of Js, I got a killer blister.   The main reason for the blister is I typically wear low cut socks that don’t show, thus giving me no protection from shoe to skin around the upper heal of the shoe.   Anytime I’ve ever gotten a blister, I’ve just bandaged it up and dealt with it.  Eventually my skin would toughen up and I’d be fine (That sounds even dumber typing it).

Going to see Austin Rivers play actually gave me the idea to look for new socks for myself, due to Austin wearing longer socks.   Amazing what one can pick up from a game.

So I got home and started researching the cotton casings that hold my feet.  I came across several brands and read about each.   The one glaring thing that jumped out at me was the price.   With tags of $12-$15 I quickly looked for the count and with each found it to be only one pair!  How could this be?   Did people actually pay this much for a pair of basketball socks??

I closed my laptop and forgot about it for a day or so.   A few days later I went back and researched a little more.  This time I read reviews. People were going on and on about how great they were and how they helped their feet.  Again I walked away.  I couldn’t see throwing down $14-$15 bucks for one pair of socks!

I Spend Money (Tangent)

Before I get too many people who don’t know me thinking this guy is ultra conservative, doesn’t spend money and really wears everything until he can’t wear it any longer, let me end that.  I spend money.

I’m the guy who went into Best Buy in December for an iMovie upgrade ($50) and walked out with a new Xbox 360 w/Kinect and three games (a lot more than $50). *The Kinect ROCKS btw.

As long as I see some sort of value for myself, I’ll spend.  I couldn’t see spending on the socks.  They’re just socks right?

Decision Time (Buy or Pass)

Just the other day, I stopped by a sporting goods store to check out some cold weather clothing for running, since I do my share of that as well.   While I didn’t find any clothes that I liked, I did make my way by the sock section while I was there and take a look at the basketball socks.

The first pair I grabbed off the rack were the Thorlo Thick Cushion Basketball socks.  They felt amazing.   They had extra padding surrounding the foot and up the heel.   They were also a longer cut sock, which is what I was looking for when I began the whole sock search.

I read the back of the package and figured I’d give them a try.   Worst case scenario would be that I spent $14 and felt no difference (Thorlo actually has a 30 day money back guarantee, but I didn’t realize that until after I bought them).  Best case…no more blisters ever again??

HAPPY FEET!

The very next morning after buying my new Thorlo Basketball Socks, I slid them on and smiled.  My feet felt like they were being pampered and they liked it!

I then proceeded to go to the court and shoot and work on my ball handling for over an hour and a half.   My feet felt great the whole time.  I didn’t have any slippage at all and when I got home my feet were nice and dry when I took the socks off, which was really nice.

One of the things I read, when researching, was that people were saying the socks kept them from getting calluses and blisters and I am now a believer!

More Thorlo’s on the way!

After such a stellar first impression, I jumped online later that day and ordered four more pairs of the Thorlos.   They should be here later today!

With as much time as I plan on being in my basketball shoes, the $70 spent is really a small investment into taking care of my feet.

I’ll admit it was still weird looking at $70 for five pair of socks, but if you’re on the fence, go buy one pair.   It will change your hooping life!

*Oh and one more thing…I’m bringing long socks back! (said like J. Timberlake sings Sexy Back…haha)

Note:  Thorlo also has socks for running, walking, hiking, etc.

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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! 

Actually how I feel about this NBA season is familiar, I just haven’t felt it in sometime.

Over 20 years ago my then young, rather large eyes caught a glimpse of something special of which my ears had already become acquainted.  I saw Michael Jordan for the first time do things that I couldn’t believe were possible and I felt that way prior to even attempting to play basketball myself.

Jordan, as I’ve mentioned in the past, fueled my first steps into the game of roundball and as you can tell if you’ve been following along on my journey, MJ continues to do so today.

Back when the only thing keeping me from basketball was grade school, the ending of one NBA season was sealed with a long deep sigh, as it meant I had to wait months before I saw another game.

That also meant that the beginning of the NBA regular season thrilled me like it was Christmas!

In those days, at my parents house, I would flip to the inside page of the sports section daily and see what games were going to be on TV.  This was before cable networks had channel lineups for days at the convenience of a remote button.  It was even before the internet boom (wow, is that even possible…haha)

Basketball grabbed me like a Rodman rebound and never let me go.

I let basketball go though and I regret it.

The Best Part of Waking Up

Last Friday I began a journey, within My Journey to Jordan Camp, to make 100 Free Throws in a row.

This whole week I have leapt out of bed, jumped into some basketball shorts and shoes, thrown on a shirt and gotten to the court by 6:45am to get some shots in.

I ABSOULTELY LOVE IT!!!

Honestly, my shooting hasn’t been going as well as I expected.  I made 16 in a row on the first day last Friday and haven’t made more than 14 in a row since.  While I have seen my overall shooting confidence go up, the free throw is being a stubborn friend and that’s ok.

It’s ok because I’m having a blast every morning!

Before the Sun decides to stretch itself over the horizon, I am already hoisting one shot after the other.  In the peace that is the morning, every sound screams Hallelujah!!!

The ball pressing itself from the concrete court and back to my waiting hands.  The sweet sound the chain net makes when I make a shot.  The birds chirping (seriously), the small gentle gusts of wind, every car that passes.  My Jordans growing familiar roots behind a white line painted 15 feet from the goal.

I hear it all.

Being there on that court truly makes me so happy.  I had lost that feeling towards the game.

me vs. MJ, this journey…has brought that back.

Game Time

Later tonight, I will be sitting 14 rows up in the new, plush, home of the Orlando Magic, the Amway Center.  It’s game one of the regular season for Orlando in an NBA season that is now just three days old.

It may not be Christmas, but it’s pretty darn close for this 33 year old kid.

As always, thank you for following along.