Bullets China Trip 2007
Recently we headed into China to play Yao Ming and the Chinese National team to help build up to the 2008 Olympics as well as get some kinks out of our system. This was an awkward trip for us as it happened to be during our season after our first game Vs. the Gold Coast Blaze. When I found out that we were going to China to play I was a little disappointed that this was happening during a 10 day break because I was really looking forward to sitting on the beach sipping some ice cold corona’s haha. Seriously getting a chance to play NBA players like Yao Ming, Yi Jianlian and few others that I cant find the correct spellings for names is a once in a lifetime chance. As a child you grow up watching the NBA and since I never made it that far it was a dream come true to play Vs. Yao Ming. He is one of the NBA’s best centers and at a towering 7’6” makes any guy standing next to him tiny.
Yao and I
Since I don’t talk that much I was thinking to myself going into our first game Vs. Yao and the rest of the Giants saying,” Man they don’t look that tall! I mean look at Yao and the next guy next to him is at least 7 inches shorter and the next 8 inches.” Once our teams lined up for the tip I realized that Yao is a damn freak because the rest of their front line was 7’2” then 6’11” totally crushing us as our biggest player was Craig “ Georgie” Bradshaw at 6’10” then me at 6’7” and Sam (Ralph) Mackinnon at 6’4”. Luckily size doesn’t matter because we came out firing taking it to the Chinese getting down by as much as 14 but gave them the Bullet “Never Say Die” attitude pushing closer and closer til CJ “All Day A.K.A Billy” Bruton got a lucky bounce off of the rim from a shot from Ebi “Kick-e-Me” Ere that landed right in his hands at the free throw line quickly putting it in before time expired. Bullets Win! Bullets Win! Should have been written all over the Chinese newspapers but do you think that happened? Nope it didn’t and if it did we would have found the journalist floating somewhere in a river. CJ did win the game for us but there was this little moment that I had with Yao while he was shooting free throws down the stretch that was the key to vicotry. I can’t stress how important these free throws were but they were really important. It was the last couple minutes of the game and we were making our run. Yao was fouled and sent to the line so we lined up as usual then I had an epiphany. As a young man sitting at my computer all these years I would just yell out Yaoooooooooooo to let off some steam just for the hell of it. Well I decided to give Yao a taste of my medicine ( Click to Here YYYYAAAAAOOOOOO!) Well it worked because he missed a free-throw that would have won the game for them or at least tied because we only won by 1. The funny thing was that this didn’t only throw off Yao but everyone on the court was looking at me as if I was a mental patient LOL.
Overall it was a good trip that brought us closer together as a team and made me realize that China is no place for me. It wasn’t all games for us as we did manage to get out of the hotel and hit up the markets to try and find some good deals on anything that were good deals. Some of the guy’s closed shops some bought cheap ass phones that will break down in a few weeks but all in all it was good shopping and even better bartering skills showed by the guys. After shopping we were invited to a Chinese dinner called a “Gala” presented by the China team that saw us eating very interesting things ducks with the head still attached, soup with chicken or alligator feet or whatever the hell that was. Chris “Bubbles” Goulding was dared to eat a raw foot and almost threw up here is the footage.
Bubbles seemed to be the flavor of the Chinese women as well because as
we were leaving a “Bubbles” groupie jumped past all the security
men and military guards running down the isle on the bus. I personally thought
we had Justin Timberlake at the back because this girl was like lightning
and darted past everyone melting for a wet, juicy kiss from her main squeeze.
I was ready to pull out my anti-terrorism training and take her down but
then realized that she was harmless. (Footage below)
Well that’s it folks…. See you at our first home game of the
year October 5th, 2007 Vs. Perth Wildcats.
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2007/08 Season comes to an end. Bring on the playoffs
Again its been like 3 months since I last wrote a journal and all I can say
that I am lazy or there really hasn’t been that much to write about.
Hard to give you something exciting about the season when there really isn’t
anything that is worth writing. Well the season has finally ended with a good
win on Saturday night against the Hawks beating them good. This was a good
game for us going into the playoffs allowing Joey to play guys deep off of
our bench that probably won’t see much court time during the playoffs.
Craig Bradshaw had the stand out game of the night with a monster first half
and then everyone else followed. The game opens up so much when we can get
an inside/outside combination because teams get worried about us scoring easily
in the post that they start to double down therefore opening up guys like
CJ, Ebi, Brad, Gibbo and Mick from the outside.
The 2007-2008 season has been very up and down because of injuries to Sam and most of our team at one stage. It’s frustrating having so many injuries to key players with so much anticipation for this year and to see us finish 3rd is a pretty good accomplishment considering the amount of adversity that we have went through. Losing a player like Sam killed us because it limits our energy off of the bench not allowing us to bring as much fire power. Overall I think that the season was a learning experience for all of us proving that we can’t take anyone lightly or we will get pumped. I know realize how hard it is to re-peat because no matter who you play they are going to bring their best even if you have a bad night and don’t feel like playing. Injuries have been slowing us down all year but with the playoffs coming most of the guys have done what they can to be ready. Finishing 3rd means that we will get a elimination game at home but its still scary because it’s one game and done. All your hard seasons work can be done with one game and I know what it feels like to have played hard all season get in the top 4 then lose the elimination game at home. It happened twice in my last two years in Adelaide where we finished 3rd both years but lost to the Bullets by 25 and then to Cairns the following year by a last second 3 pointer by Anthony Stewart. It burned deeply both times because all that hard work gone in 48 minutes. There is nothing more painful, well there might be more painful things in life but in basketball that hurts.
I don’t think that we will lose at home because we are always tough at home but I don’t want to jinx us but I am confident with players like Cj, Ebi and the rest of our crew will have a good chance at the Grand Final. Everyone is picking the Kinds to win it all this year but the playoffs are a different story. I remember last year when we opened up Vs. the Kings and how nervous we all were. I know that the guys had been there previously had extra nerves because the Kings have knocked them out the two previous years but it was so nerve racking. I remember getting out to Boondall before the game and feeling sick while most of the guys are talking and joking around they were all silent and looked more nervous than me. I know that I was think that damn if we lose this first game it will be an up hill battle the rest of the way. Our asses were so tight that you couldn’t rip our cheeks apart with a crowbar hahaha. All year everyone has been asking about our championship hangover and I still don’t think that we had one so the pressure is off of us. The Kings and Tigers are the top 2 teams in the league and have way more pressure than we do. Everyone has written us off without Sam and that is fine with me as we can fly under the radar and sneak up on teams. If we have the support that we did last year it will be a good run for us to get the back to back title. It’s up to the fans to get there and support us all the way through and be the loudest fans in the league. As a player I don’t think that the fans know how important their role is during home games so bring it for the PLAYOFFS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
P.S. Below are CJ, Gibbo, Brad and Craig signing and dancing to Brian McKinght – One
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