March 10, 2011

Mr. Michael Jeffrey Jordan
23 G.O.A.T Court
Charlotte, NC  32292

Dear MJ:

When you came into the league (NBA) in 1984 I was seven years old.  My big focus was getting to know my new classmates and learning how to read small books with a few words in a big font on each page.  You went on to win Rookie of the Year with a stat line of 28.2ppg, 6.5rpg, 5.9apg, and 2.4spg.  I had a knack for being able to spell and led my class in gold stars.

The very next year you got injured and played in just 18 regular season games.  I can’t say that I was fully aware of how tough that must have been on you then, as I was just in the third grade.  Even though management wanted you to sit the year out, you came back, helped the Bulls to the playoffs and put on a show.  On April 20^th you dropped an NBA playoff record 63 points on Larry Bird and the Celtics in the first round!  Unfortunately I was unable to see the game live, as we only had one TV and at eight years old I didn’t get to pick the channels.

At the age of 28 you won your first title with the Chicago Bulls.  By this time I had read every article I could get my hands on and every book I could beg my parents to buy for me.  I knew so much about you and your teammates that I felt like I was a part of the team too.  I was also starting to put quite a few hours of my own into learning the game of basketball.

By the time you had won your third straight title I had just finished my first year of JV basketball.  I was just 5’9” at the time but used to pray that I would be tall and even tried hanging on the monkey bars because I heard that’s what you did growing up.  My parents are only 5’8” and 5’6”, but your parents weren’t tall either, so I thought I had a chance!  The best thing about my game in those days was my Jordans.  I had the shoes, the jersey, the shorts and shirts.  I watched every VHS tape I could rent from the local video store over and over again trying to pick up on every little thing that made you great.  Books written about you consumed my nights.

Throughout my high school life I was never really that good at the game Dr. James Naismith invented.  I got my butt kicked over and over again in hoops, but never gave up.  I was totally self-taught and finally by my senior year I was catching up physically and skill wise with the other guys.  Even though I was more B.J. Armstrong and less Michael Jordan, I had a blast and had fallen in love with the game.

You went to baseball and I followed.  I even had my Mom take me out of school one day and we drove 2.5 hours to see a spring training game in Sarasota.  You didn’t play much that day, but around the sixth inning as you were leaving, you walked right by us, literally just feet away.  I was one happy kid!

You came back to the league and I taped every game.  Still have them all on VHS.  I began interning in the sports department at the local abc affiliate when I turned 19 years old.  This was right as you and the Bulls were on your way to going 69-13 and winning your second title in a row (5th overall).  It didn’t take the sports guys at the station long to realize how big of Jordan fan I was.  The first time you came to town they sent me out to get a comment on the following day’s big game.  It was late, and you had just gotten off the bus at the hotel.  You didn’t talk to me, actually no one really did, but I was as close to you, Pip, Phil, Dennis, Randy, Toni, Steve and the rest of the guys as anyone could ever be.  I wanted to tell you then how big of a fan I was, but that was against the journalism protocol.

You went on to win your sixth title and I got to see most every game that was in Orlando from 96-98.  I even got to come to the locker room and ask Scottie and some of the other guys questions.  You always had the most people wanting to talk to you and I was always too nervous then to ask you anything.  Instead I would stretch my arm out as far as possible with the mic in hand and battle my way in to get the sound of your voice.  The truth is I felt like I knew ya.  I didn’t want to ask you one of five routine post game questions the guys always asked.  I wanted to go into the Chris Farley “Remember When” skit.  I was a FAN!

You retired and I felt lost.  The team was dismantled and I couldn’t believe it.  I still supported the guys and did my best to keep up with Pip out in Houston when I could.  They didn’t really show all that many Rockets games in Central Florida though.  In the end, it just didn’t seem right with you not playing.

A few years later you came back!  I was 24 years old and had moved from sports to banking as a career.  Those days in Washington weren’t exactly like the days in Chicago, but myself and every Jordan fan in the World loved every minute of it!

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So I’m not sure if you’re aware, but in August of 2010 I began mevsMJ.com, My Journey to Jordan Camp.  I had been waiting for years to be old enough to attend your Michael Jordan Senior Flight School in Vegas.  The goal of the site was to chronicle each and every step I took along the way as I prepared myself for your camp, which was to be held exactly one year from then.

I began shaking off the rust, conditioning myself and even attended professional basketball training in the beginning of November.  To prepare myself as much as possible, I also began lining up and playing games of one-on-one with top tier players so that I could be at the top of my game when we played 1-on-1 at your camp.

In December 2010, I found out that you canceled the camp this year.  I was devastated.  I had waited years for this, but was determined not to give up.  I knew when you canceled that you didn’t mean any harm.  You don’t even know me, yet.

####

I say all of that to say this.

I want to play basketball with you Mr. Jordan.  I want to play you 1-on-1.  I want to lace up my Jordans, check the ball in and give you every bit of my basketball game.  I get that I’m not the worthiest opponent when it comes to skill level, but there won’t be another human on this entire planet that will put more effort forth than when we play.  I promise you that.

I also want to show people that anything really is possible.  I want to show everyone that a regular guy who’s not even the best basketball player in his town can play his childhood hero and the greatest basketball player to ever live if HE WORKS EXTREMELY HARD AND BELIEVES!

At the end of the day, I need your help.  I need your time.  I need you to believe in what I’m trying to accomplish as much as I’ve always believed in you.

I had a dream last week.  In the dream, as I was walking out of the gym you were walking in, dressed in Jordan gear, bag hanging loosely over your shoulder.  I mustered up the courage and asked if I could please shoot around or play hoops with you.  You thought for a half of a second and said, “Sure, let’s go!”  The thing is I was nervous even in the dream!  The first time you passed the ball to me it felt like it was loaded with concrete.  My arms felt like noodles when I took the very first shot.  I had so much adrenaline running through me.  My dream had come true.

Somehow I hope this letter finds your eyes.  Somehow I hope you take the time to read it.  I hope that you connect with my dream.  I hope you feel my passion.  I pray that you say “SURE, let’s play Ken”, and make me vs. MJ a reality!

Sincerely,

Kenny Eller (Your BIGGEST Fan and NEXT 1-on-1 Opponent)

If you could retweet this letter to MJ, post it on your facebook, send to friends and family, send it to your local paper, anything to help get this message out so that it may find its place in front of Michael Jordan, I would really appreciate it!  Thank you in advance!

After watching this year’s NBA Slam Dunk Contest, I came to the conclusion that I need a Hype Man! (submit resume here)

Hype Man Definition:  Someone who brings excitement and hype before and while an event is taking place.

Kenny Smith is a world class hype man!  Kenny, who was Blake Griffin’s coach at the NBA Dunk Contest, gave a great example of exactly what a hype man is and does.  He had me excited!  He had me anxious to see Blake’s next dunk!  He hyped Griffin up and if you’ve ever seen BG play, he doesn’t really need any help with that (watch here).

It got me thinking.  How great would it be if I had someone before I hit the publish button on every post telling the World, “YOU MUST READ mevsMJ.cooooom!   Kenny Eller is about to share with you Something you’ve Never read beforrrrrrrrre! Prepare to have you mind bloooooowwwwnnn!”

Then again….

The Ramifications of a Hype Man :-/

If you have a hype man, you actually need to be REALLY…REALLY GOOAT! (somewhere between good and great ;-))

If not, the person hyping you may do more damage than good.

Going back to Griffin’s dunks on Saturday.  They were good, but not as special as Kenny “The Jet” pumped them up to be.  For many that resulted in an adverse affect of what the actual goal was.

Example:  I went and saw (for free) the movie, The Green Hornet, before it came out and thought it was going to be the worst movie I had ever seen.  Instead, I LOVED IT!  During the weeks that followed, I hyped that movie to anyone that would listen.  While my expectation was low going in, what do you think the people I hyped the movie to expected?  They expected it to be great, right?

If Blake had just gone out there and dunked, I probably would have went to sleep that night highly impressed.  Instead, I felt a little let down.

But if you’re GREAT!

If you’re great at what you do though, a hype man can take you to the next level!

Mike had Nike and Spike.  That grew to include almost every person who had ever even seen the game of basketball.  We were all MJ’s hype men!

The thing is, Mike Jordan almost always performed well.  So when people heard of his greatness and tuned in or went to see him, they left on the majority of evenings concurring with the hype.

We are our own Hype Man!

If you have a Facebook Fan Page for your blog or company, or Tweet when a new post or product is released, you are your own hype man and rightly so!

If you don’t believe in what you do, who else will?

Friends + Family + Supporters = Hype Man

Who supports you?  Who helps you?  Who spreads the word on your new post or product?  Who cares?  Who hypes you?

These are your hype men/women!!  Make sure you appreciate them and let them know you do!

Be My Hype Man!

If you love what I’m doing here, HYPE ME!  Do so on Twitter, Facebook, through Email, pick up the phone and tell your friends and family!  Find me someone to play!  Tell Mike Jordan about me!

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying I’m gooat, but I am giving it my all here at mevsMJ.com.

To anyone who has ever passed along something from this site, THANK YOU!

For the rest of you…join the others and be my hype man!

(ps:  I was kind of kidding about the resume part above )

I know the feeling a woman has when a new bag comes out.  I know the feeling when she walks in the department store “just to look” and must have that dress.

I know the feeling a man has when that new car he’s been reading about for months comes out.   I know the feeling when he walks into the Apple store “just to look” and must have that iPad.

I know the feeling a boy has when a certain pair of “special” basketball shoes are released.   I know how he feels as he approaches the shoe store, heart rate increasing, just hoping that they still have his size.

I know all of this because I was that boy.

Air Jordans

I got my first pair of Air Jordans in 1991.   I was 13 years old.

I was in the infantile stages of my basketball life, but those shoes made me feel like a pro!

In those days, I had two real opportunities each year to capture a pair of my very own Jordans.   Those being before the school year began and Christmas time.  Jordans were then and still are today, expensive athletic shoes.   I’m almost positive that the first +$100 pair of shoes my parents ever bought, were those Air Jordans in ’91.

From then until I was capable of buying my own, J’s were #1 on my wish list each and every year.

The Air Jordan craze was in full effect and I was a happy and thankful participant!

Mars, Mike and Nike (“It’s Gotta Be The Shoes!”)

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Abr_LU822rQ

[If you’re reading this via e-mail or RSS the video might not show up, so click here to view it.]

Nike released a superb marketing campaign in 1988.   The spots were directed by Spike Lee, who also starred in the commercials as Mars Blackmon.   Mars was a Jordan fan and a guy just trying to figure out why Michael Jordan was so good.   In the initial television spot, following a series of questions on what made Mike the best, Mars surmised, “It’s gotta be the shoes!”

It was brilliant!

“It’s Gotta Be the Shoes,”captured every dreamer in America and beyond.   Anyone wanting to be anything in the game of basketball wanted those shoes.  People who didn’t even play ball wanted those shoes.

Thought provoking for sure.  Maybe it was the shoes.  Could it be the shoes?  Could Air Jordans make me a better player?   I wanna be like Mike.  I want Air Jordans too!

Whenever I put on a pair of Jordans then, I would always feel I was capable of doing something I wouldn’t be able to do in another “normal” pair of shoes.  Maybe my fadeaway was a bit better.   Perhaps I got a little bit higher on my jump shot or when I grabbed a rebound.

Air Jordans helped me to dream!

The Value of a Dream (Why Jordans MAY Be Underpriced)

What is the price tag for a breath of hope into a child’s wildest dream?   How much should one charge if they can drive someone to dream greater and bigger than they would do on their own?

Jordans are pricey, but in the big scheme of things really a great value.

A great value when you consider that motivational speakers charge thousands of dollars to adults to do the same.   A great value when people everywhere charge for “how to get rich” or “how to do something better” books, instructional videos, and on and on and on.

Everyone is selling something and all capitalizing on the same thing…a person’s want to be more.

So if +$100 pair of shoes can do that.  If they can make someone young or old think they can jump higher or play better, as they did for me as a youth.  If they can help someone to imagine life’s possibilities, I say that’s a good deal.  After all, if you can’t envision it, you can’t achieve it.

Still Kicking The J’s

Twenty years later, I’m still sporting Jordans.  While I know they don’t make me jump higher or help me make more shots, they do still help me to dream.

me vs. MJ…the journey and the dream are still very much alive!

Thanks for following along!

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5bzfybIVr4&feature=related

[If you’re reading this via e-mail or RSS the video might not show up, so click here to view it.]

Two Sunday afternoons ago, just a couple of days after being dominated by Robert Brown, I hurt my back as I attempted to show my brother how high I could jump.

Following numerous games of one-on-one between myself, my bro and a friend, I let pride and FACT take over.

My brother had taken a series of pictures of me and my friend playing against one another.   In each of the photos, both of us were not more than a few inches off of the ground at what he said were the “peaks” of our jumps.

Now, I will never be known by my jumping ability, but these pictures were ridiculous.   I felt like when the Magic brought in Dwight Howard for his pre-draft workout and “mis-measured” his jumping ability, prompting Dwight to barely jump and say at the same time, “they said I was right here” and touch the previously incorrect mark.  Funny stuff for sure! (click here to watch the video.  Go to 1:56 for the fun to begin.)

So I, like Dwight had done years before with the Magic, had to show my bro just how off his photos actually were.

Owww That Hurts!

Three jumps in and I felt a twinge in the right side of my back.

I woke up the next day and could barely get out of bed.

The Back History

Around 12 or 13 years ago I hurt my back when I slipped on a wet spot in a gym, going up for a lay-in.   Since that point, there have been a handful of times where I move the wrong way on the court and my back freezes up on me.

Add that to the fact that I have some scoliosis going on and well, my back was never made as one might find in an anatomy book.   No big deal, it’s what I’ve had my whole life.  I used to joke that had I not had scoliosis I would have been 6’6” like Jordan.

I saw the chiropractors and the massage therapists and nothing ever really seemed to help long term.  Rest was always the cure.

Not Too Concerned (I Can’t REST Now!)

So with that history, I wasn’t all that concerned even though pulling myself out of bed Monday morning was a struggle.   I had been through this all before.

Besides, how was I going to rest?  Mike Jordan wouldn’t rest!  I needed to work on my game!

By the evening, with the help of some Advil, I was loose enough I wasn’t going to let it stop me from getting my run in.   I ran my four miles, came home and relaxed and woke up Tuesday morning feeling the same way.  Stiff!

On Tuesday evening I decided not to play the normal half court games and instead work more on my one-on-one game with my brother.  It started off ok, then six points in, I could barely move.  It hurt to breathe.  I tried to push through, but was forced to stop.  My back was now worse than it had been!

My body had been telling me to slow down, but I didn’t listen, so my back said ENOUGH and slowed me down itself.

w-REST-ling with Rest

So for the last week I’ve been wrestling with resting to say the least.  Incapable of moving laterally, I have bit down and listened to my body.  I stopped all physical activity.  It hasn’t been easy though.

This past Saturday I was very close to going back out on the court to get some shots in, but after discussing with a few people, refrained.

A Health-y Appreciation

It’s sad that it seems to always take an injury for me to fully appreciate the part of me that is injured.

I suppose most people go through life the same way.   We run, jump, run faster and jump higher and think nothing of it until a sickness or injury halts our movement.  Then we WISH we could just run and jump, even a little.

I feel like I’m being hit over the head lately with making the most of each moment.   This injury, like my brother calling me out, has me so anxious to get out and make the most of each day.

I really can’t wait to get back on the court!

If You’re Healthy And You Know It Clap Your Hands!

Hanging out with my 19 month old niece lately has put a lot of those children songs in my head.

Beyond the songs, hanging out with a little kid who has only been running for a handful of months, and is still trying to figure out how to make her body do exactly what she wants it to do, can give unbridled perspective.

When she runs through my house, she runs all out.  She doesn’t hold back.  She doesn’t get tired.  She doesn’t want to be held.  She wants to RUUUUUUN!

A child appreciates everything because every single thing they are doing is so new.  It’s freedom.  It’s expression.  It’s fun.

Thirty three years of life can wear away at that.  Let’s be honest, it doesn’t even take that long.

Get Out And Move!

The point is, if you can get out and run today, do it.  A lot of people can’t.

If you can jump.  Get out from behind your desk right now and Jump!

If you can play basketball.  Go play!

There will always be time to clean the house and wash the clothes.  Always time to do some more work and make more money.   Always a reason NOT to take time to fully appreciate the gifts we’ve been given.

There WILL come a point in your life where you WON’T be able.

Don’t wait until then to “wish you could”.

GET OUT AND MOVE!

Note:  Below is a picture of the jump that hurt my back, but proof I can jump a little higher than a couple of inches.

Note: I just started a mevsMJ.com Facebook page.  If you like what I’m doing here, do me a favor and click the like button on the page too!   I’ve added a convenient way to do so here on the site, just to the right of this post.  Or you can go to the mevsMJ.com Facebook page by clicking here! Thanks!

In an effort to get in the best possible condition for my upcoming (gotta believe!) one-on-one battle with Michael Jordan, I’m focusing more of my time on one-on-one competition.

Why More One-on-One?

The most obvious reason I’m shifting my focus to more one-on-one basketball, is that it is the kind of game I’m trying to get against Jordan.

Beyond that, one-on-one is a unique game that is very demanding on the body.   Just as it takes time to get used to running full court, it takes a special kind of conditioning to really play one-on-one basketball well.

Growing up, my brother and I used to play almost daily.  We could and would play four or five games, one after the other, to 15 points, at a fairly high intensity rate.

These days, playing one-on-one isn’t something I do that much and it has been evident in my one-on-one match-ups thus far.  I just haven’t been able to maintain the intensity needed to truly compete against the best.

Better Shape Than Most

There is no doubt when it comes to running and overall fitness level, I’m in better condition than I’ve been in my whole life.

If basketball were a game in which you had to run a mile or two before you could shoot, I might be undefeated right now.

It’s not though.

One-on-one basketball gives the player no breaks.   If you’re not on offense trying to score, you’re on defense trying to stop the opposition from scoring.   It’s a game of constant explosive movements, at least it should be against good/great competition.

Giving Jordan My Best

After playing Robert Brown, I realized that if I had been called by MJ or his people at that time, I wouldn’t have been able to give the game my best.

My goal at this point is to be able to give my 100%, whatever that is, the entire game.

Win or lose, as long as I give my best, I’ll be happy.

Focus on Defense

I plan to focus on my defense first and foremost.

I used to pride myself in playing good defense, because when I first began playing, my offensive game wasn’t the best.   Over time, I got better and better at shooting and as I got older I started doing more reaching and less of moving my feet on the defensive end.

Defense is mostly desire.  I desire to be a better defender.

How You Can Help!

If you are or know someone that is a top tier high school, college or pro player and would like to help me prepare for Michael Jordan, here is what you do!

I have created two new tabs right above the content of this blog.

The first is Who I’ve Played.  This is simply that, who I’ve played thus far.

The second tab is called Play Me.  This is where you come in.

Play Me (NEW)

If you are or you know someone that is an elite high school, college or pro basketball player and would like to help me prepare for Jordan by playing me one-on-one, you can simply go to the Play Me page and fill in the information. I will then get an email and contact you about setting up the game.

**At this time, due to cost of travel, I am looking for only top level current and former high school, college and pro players.

What You Get For Playing Me

First, a VERY thankful Me!  The truth is, I NEED YOUR HELP!   If I am going to be at my best, like the saying goes, it is going to take a village for sure!

I will also do a feature video of our match-up here on the mevsMJ.com, as I’ve done with 7’3″ Akeme Smart and 6’4″, Nationally Ranked, Robert Brown.

A SuperStar A Month?

I would love to be able to play at least one nationally ranked high school player, or college/pro player per month up until my game versus the great one, Michael Jordan.

I hope that some of you can help make this goal a reality.

I thank you in advance!!

Side note: I recently strained my back playing a week ago and am doing my best to recover.  If you could keep me in your thoughts and prayers, it would be much appreciated! Thanks!

My brother and I had just finished playing two games of one-on-one.

He had just beaten me twice.

After walking together to get some water, we sat on the steel criss-cross patterned, green bench, just to the side of the asphalt basketball court we had just played against one another on.

We were the only people there.

He asked me, “When you play Jordan are you going to give it everything you have?  Are you going to be totally exhausted when you’re done?”

He knew I hadn’t given the games my all.

He said, “You should beat me every time right now.  You’re taller.  You’re in better shape.  You’re a better shooter.  But I don’t think you even beat me 50% of the time.”

He questioned my defense, “You should be able to stop me from scoring, but your defense….”

He didn’t even finish.  He didn’t need to.  He had made his point.

He was calling me out.

Hearing all of that bothered me.

My competitive spirit rushed out from the depths of my being and said, “I CAN DO ALL OF THAT!”

He responded, “Well, you should.”

THANK YOU BOB ELLER!

A couple of posts ago I wrote about my advantage.  I wrote about my support system and how it has so much to do with my success.  Him calling me out was just another example.

I knew when he was saying it.  I knew when my mind and tongue were forming my response.  I knew the whole time he was right.

My brother wasn’t calling me out to make me feel bad or to make me doubt my game.

He was calling me out to make sure I make the most of my abilities each and every time.

He was calling me out so that I never take a day off.

He was calling me out so that I always prepare by giving my all.

He was calling me out because he cares.

Who Calls YOU Out?

Who cares about you so much that they will speak up, even if uncomfortable, to help you maximize your potential?

Who will shake you and help you see your abilities even if your vision is clouded?

Who will encourage you when you need motivation?

Who will be honest with you?

Who will help make you better?

Who will be selfless?

Who will call you out?

Preparing for “WHEN” not “if” I play Michael Jordan

As the months have gone by, I’m hearing more and more “when’s” and less and less “ifs” from people when referring to the my match-up with MJ.

With each step, the day that I stand in front of the man I watched play so many games, saw on so many commercials, gets closer.

The day that I take all of the work I’m doing now and put it into action against the guy who got me into basketball, could happen anytime, but will surely happen in nine months time.

My brother calling me out reminded me of that.

He reminded me to prepare for WHEN, because it IS going to happen and I surely don’t want to waste my opportunity.

Are You Preparing For When?

Are you preparing for when you are the CEO, or your blog reaches thousands of subscribers?

Are you preparing for when your passion project reaches its end and becomes a reality?

With any goal it’s hard to always stay motivated.  It’s difficult to always give your all.

When I think about the difference between Michael Jordan and most every other basketball player though, his ability to give everything, every single time, made him the greatest ever.

Mike Jordan didn’t take nights off.  He took every single moment and prepared for WHEN he would be the greatest.

We all should do our best to do the same.

Going Forward

I can’t wait to get my brother back on the basketball court.

I can’t wait to do everything possible to shut him down and dominate him.

He wouldn’t have it any other way.

Who calls YOU out?

As I’ve gotten older it has become tougher and tougher to get a game going.  With age typically comes responsibility, that being a wife, kids, things to do around the house, etc.  All things that are important, but take time from activities like basketball.

Then again, maybe that’s just my experience/excuse.  I suppose if I looked hard enough, I could find a game somewhere, just not like it used to be.

Right now if I were to call five people that are in my phone, I’m not so sure more than one would be open to playing.

Usually the first person I call is my brother, if I want to shoot around.  He is the most dependable and the one least likely to injury me because he actually knows how to play:-)

Who does MJ call when he wants to shoot around?

When you’re the greatest there is at something, who do you call when you just want to play around?

Can you play around?

Or do you have to be on your game every time, because to someone it’s the chance to show up “the greatest.”

The benefit of being a “normal” guy is that I’m not abnormally gifted athletically or all that imposing from a height standpoint.  I can pretty much mesh into any group of ball players that are equally normal and have fun.  That can’t be the case for the average guy in or who played in the NBA.

The vast majority that play/played in the NBA, aside from Earl Boykins and few others, are usually a bit larger than “normal.”  They are also quite a bit more athletic than “normal.”  Oh and of course they are much much better at basketball than the “normal” player.

So what does a player with the NBA backing do? Tough to find a game that is challenging I’m sure.  I know if any guy on any NBA team came to the majority of hometown courts he would totally dominate the game.  Just a fact.

Now imagine the guy who plays with the NBA guys on the court and totally dominates them.  That was Mike Jordan.  So who plays with Michael Jeffrey Jordan?

Who plays with MJ now?

Hopefully one day soon the answer to who plays with MJ, will be Kenny Eller.

me vs. MJ.  Could it happen?

Stay tuned.