Happy Birthday Justin! We mis you!

This blog is in HONOR & REMEMBRANCE of our son Justin James Miller

A Tribute To Justin

This weeks blog will be short, but special and powerful. It will permanently be engraved in my heart similar to the life of my son Justin! Justin James Miller was born on August 4, 2009! For whatever reason, he was very eager to be here with us and decided to join us 16 weeks early. Justin was a fighter from his first breath, just like his daddy! He sighed a cry and was able to breath on his own without assistance from the medical staff! This was astonishing for an infant of his age and size. He was already exceeding expectations the minute he joined us. All i can say about that is "WOW THAT'S MY BOY!" Shortly after birth, he displayed the profound characteristic of love and affection that he must have inherited from his Mom! I rushed in to quickly see him before he would be taken to NICU. I immediately said, "hey Justin daddy is here" and he move his head and reached out his hand in the direction of my voice as to say "I know your voice daddy!" With tears in my eyes and excitement and love in my heart, I let the doctors take him away to do there job! I would be by his side again soon enough. Justin made his parents so proud. We witnessed our son do everything possible to cling to life. He was obviously born prematurely, but that did not stop him from giving his all to stay here with us! Justin's body was small and tiny but everything was intact. The medical staff was absolutely astonished with his ability to endure the rigorous challenges that an infant of his age had to deal with! Unfortunately, he was still underdeveloped and this would make his battle for life an unfair one. God saw fit to take my son home just 3 days 13hours and 58 minutes after he was born. I have never experienced pain like this. My son Justin... my world... our future was snatched away from me. I may never fully come to terms with God's decision to take my son so briefly, but I will try my best to trust him. (Job 13:15 Though he slay me, yet will i hope in him)

Dear Justin, I want you to know that you were loved by your Mommy and Daddy since the day you were conceived. We loved you with everything we had! As parents we could not have been happier or prouder to have you for a son! You will forever be with us!

I want to take this time to say THANK YOU to my beautiful, loving, resilient, and unbelievably strong wife. Monica words cannot express the LOVE, RESPECT, and GRATIFICATION that I have for you! What i witnessed you do for our son, for lack of better words, was PHENOMENAL and EXTRAORDINARY! Thank You and I LOVE YOU ALWAYS!

Thank you Justin James Miller for being the little boy that EXCEEDED EXPECTATIONS! You are an inspiration to Daddy!

Finally, Game Time!!

Hello Everybody,
It is Sunday night and I have been relaxing with my family all day! Today's rest was well deserved after hard fought win last night! That's right! The regular season is here and we got started off on the right foot!
If you have been following my blog, you know that I have been eagerly awaiting the start of this year's season. There are a lot of reasons why I am excited about this season. First and foremost, I am excited about playing with this team. We have a great group of guys that are focused. Most of our team has been together for years, so they know how to play together as a unit. They have excepted me in and we seem to have real good chemistry on the floor. We have a great coaching staff that really allows us to play, but makes sure that we excecute our game plan. There is a lot of hype about how good the French Pro A league is suppose to be this year and it is a real opportunity to do some big things! We also have some great fans who really show their support during our matches!
Preseason officially ended last Saturday as we lost on the road to another Pro A team (Nanterre). They played well, but we did not have a good showing at all. I wanted to make sure that I came into practice extra focused this week! I knew that I needed to prepare myself mentally, physically, and emotionally to give myself and our team the best possible chance to perform well.
Gameday arrived very quickly, but I felt confident in the work that we put in during the week. In my mind, I had done everything that I was suppose to do. I was ready to fight for the win! I knew that it was going to be a challenge as we were playing Orleans. This is a talented team with high expectations as well. They also have a friend of mine and fellow Higher Vision Sports player, Cedric Banks. Our agency is known for having some of the best players in Europe so I was looking forward to the competition. As we got close to tip off, the gym was packed and the crowd did not disappoint! They were loud from the start and stayed behind us the whole match. Just before going on the court I said my prayer as I do before every game. It's the last thing I do before stepping on the court. After thanking GOD  for the blessing to be able to play yet another game it was time for battle. It was a grudge match from the start. I got into foul trouble early and did not play a lot in the first half. It was ok though because my teammates did the job and we went into halftime with the lead! After the break, I was able to get back on the court. I wanted to help my team in every way that I could. Fortunately, I was able to play some solid D, knocked down some shots, and get the ball to the right players at crucial times down the stretch. As a point guard, it is important to do whatever my team needs to help secure the win. I am extremely happy to say that we did just that! It feels good to get the season started off on the right foot! I can already tell that every single game is going to be BIG this year! That means that every single WIN will mean that much more! Shout out to all my PB86 teammates and coaches for a job well done! Thanks fans for the support!
Alot of people think that I am a little over ambitious with my goals for our season. Well those who know me, know that I have been EXCEEDING EXPECTATIONS my whole life and I don't plan on stopping now! That's all for now but stay tune for what promises to be an exciting season! Hope everyone has a great week and as always EXCEED EXPECTATIONS!

Arrivée en France

What's up everybody? Well this is my first blog from Poitiers, France. I have been meaning to get this posted for days but preseason has been hectic, to say the least. I am happy to say that life is good. My trip over her was cool. I was on the flight with several other pros that I will be competing against this season as well as one of my teammates and good friends. After arriving in Paris, I had to take a 2 1/2 hour train ride to Poitiers, France. Its a small city compared to where I have been playing in the past but I really like it so far. Those of you who know me personally know that I am from a small town, so this is just right for me. I got settled in right away. I arrived at my house and was immediately taken to the dealership to pick up my new car. The next day I went to get my phone, internet, and cable hooked up and it was on within a week.

This is really good for any team in Europe. Shouts to PB86 for being a professional club. 

So after a days rest, it was time to get to work! 2 practices per day, running, and weight room work right away. I must say that we have been working hard but not too crazy. That's important because we really can't afford to have any injuries. Ironically, I was sidelined for a few days with a sore hamstring. I am happy to say that I am back in the swing of things and feeling great. I am even more excited about the season after being here and getting to know my teammates. We have a hungry group of guys, and we've all been working like pros should! This normally equals success. (I have included a few pics of me at work.) 

So after being here for a week, I had to get everything set for my girls to arrive. This meant collecting our things from Belgium. This was cool because it gave me an opportunity to spend some time with our Belgian friends one more time! As always there were very hospitable and I had a great time with them. Unfortunately, it was a 7 1/2 hour trip each way! I made the trip along with a teammate so it really did not seem like that bad of a ride. What complicated things was the fact that I was gonna have to go to Paris twice in the same week. This is a 3 1/2 hour drive each way. I knew that it was going to be a long week, to say the least. After a long week of practice, traveling, and preparation the family finally arrived! I picked up Prince from CDG airport on Thursday. He was so tired that he laid around for an entire day, lol. Monica and Kyndall came in on Sunday and man was I happy to see them both! They were pretty tired as well.

Now we are all settled in Poitiers and enjoying life. 

I want to say to all the PB 86 fans that I am extremely excited to play in front of such an awesome crowd! I am predicting a great season! Well I gotta go as it is getting a little late over here and morning practice will be here before I know it! 

Take care, have a great week, and as always EXCEED EXPECTATIONS!

A Short & Sweet Summer!

Hello everybody,

I am happy to say that I'm posting this blog from France! That's right! I am in Poitiers, France where I am going to be playing this season. A lot has happened since my last blog, so I will not waste anytime with the small talk.

The most important thing to talk/type about is Kyndall's 1st birthday! It seems like the first year of her life just flew by. If this is any indication of how fast she is going to grow up, then I want to hit slow motion on the remote control lol! We went all out for her birthday party. Monica cooked the most beautiful cakes that you ever wanna see! She was up all night working on them. I will try to include some pictures of these great tasting cakes at the end of the blog! I was on the job as well. I was running all over the place to get balloons, banners, presents, and other material for days, smh! I enjoyed it all though! Kyndall had a ball. She started walking about a week before her birthday but we did not tell anyone so that she could surprise everyone at her party. She did just that! We brought her downstairs in her absolutely adorable birthday costume (picture included) and she was the life of the party as she should be! As you can tell, I am a very proud father. Anyway, I stood on one side of the room and Monica stood on the other and we let her go. I must admit I was a little apprehensive because I thought that all the people watching would scare her. I think they did a little but that just made her walk faster to get to me, lol! Long story short, she did great and everybody cheered which really did scare her. All in All, it was the best day of the summer! We thank God everyday for blessing us with such a wonderful, sweet, and loving little girl!

As for basketball, things were really moving this summer. I was in negotiations with several teams this summer! This is a very rewarding experience because it is great to know that there are people out there that really value what you do on the basketball court! My decision process actually came down to the last few hours! I decided to accept an offer to play for Poitiers Basket 86. This is a team in the top league of France and they are known for treating there players well. It also helped that one of my best friends already played for the team. I am really excited to be playing along side Rasheed Wright for the second time in my career. We played together a few years back for the Paris team which is in the same league that we are playing in now. I was also attracted to this team because I know several of the players and I am familiar with the coach. I think that we have a real shot to achieve some big things this season and EXCEED EXPECTATIONS! I have already started practicing with the team but I will blog about that as well as the city in my next post.

As for summer workouts and hoops, things really went great! I was able to really get a lot of work in this summer. I am feeling great physically and mentally. I am in great shape and looking forward to training camp to get in even better shape before the season starts. One of the things that I did this summer to stay in shape was play in the Chavis Summer League in Raleigh, NC. This is a very well known summer league and it is pretty competitive. I am proud to say that our team won the championship! It was a tough game but we were able to pull it out and raise that trophy. Hopefully, this is an indication of things to come in the French league as well. I have included a picture of the team in this blog and I just want to say "Great Job Fellas!"

Also, JJ MILLER'S ELITE HOOPS BASKETBALL CAMP was a huge success! The kids had a great time, as did the counselors! We had guest visitors from the NBA and European leagues as well as top College players from the area. Tons of prizes and gifts were given out, and the kids really had a chance to play and interact with other kids from different backgrounds. It was a win for everybody involved! I am looking forward to next year. Thanks to all our sponsors and everyone who contributed a helping hand.

It's also worthy to mention that I got to spend some quality time with my mother over the last few weeks. It was awesome. My mother is not only one of my biggest fans but she is also my hero! I often find myself looking at her in amazement. Her strength is immeasurable and I am blessed to have her in my life. Mom if you are reading this "Thanks" for being who you are.

Well the summer for me is now over. This vacation (if i can call it that) felt like one of the shortest breaks I have ever had. It was also a trying summer full of things that required me to make some tough decisions. However, that is what being an adult is about and I am glad that I have a great wife to help me make those decisions! My life can be a fast pace race sometimes, but that comes with my profession. I would not change it for the world because I simply love what I do! I want to Thank everybody for all the support! I would like to send a special Thanks to my wife Monica for always being there even if it is behind the scenes. I know the contributions that you make, sweetheart, and I am grateful.

Well that's it for this week. I have to get to bed some because we are hitting the track in the morning for what promises to be a tough session, lol! Take care and thanks for stopping through. Have a great week and as always "EXCEED EXPECTATIONS!"

Happy Birthday Justin! We miss you!

This blog is in HONOR & REMEMBRANCE of our son Justin James Miller

A Tribute To Justin

This weeks blog will be short, but special and powerful. It will permanently be engraved in my heart similar to the life of my son Justin! Justin James Miller was born on August 4, 2009! For whatever reason, he was very eager to be here with us and decided to join us 16 weeks early. Justin was a fighter from his first breath, just like his daddy! He sighed a cry and was able to breath on his own without assistance from the medical staff! This was astonishing for an infant of his age and size. He was already exceeding expectations the minute he joined us. All i can say about that is "WOW THAT'S MY BOY!" Shortly after birth, he displayed the profound characteristic of love and affection that he must have inherited from his Mom! I rushed in to quickly see him before he would be taken to NICU. I immediately said, "hey Justin daddy is here" and he move his head and reached out his hand in the direction of my voice as to say "I know your voice daddy!" With tears in my eyes and excitement and love in my heart, I let the doctors take him away to do there job! I would be by his side again soon enough. Justin made his parents so proud. We witnessed our son do everything possible to cling to life. He was obviously born prematurely, but that did not stop him from giving his all to stay here with us! Justin's body was small and tiny but everything was intact. The medical staff was absolutely astonished with his ability to endure the rigorous challenges that an infant of his age had to deal with! Unfortunately, he was still underdeveloped and this would make his battle for life an unfair one. God saw fit to take my son home just 3 days 13hours and 58 minutes after he was born. I have never experienced pain like this. My son Justin... my world... our future was snatched away from me. I may never fully come to terms with God's decision to take my son so briefly, but I will try my best to trust him. (Job 13:15 Though he slay me, yet will i hope in him)

Dear Justin, I want you to know that you were loved by your Mommy and Daddy since the day you were conceived. We loved you with everything we had! As parents we could not have been happier or prouder to have you for a son! You will forever be with us!

I want to take this time to say THANK YOU to my beautiful, loving, resilient, and unbelievably strong wife. Monica words cannot express the LOVE, RESPECT, and GRATIFICATION that I have for you! What i witnessed you do for our son, for lack of better words, was PHENOMENAL and EXTRAORDINARY! Thank You and I LOVE YOU ALWAYS!

Thank you Justin James Miller for being the little boy that EXCEEDED EXPECTATIONS! You are an inspiration to Daddy!

What's up Everyone!! I know...I know... it has been a longtime since my last post! A lot has happened in my life over the past 12 months but nothing greater than the birth of my beautiful baby girl Kyndall! My wife and I have been extremely busy as the first year of our little girl's life seems to be racing by. I am very proud to say that as pretty as Kyndall is, her personality is just as wonderful! (photos below)

Monica is a great "MOMMY"! She's was born to be a mother which is one of the reasons I married her (that and the fact that she decided to keep me around, lol).

This summer has been one of the busiest summers that I have ever experienced! I have been working on my charitable efforts through my foundation and I am hosting my first basketball camp in this area. "JJ Miller's ELITE HOOPS YOUTH BASKETBALL CAMP" This has kept me really busy with putting everything together, marketing, and advertising. I had a commercial done that I am gonna try to include with this blog so everyone can see. I have also been playing with and against some of the best players in the country in the Chavis League and NC Proam! N.C. is known for having some great basketball and this summer has not disappointed at all!

Speaking of basketball, things went good this season after a slow start. In October, I decided to join my former team in Belgium and it was an uphill battle from the start to help this team reach its full potential. Our team was compiled of some of the best guys you could ever meet. We worked together both on and off the court. This was a key factor in our ability to make the playoffs. Coming in to the season, I knew that this team had finished last the year before! I took it as a personal challenge to get this team back into the playoffs ( a position that we were in the last time I played for the club). I am very happy to say that after a lot of hard work, I was able to lead this team into the playoffs for yet another season! Achieving this personal goal was very gratifying and has compelled me to work even harder! I have committed myself to working harder than I have ever worked before! My goal is quite simple: TO BE THE BEST IN THE WORLD! (everybody included) I know that to many people that may sound ridiculous, but not to me! If the mind can conceive it, the man can achieve it! So I encourage you to follow my blog as I embark on my next journey to Exceed Expectations! I am going to give you an inside look at the successes, failures, and growth processes of a professional basketball player that is focused on being all that God wants him to be! I believe this is going to be an exciting year in my life!

Contract negotiations are under way as I type this blog and I am eager to see how this will play out. I understand that there are a lot of people that don't think that I am going to succeed. To those people I say "Thank You" because you are only adding fuel to the fire that burns in me to be the best! Fortunately for me, there's a whole lot of people who do want me to succeed! Thank You for your support! I know who you are and I am grateful to you all!

Well I have kept you guys long enough. Thanks for stopping by to check out my blog! To all my teammates from last season, I want to say "JOB WELL DONE!" As I leave you this week, I want to ask: How is your approach???? Are you striving to make the most of everything that you have been blessed with? Honestly, I believe that this is what it takes to truly "EXCEED EXPECTATIONS!" Have a great week!

Final Day in France!

Hello everybody!
I hope all is well with you! It is 2am eurotime and I am wide awake. Today is my FINAL DAY IN FRANCE. I am set to return to the USA tomorrow! I am excited about getting home and seeing all my family! This is the last blog of the 2009/2010 season which makes it a bitter, sweet one. It has been a long season that has seemed to fly by. I say a long season because we had a lot of ups and downs! If you know me, and I think all my followers know me, you know that I am an optimistic guy! I search out the positive in every situation and look for the best in every circumstance. I will be honest, this season was a tough one from a team perspective. Some people believe that the season was a success because we finished higher than what most analysts picked us to finish. I, on the other hand, am a bit disappointed because I know that we could have done much better! I am content with the fact that no matter what happened during the season, I conducted myself as a complete professional on and off the court. It is not only playing the game that is important but how you play the game. I believe the same to hold true for life. To be truely successful you must understand this fact. After analyzing the season, I realize that it has been a wonderful learning experience for me! This season is going to make me so much better. I am going into my off-season workouts very hungry and eager to get better! I have tasted success in the past and I am addicted to it. Falling short of a goal or being mediocre is something that I will not allow myself to be associated with. For this reason, I am grateful for the season and all the ups and downs that we had to endure. I am happy to say that we finished the season on an up by beating Vichy on the road and securing the teams spot in the top league in France. I would like to Thank the organization, team, coaches, fans, and my teammates for a wonderful experience here in Le Havre!
Now I have to finish packing and try to get some rest. I am looking forward to an awesome summer in North Carolina. It is going to be busy with my family, friends, workouts, and charity work but that's what makes life great! I have enjoyed blogging this basketball year and I hope that you have enjoyed sharing these experiences with me. I have included a few photos from the season for you to check out. I hope that you will join me again next season. As always I challenge you to EXCEED EXPECTATIONS!