West Coast Journal, Entry 6 - There’s No Place like Almost Home
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The sun came up. It did.
Even though we've dropped two straight - the first time this season we've actually had a losing streak - the sun came up.
And Christmas was going to come early.
As we boarded the plane to San Antonio for our last leg of the six-game, 11-day, 5,000-plus mile journey, Travel Coordinator Rodney "Sid" Powell places slips of paper in a hat for the annual Magic team holiday gift exchange.
Each member of the travelling party draws a name and then has to buy a gift (value of at least $100, no gift certificates) for that person.
"Steve-O wants Mr. DeVos," says Steve Francis. "Put my name in there correctly...Steve-O," he says full of energy.
"Whoever gets Jameer, go to Kids Foot Locker," adds Steve-O.
As the players begin drawing names, Steve-O enacts a new rule. No one is to tell who they have drawn. "What if Steve-O draws Steve-O,?" he wonders aloud.
"Do we have to wrap the present?" asks Brandon Hunter, clearly like most guys who are gift-wrapped-challenged.
For the record, Sids picks Steve-O. Steve-O picks Grant Hill.
"A platinum vase," Francis says for the classy Hill. "A platinum vase."
The rules change again...no gag gifts.
And again...Now it's going to be a Chinese/white elephant exchange, where you just buy a gift and the gift can be taken and re-taken as the exchange continues.
"You just wasted a half hour," says Steve-O to Sid. Oh well.
Here we go to San Antonio, a true us-against-them challenge. While there is a little more drama with a two-game slide,the spirit is still good.
The team had dinner together after the Phoenix game at a local steakhouse.
We're ready to roll. We started with a thump at Denver, won a hard-fought battle at Utah, got Golden State, felt we should have beaten the Lakers (see 21 offensive rebounds given up), lost a tough back-to-back against run-and-gun Phoenix, and now have a chance to finish the trip at .500 (3-3) at San Antonio.
Win or lose, we'll move on. Win, we feel great. Lose, we"ll use adversity to make us stronger.
Regardless, we'll board our magic carpet after playing San Antonio and arrive back in Orlando at about 3 a.m., our West Coast journey complete.
The sun came up. It did.
Even though we've dropped two straight - the first time this season we've actually had a losing streak - the sun came up.
And Christmas was going to come early.
As we boarded the plane to San Antonio for our last leg of the six-game, 11-day, 5,000-plus mile journey, Travel Coordinator Rodney "Sid" Powell places slips of paper in a hat for the annual Magic team holiday gift exchange.
Each member of the travelling party draws a name and then has to buy a gift (value of at least $100, no gift certificates) for that person.
"Steve-O wants Mr. DeVos," says Steve Francis. "Put my name in there correctly...Steve-O," he says full of energy.
"Whoever gets Jameer, go to Kids Foot Locker," adds Steve-O.
As the players begin drawing names, Steve-O enacts a new rule. No one is to tell who they have drawn. "What if Steve-O draws Steve-O,?" he wonders aloud.
"Do we have to wrap the present?" asks Brandon Hunter, clearly like most guys who are gift-wrapped-challenged.
For the record, Sids picks Steve-O. Steve-O picks Grant Hill.
"A platinum vase," Francis says for the classy Hill. "A platinum vase."
The rules change again...no gag gifts.
And again...Now it's going to be a Chinese/white elephant exchange, where you just buy a gift and the gift can be taken and re-taken as the exchange continues.
"You just wasted a half hour," says Steve-O to Sid. Oh well.
Here we go to San Antonio, a true us-against-them challenge. While there is a little more drama with a two-game slide,the spirit is still good.
The team had dinner together after the Phoenix game at a local steakhouse.
We're ready to roll. We started with a thump at Denver, won a hard-fought battle at Utah, got Golden State, felt we should have beaten the Lakers (see 21 offensive rebounds given up), lost a tough back-to-back against run-and-gun Phoenix, and now have a chance to finish the trip at .500 (3-3) at San Antonio.
Win or lose, we'll move on. Win, we feel great. Lose, we"ll use adversity to make us stronger.
Regardless, we'll board our magic carpet after playing San Antonio and arrive back in Orlando at about 3 a.m., our West Coast journey complete.
