JamesGist's Blog

Part of who I am today is because of my Grandmother, she is one of the cornerstones of my foundation, of who I am. Last week we lost Granny to the Lord at age 94. She left our entire family with a Legacy that is built upon; unconditional love, human dignity and respect for all. . I departed Italy on a Thursday morning, arrived in the DC metro area on a Thursday afternoon, participated in my grandmother's funeral as a pall-bearer on Friday morning, and departed back to Europe on Friday night (after missing the earlier flight). I arrived back in Europe on Saturday, just in time to workout and prepare for Sunday's game in Rome. Although we lost the game, I played extremely hard, I dunked the ball so hard in this one play that I broke the fiber glass, I guess I had to release all that energy and emotions some how. I had just flown 8 hours to DC, stayed on the ground for 31 hours and flew back just on time for the game. I cannot imagine not been part of such a moment with my family I miss you Grandma Rest in peace

In the past couple of months, I graduated from college, got drafted in the NBA by the San Antonio Spurs, and now I am Biella Italy, a beautiful city about an hour drive from Milan. I will consider myself blessed through this process; it's been a roller coaster but a fun experience. Waiting to get my name called on draft day was a nerve racking experience but nothing compares to walking up to the podium to receive my college degree from the University of Maryland. Playing in the NBA has always been my dream, I was very disappointed when the Spurs decided to send me overseas to play for a year, but I trusted their judgment and after speaking to coach Popovich I felt more comfortable, how can I dispute the judgment of a hall of famer like him...I have not looked back since then, I love the city of Biella, I love the fans and I couldn't ask for a better situation to be in Europe. Being away from my family and friends has been the most challenging situation I have to deal with over here, they are coming to visit during Christmas so I am excited and cant wait to get a taste of my moms cooking. The basketball experience was challenging at first, having to deal with all the travelling calls, flops, and the different pace of Euro basketball , it also gives me an opportunity to improve in my basketball skills, I feel like I am already off the charts compared to when I was in Maryland. The players here are more experienced and more precise, in college you can get away with a mistake on defense, but here you pay for that mistake immediately, players do not miss when they are open! The culture, food and people are so breathtaking! I have been on the road so I have had the opportunity to see a lot of places in Italy and it's really beautiful, my team mates are the best, I had to get used to driving the small cars and the narrow roads but everything else is pretty much nice. My blog will tell about my experience in Italy, my games and where my journey leads me from here. Ciao