The Quez Chronicles Vol. 4 (April 26, 2012)

April

2012

Vs. Sevilla

What a game last night Vs. Valladolid! Man that was one of the most emotional games I have ever played in. I can honestly say that I feel like every single person on our team gave everything they had inside of themselves to get that win. I personally have never been in a situation like that one to where both teams have had rough years and are truly fighting for their lives in the ACB. Most big games that I have played in are when you are at the top fighting for a championship or fighting for top spot. Last night’s game was a completely different dynamic and even though I am not happy about the position we are in, I can appreciate a game like last night’s for the learning experience it gave me and also for the fact that it brought the best out of our team. I was really proud of the effort all of our big guys gave because they had some talented big men at the 4 an 5 position. I was especially proud of Xavi Rey for playing sick and finding the energy to produce at a high level when we needed it most. Individually I wanted to come in and be aggressive and make sure I made an impact on the game every minute I was out there regardless of if I was making shots or missing shots. I knew this game was going to be more about heart and will to win than making shots. Here are some links to LIVE GAME HIGHLIGHTS and the official box score with complete statistics.

Now all of our focus must go towards preparing for Valencia. We usually play 1 game per week but we have a condensed schedule right now so we only have a couple of days to prepare. I actually like playing two games per week better. It reminds me of when I played high school and college basketball. Valencia is a very talented team and I’m sure we are underdogs but I believe that we are up to the challenge. Look at it this way, we beat Barcelona, and Barcelona beat the Lakers once, so in an indirect way that means we are better than the Lakers. So that means that an argument can be made that we could compete for an NBA championship, which means that in some weird way we are the best basketball team in the world! Ok I’m joking but the point is, we can beat Valencia if we come to play.

Zabian Dowdell, Daira Monzon, and Myself

~ Off the court

Things have been interesting lately. I recently had the opportunity to be in a music video out here in Spain for Daira Monzon. She is local and a very talented artist so that was pretty cool. I have never done one before so hopefully they don’t edit me out and I will get some camera time in the final cut. After I posted the picture on my instagram (QuezTwoZeros) one of my good friends in the music industry, Leah Labelle, hit me up and said she was mad that I didn’t wait so I could be in one of her music videos. I’m in high demand out here in this music industry y’all! haha but in all seriousness I had a lot of fun and ladies if you want me to be the leading man in your music video I just need to be notified a couple of weeks in advance so I can do a few push ups and sit ups before I get on the set. If you guys have never heard of Leah Labelle you will soon, she just released her first single, Sexify, on her debut album that is about to come out. you can check it out here and hopefully since I just gave her this worldwide shout out and plug I’ll be making a cameo in her next video!

Other than that, the season is winding down so I have been trying to make preparations for my summer. Like I said last time, I really want to hit the ground running as soon as the season ends so I can be a better ball player next year. I have a very detailed plan for myself this summer as far as resting, getting myself 100% healthy, improving my skills, and maximizing my potential. Last summer I didn’t have much time for individual improvement because I had so many summer commitments with the French league running into June combined with some NBA mini camps and playing in Eurobasket in Lithuania. I am really looking forward to spending some time in the gym alone and focusing on improving my weaknesses and perfecting my strengths. I’m in the process of setting up some Bikram Yoga classes for myself. I’m nervous about it though. People keep telling me all these horror stories about almost passing out and I’m already not very flexible. We’ll see how it goes.

Want to give a big shout out to Bryan Lockhart, He asked me to participate in a charity/celebrity basketball game that he organizes each year called “Balling With The Boys”. Event proceeds go to the Salvation Army so I am happy to be able to help in whatever way I can. The game is May 31, 2012. Check out the event website for more info and ticket information.

Lastly, yesterday was my Dad’s birthday so I want to wish a happy 51st birthday to my father Keith Haynes. He has been there every day for every step of the way for me in my journey and he is the one that put the basketball in my hands. More importantly he has taught me to be a man. I appreciate everything he has done for me and I’m proud to call that man my father. Happy Bday Dad.