Playing Through The Pain

Hello everybody! It is a wonderful Sunday afternoon in France! I hope all is with everyone. I am laying in the bed at 1:00 pm trying to relax after a week that was full of ups and downs! Fortunately for me, it ended on an UP!! Last week we had a by-week (meaning no games), but that also meant a lot of practice, a lot of running, and a lot of extra work for me! This is a good thing but just tough when you are going through it. Anyway, the week went by fast and we were back in the regular swing of things before I knew it. Since I was already in a good flow, I decided to keep up the same type of work so that I could be at a top level come game time! Everything was going according to plan when the unthinkable happenned. At thursday night's practice during the last drill of practice I tried to drive baseline and one of my teammates accidently hit me in the thigh with his knee!! The pain was excruciating! I was immediately scheduled for a scan with the doctor on Friday morning and I recieved bad news. It seems that the pain I was feeling was consistent with the doctor's prognosis. I had a deep thigh contusion in which blood had accumalated on the muscle. The doctor's verdict was that I needed to rest right away. No basketball for a minimum of 5 days. The problem here was that we had a big game the next day! If you have been following my blog, you know that every game is a big game for us if we want to make the playoffs! As you can imagine the news had me deflated and frustrated after putting in so much work during the previous 2 weeks. I left the doctor's office and went straight to treatment. I literally spent all day getting electric stimulation therapy, massages, ice, heat, and pool work. The rehab was working but just not in the time frame that we needed it to! I knew that there was only one way that I could get past this injury in the next 24 hours...PRAYER!
So that is what I did. I prayed as sincerely as possible, and I decided to let God do the rest. The next morning (game day) I woke up very sore and went straight to the doctor for a follow up scan. The scan showed that the blood had began to lessen but not enough for the doctor to give me the straight forward green light to play. We had morning shoot around in less than an hour. The Doc told me that he would leave the decision up to me and to see how it felt at shoot around. Well, if you know me.... you know that it was going to take chains and handcuffs to keep me off that court, lol!! At practice I tried to run and cut but it was still very painful. I spoke to coach and he told me that the team could really use me if only for half the game! I told him that if I could move enough to get up and down the floor that he could count me in. I continued treatment for the rest of the day, and by game time, the muscle was warm enough to give it a go. I got the start and although I was not my normal self the defense of the other team had to pay attention to me. We went on to get the win ( a much needed win) and we moved up the rankings and are now only 2 games out of the playoffs. We still get to go head up with the teams that are in front of us for the playoffs. If we win, we are in and they are out. This game; This win put us in that position. I feel good about my decision to play! A lot of guys would not have played because of their numbers, but I put my team ahead of that type of stuff! That's what makes me the player that I am! Yes I only played 20 minutes... and Yes I only had 5 points... but we won, my teammates played good, and I was there for them!
Now I am out for a couple of days but should be back to 100% for the next game! It's going to be a tough match on the road! Make sure you tune in for next week's blog to see how it turned out! Hope you guys enjoyed this week's post! Have a great week and as always remember to EXCEED EXPECTATIONS!!

To Grateful To Complain

Hello everybody! I hope that as you read this week's post you are in good health and spirits. I just finished watching TD Jakes on the Potter's House weekly service, and it was great! I am feeling really inspired and motivated. Before I go into this week's events, I want to wish my beautiful wife a Happy Valentine's Day!! I Love You Monica! I also hope all the other ladies of the world get what they want and deserve on your holiday! I say your holiday because I am completely convinced that women invented Valentine's Day, lol! I have some things that I am compelled to speak on today, other than just basketball, so let's get right into another episode of Exceeding Expectations!

First, basketball is a continued pursuit of improvement for our team. We have had some success in the past weeks and I have to admit that we have been working really hard. This week was no different in our preparation for a big game on the road against a good team. Monday through Thursday we went at it. I felt good going into the game and confident that we could steal one on the road. Unfortunately, this was not the case. Our effort was there but we made to many minor mistakes to get a win on the road! Not only did we lose the game, but we also lost a valuable opportunity to move up the rankings! This is disappointing, but it's not the time to feel sorry for ourselves! Crying over spilled milk only makes things worse for us. As the captain of this team, I told the guys to keep their eyes on the prize! We have been working well and improving and we can still achieve the goals that we set for ourselves at the beginning of the season!

As for life outside of basketball, this month is a great month for my wife! I say that because her birthday falls less than a week after Valentine's day! This means that she gets pampered by her man! Anybody who knows me knows that I take care of my loved ones. I had a dozen of her favorite flowers sent to the house along with some balloons and chocolates for Valentine's day. She was extremely appreciative and I hope that this gets me some brownie points to be used later if necessary, lol. Her birthday is this Friday coming up and I have a gift in mind that I think will make her day! Obviously I can't spoil the surprise now but just know that it is going to be something pretty cool.

Now this week's game was played on Friday instead of Saturday so it gave me an extra day for the weekend. I took full advantage of this by relaxing and thinking! While chilling at home I began to think about how good God has been to me! Thinking back over my life, not only where God has brought me from but what he has brought me through, a sense of gratefullness overtook me! In the midst of this revelation, I could not help but notice how easy it is for us to complain! Even when God answers our prayers we sometimes still moan and groan about our circumstances even though those circumstances are directly related to God's blessings! Even I can recall days that I have complained about having to do something related to basketball. I have to step back and remind myself that I prayed to God to bless me to be a professional basketball player! He answered my prayers! How can I complain about trivial things that come along with that blessing when there are so many people that want to recieve the very blessing that God gave me?? I can't, I shouldn't, and I won't. Instead I am going to praise God for everything that he has done, is doing, and will do in my life! I know that this is not easy. However, I think that if we can make a conscious effort to try; it may actually be possible. I also believe that God rewards us for these efforts. I am living proof that God answers prayers, but we have to be careful what we ask for and what comes along with it! "To whom much is given, much is required" This may mean sacrifice, hard work, patience, etc. You may even have to go at it alone! If you really want your prayers to be answered, then when God does so, you should be prepared to be thankful at all times! God never promised us that things would be perfect all the time, but he did say that he would be with us all the time! With all that he has given me and all that he is going to give me, the least I can do is be Grateful all the time!

I may have gotten a little off track in this week's blog, but it was on my heart to let it be known that I am "To Grateful To Complain" lol.

Before I go, I do want to let my Uncle Jimmy and his family know that you guys are in my thoughts and prayers! I miss you all very much and I am sure that everything will be fine! God is an amazing God!

Well I am off now to wash some dishes, fold some clothes, and get ready for another week of hard work! I am ready to get better. I hope that everyone reading this has the same enthusiasm about the week as I do! I plan on EXCEEDING EXPECTATIONS this week and I encourage you to do the same!

Super Bowl Sunday

What's up world!?! It feels like it has been a while since my last post. I am sitting in my apartment here in Le Havre relaxing after a big win last night! Feels good to say that, lol! Anyway, it was a great week so let's get right into it.
I started this week eager to get in the gym! I hit the weightroom hard first thing on Monday and went to the gym early to get some extra work. I wanted to make sure that I worked harder than everybody, so that I could play better than everybody else. Now this logic does not always work. It does, however, keep me confident and confidence is the key. We got our last player this week, and we are now a complete team. The game was here before I knew it, and I have to say that everybody was ready to get a win. We got off to a good start and although we slacked off in the second quarter, we picked it up in the second half. We went on to win the game by double digits and keep a hold on our current standings in the league. I feel really good about the work that I was able to put in this week. I am already focused on working even harder next week. There is something about success that makes me hungry for more!
Off the court, life is good. I have really been meditating on God's word and I can feel his presence in my life. I realize how blessed I am and I am truly grateful! I also had a chance to hear from some old friends this week and that was cool! I encourage everyone to reach out for someone that you care about this week and let them know!
On another note, today is Super Bowl Sunday. This is one of the biggest sports events in the industry and you know that I have to give my predictions! Here it is: I want New Orleans to win, but I think that Indianapolis is going to pull this one out by 2 touchdowns!
Well I gotta go. I hope that you all have a great week and as always remember to EXCEED EXPECTATIONS!

Thrill of Victory

What's up everybody? It seems like a longtime since my last blog. Last week we were on the road, and I had some other things to handle and I just could not find the time to post. Sorry! Well Well as I type this, I am laying in the bed getting some well deserved R&R! We had a tough week on the basketball court that was well worth it. So let's jump right in to another week in the life of JJ Miller.
Well if you have been following the blog, you know that we have been struggling on the court over the last few weeks! So much so that the management decided to make a couple of changes! Over the last 2 weeks we have been under-manned as well as inconsisistent. We have had to incorporate different players in different positions to try to find a group that works. I am happy to say that I think we have found a good addition to our team in Bernard King! B.K. is a friend of mine who happens to be a very talented basketball player. We are both represented by Higher Vision Sports AMG which means that we are "Ballers" (lol). Anyway, he has been here for a week, and the team has had the chance to practice together and get comfortable. We have already reaped the benefits of the new player, attitude, and focus! Last night we got a much needed home win that keeps us in the playoff hunt! It was also a good win for our confidence as we won by 20+ points! The thrill of victory feels awesome after not experiencing it for a few weeks! All the guys seem to be looking forward to practice next week. We need to use this game to get us started on a win streak!
As for life outside of basketball, I cannot complain! Monica and I have been enjoying our time as much as possible. I must admit that I have been busy with the season and Monica has been busy with her classwork. I am also gearing up for a great summer of charity! My Driven Perfection Youth foundation is going to do some big things this summer and preparation will begin in the coming weeks!
In the meantime, I am just balling hard, loving life, and trying as always to EXCEED EXPECTATIONS! I hope this week will be a great week for you, your family, and your friends! All the best from Le Havre, France!

Happy New Year!!!

Hello Everybody! First let me start by saying Happy New Year! 2010 is here and I have to say that 2009 just flew by! They say that the older you get the faster time goes. Well I must be getting up there in age, lol! The past few weeks have been very entertaining to say the least. They were full of ups and downs, but overall I really enjoyed myself. It is about 1am over here in France and I am wide awake due to jetlag and the fact that we loss a must win game tonight on our homecourt! I know that I will not be able to close my eyes for a while, so I decided to go ahead and post my first blog of 2010. So let's get into another episode of the life of J.J. Miller
I will begin with my Christmas break, which started late and ended very quickly! We were suppose to arrive home in Raleigh, NC early in the afternoon on Saturday December 19. Unfortunately, mother nature had other plans and decided to send one to the biggest snowstorms in recent years to the east coast. We were suppose to catch our connecting flight through Washington DC and wouldn't you know it, D.C. got hit the hardest!! Our flight was cancelled on Saturday and we were stuck in Paris until Monday morning!!! I was so hot!! Monica was both angry and sad. I looked at her face when the flight representative gave us the bad news, and I immediately knew that it was going to be a long weekend! So we kicked it in a airport hotel for 2 days and were bored out of our minds, but we finally made it home on Monday night.
Now since we were 2 days behind schedule the Christmas to do list was put on fast forward! I feel like I spent all 72 hours that I was home shopping and running errands, lol!! O.k. maybe I was home a little longer than that but it definitely didn't feel like it! While at home my adventures were also in full motion. I went to a local tire shop to get the pressure in my tires checked since I had not driven my Tahoe in a few months. This is a simple task that I could have done myself, but since I was already out I decided to let the so called professionals to do it. So the guy is telling me to pull my truck into the bay area so that he can get started. I am pulling in while he is directing me. He says, " Alright c'mon... keep coming... that's it... and then I hear a LOUD POP!!!! I jumped out the truck to see what had happend, and this guy had run me up on jack and totally busted my front passenger side tire!!!! WE ARE TALKING ABOUT LIMITED EDITION SPECIAL ORDER 24inch NITTO TIRES!!! Needless to say I was HOT, I mean STEAMING!!! The argument with management begun immediately! They had to replace my tire, right??? Wrong!! They didn't even have the tires in stock and it would take them at least 10 days to even locate it! Luckily for me, I had a set of spare tires to fit on my 24 inch rims back home where I grew up. I had to make a 2 hour trip home to get the tire and then take it to a reliable tire service place to get them to switch the tires out for me. Needless to say this took all day, and now I was yet another day behind. Some how or should I say by the Grace of God we were able to get all the Christmas shopping done. Thank God! Most importantly, we did get to spend some quality time with family and friends, which is always a blast in our families, so all was not lost. Ironically, our trip back was as smooth as ever! No delays with the flight, no hassles getting through security, even our driver was waiting for us on time when we arrived at the airport in Paris! Go figure!!
As for basketball, we lossed a crucial game tonight on our home court. We have dropped 4 in a row now and we have got to pick it up! There was no way we could afford to lose tonights game. Now we are backed so far in the corner that we have to pull off some huge wins if we plan on being in a position to make some noise in the post season! On a personal note, I left it all on the floor and I can hold my chin up! It still doesn't change the position that the team is in, so we have to stay together and improve each and everyday.
So with the new year comes all kinds of New Year's resolutions. It's funny because I don't really have any. I only want to continue to make each day better than the last one! I am completely giving my Life to God and I want him to have his way!! In 2010 I am going to seek first the kingdom of God and let everything else be added unto me! Whatever your resolutions may be, I wish you all the best in keeping them! Just like in 2009, I want to encourage and challenge you to EXCEED EXPECTATIONS! May God Bless everyone that reads this blog in 2010 and all the years to come!

Take A Licking...And Keep On Ticking!

What's up world? I am laying in my bed getting ready to find some breakfast from somewhere, but I decided to go ahead and post my blog for this week. Well it was a tough week for J.J. Miller! I am still standing though and I think the saying goes: "What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger." Well hopefully I am gaining some strength, lol. Let's get into another week in the life of J.J. Miller.
Well after a tough loss last week, I was determined to make sure that we did not harbor a losing attitude. I wanted to get myself and our team back on the right track immediately! I showed up an hour early for practice on Monday to get an individual work out in. I was just fine tuning some things that I felt needed to be sharp for the upcoming game. I also wanted all my teammates to see me putting in the extra work so that they would know that there was no time to worry about last week's loss. We needed to be fully focused on getting this week's win! Practice started off well on Monday and spilled over into to Tuesday! Unfortunately, that would come to an end before the end of Tuesday's practice. I was working hard on defense, and my rotation called for me to switch on to one of our big guys! Well this meant bad news for me because my teammate can sometimes be out of control and he is really strong! He hit me with an inadvertent elbow or backhand right smack in the mouth. I knew that serious damage was done. Blood was all over the place and I could feel my upper lip swelling up! One look in the mirror and it was obvious that I would be spending some time in the emergency room.
I get to the E.R. in France.... and well my french is o.k. but this is not the time to be mixing up words and having my accent lead the doctors to think I meant something entirely different than what I was really trying to say. I was a little worried but Thank God everything worked out. The doctor spoke a little English and together with my little French we were able to figure things out. I made it clear from the beginning that no action would be necessary if I did not know what was going on, lol!! I ended up getting 4 stitches on the inside of my upper lip and 2 cuts on the outside of my lip that are not suppose to leave a scar. The doctor suggested that I sit out of practice the next day. Even though I was not my normal self I knew that missing practice would not help our situation as a team. Sometimes you have to TAKE A LICKING AND KEEP ON TICKING. Besides, I did not have to mix it up inside the paint if I did not want to. So the very next day in practice we lose our starting big guy to a hip injury that was caused by the same guy that knocked me out of practice, lol!!!! He is a good guy though, and I am sure that he is not taking guys out on purpose????? haha
Anyway, we go into the game shorthanded and nursing a lot of injuries, but we are still capable of winning the ball game. Unfortunately, we come out playing just like the week of practice (incomplete) and we end up getting smashed! This game was the worst performance of the year and we definitely have to do some soul searching after this one! It is not going to be easy, but we have to find a way to get back to doing the things that make us a good team.
As for life off the court, We are less than a week away from Christmas break (one that I really need). Monica is excited about getting back home, but because of our current basketball situation it has not really hit me yet! Don't worry, I am sure it will! We are gonna go check out the Christmas Market here in Le Havre today. I think that will get me into the holiday spirit! I am sure Monica is gonna take a lot of pictures so I will be sharing those with you guys!
Well, I am gonna go now because I am hungry and I need to find something to eat, lol. Eating is not that simple for me right now with these stitches in my lip...haha! I will figure it out though. Thanks for stopping by! I hope your week was better than mine, and I hope that next week is great for everybody. No matter what put your best foot forward and remember to EXCEED EXPECTATIONS!

Even in Defeat...A Valuable Lesson Learned

Good Morning Everyone! This week's blog will be short as this week was a relatively uneventful week. Sometimes this can be a good thing. Basketball is the main attraction as always. So let's hop right into it.

We faced the #1 team in the league(Le Mans) last night at their place. All I can say is that they showed us why they are in the top spot. They outplayed us in every phase of the game! I have to show some love to my homeboy Dee Spencer. He plays for Le Mans, and he really put it on us last night! He is also a part of the Higher Vision Sports AMG family. As I mentioned before, our agency represents the best of the best in Europe and Dee showed why he is in that category!

As for Le Havre, we did some positive things but we also made some mistakes that we have to correct this week. I don't think that this loss will be detrimental to what we are trying to do in this league. I actually think that this loss will be good for us. Last night was a measuring stick and now we know where we stand and exactly where we have to get to.

I did not have the individual game that I wanted to have. However, I did the things that my team needed me to do, in order for us to have a fighting chance! Sometimes the ball bounces that way, and you just have to make the best of it. So I guess it's true that "Even in defeat there is a valuable lesson learned."

Well I have to go now because I have a lunch date with my beautiful wife! Tune in next week as we look to bounce back at home against another tough opponent! Plus, Christmas will be here before you know it! This is normally a very eventful time for me, lol! So thanks for checking out the blog and as always remember to EXCEED EXPECTATIONS!