Only thing left to do now is buy lots of socks and more basketball shorts!

The next BIG STEP

On October 18th, I will take my Journey to Jordan Camp to the BIG TIME and attend professional basketball training at Impact Basketball, in Sarasota, Florida.

I will be there for one full week (18th-22nd) to train like a PRO.

I’m extremely excited and to be transparent, a bit nervous!

The Real Deal

Impact Basketball is the real deal.

They have trained everyone from Baron Davis to Chauncey Billups, Kevin Garnett and Dwight Howard, Corey Maggette, Paul Pierce, Vince Carter, Chris Bosh, Tayshaun Prince, John Wall (recent #1 pick in NBA Draft) and the list goes on and on.  (See Alumni)

As you can tell by the list of players above, I’m not their typical client.

Typically guys attending the training are looking to make a living playing basketball or at the very least get a free college education.

When I contacted Impact Basketball, they really connected with what I’m looking to accomplish here at me vs. MJ.  The gentleman from Impact who called me to discuss was almost as excited about it as I am.  His exact phrase was, “Don’t ever grow up!  I love it Kenny!”

So they are doing something they don’t typically do.  They are going to train a 33 year old guy, who was never a great basketball player, in an attempt to get me as ready as I can be to face off against the best hoopster to ever live…Michael Jordan.

I have worked on getting this set up for a couple of months now and for it to all come together, feels amazing!

The Doubt

The nervousness I feel going into this training, has actually caught me a little off guard.

Doubt of my ability.  An inability to belong in such a group of basketball players.  The thought of other players there, wondering what could I possibly be doing training at Impact Basketball.  The thought of the trainers wondering the same.

All of those doubts have put their arm around my shoulders and tried to be a friend, but I sprint forward.

I sprint forward because I KNOW I will learn!

I sprint because I KNOW they will make me better!

I sprint because I CAN NOT let doubt EVER beat me!

I sprint so that I CAN climb my peak of ability!

I sprint so that I can LIVE!

The Process

I don’t know much of what my training will consist of at this point, other than I’ll be working out around 5 hours per day.

I plan on doing some updates from Sarasota, if I’m able to do anything besides train and sleep.

If you’d like to follow along daily, the best way is probably through Twitter.  (You can follow me by clicking here)

Exercise and Prayers

For the 11 days until my training I’ll continue along my workout schedule (see on right side column or click here).

If you could pray for me, I would much appreciate it!  If you don’t pray, wish me luck!

I’ve included a video below to give you a better idea of exactly what Impact Basketball is.

Thanks for following along!  This is about to get really fun!

ps:  Mr. Jordan:  I’m about to get a lot better

Impact Basketball Promotional Video:

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koLhFrwv1xY

A couple of years ago a buddy of mine, Karol Gajda, brought the 80s phenomenon over to my house and I kept it.  I would sit around on the couch in the evenings and work on it.  When my wife and I would travel somewhere and she drove, I would work on it then too.  Then once I learned how to solve the rather famous cube, I would solve it daily.  Most of the time, solving the Rubik’s Cube was the last thing I did before I went to bed.  While I wasn’t as fast as the kids on YouTube, I did get fairly quick.  Certainly faster than anyone I knew who could solve it, which was no one.

I haven’t picked up a Ribik’s Cube in more than eight months.

Just because I CAN solve it, does that mean I should?

My brother and I, this past May, were at Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Orlando Magic and the Boston Celtics.  As the teams were warming up, we were discussing the less than stellar play of Vince Carter.  Vince’s struggles in the series had been the choice for many water cooler diatribes in the Orlando area.

The reason people were frustrated with Vince was because of his capabilities.  Because of what he’s done in the past.  Because at one time not too long ago he was a baaaaaad man on the court.

If the 12^th guy on the team screws up, everyone yells at the coach for putting him in.  When a superstar doesn’t perform as expected everyone wants to know why!

In our seats as they were going through shoot around, I said to my brother Bobby, “Vince just shot one left handed!  He doesn’t even seem like he’s into it!  He needs to warm up GAME SPEED!”  I went on with something like, “Mike Jordan would never prepare like that!”

Bobby then responded with something that I thought was quite profound.  To paraphrase, he said that don’t you think it’s not about the money, because Vince has plenty.  It’s not about just basketball, because he’s done it his whole life.  He said he’s done it all.  The warmups over and over, the games over and over, the travel over and over.  Don’t you think after +25 years of hoops, he can just turn it on?

While my expectation is that Vince give basketball his everything the way Jordan did, that really is such an unfair thought process.

Vince Carter is a nice guy and there is a lot of great that comes with that.  While I was still at the television station some years ago, they sent me to Daytona to cover Mainland High School’s football team.  Vince had just won the Rookie of The Year award in the NBA and happened to be on the sidelines for the game.  He was encouraging to the players and very approachable.  He was a nice guy then and I’m sure he still is today.

The fire in me wants him to squeeze out and use every drip of his talent, but honestly have I done that with mine?

Have you?

Just because he CAN does that mean he wants to or should?

To all those whose faces are red and vocal chords burning from screaming, “HE MAKES 20 MILLION DOLLARS!!!”  I say it’s irrelevant.  He happens to do something that generates a lot of revenue and because of that he is compensated.  Sure he is paid highly to produce highly, but his past says he is more likely to produce than not.

Maybe, just maybe, he plays the game because he CAN, not because he has the same desire as others.

Vince Carter and I are basically the same age.  Both lay claim to the year 1977.  Both graduated high school in 1995.  Both possibly on a mission today to do something many feel is unlikely.

I know Vince can be dominate on the court again.  He’s got all the ability any player could ever dream to have…still.

Just because he CAN, does that mean he should?

It’s an interesting question to ask.

How many reading this post show up to work daily and do something more because you CAN, because you have the ability to do it, than due to your desire to excel in the given field?

It’s a question that makes me want to reach into the unknown to see what I might be able to grab if only I extend myself a bit further in what I’m truly passionate about.

I hope it does the same for you.

Just because you CAN, doesn’t mean you should.