Last time Powell checked in with us, he went through his usual day in the gym along with what he does when he's not in the gym (running the K.P. Youth Foundation among them). This week, he confirms that the craziest/funny person is indeed Sam Cassell (though it seems he'll also be a good coach for the Washington Wizards), along with contemplating the overseas vs. shot at the NBA question we've debated so often. He also give a shoutout to Texas Tech after Seth from Double T Nation checked in on his last post.
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Many people have asked me who the craziest or funniest person I have came across in my professional career and after thinking about all of the players I have played with in my journey, the one person that really stands out to me as both is Sam Cassell. It was hard for me to pick one person and I wanted to be careful with labeling someone as crazy and funny because when you hear those two adjectives, the first thing that comes to mind is a joker or someone you can't take serious.
In the case of Cassell, though, I will start by saying that he is also one of the best professionals I've seen - on and off the court. His presence was always felt when he was around. Most of the time it's with his voice, but it's not an annoying voice - It's a powerful voice that stands out. The reason why I say he is the funniest is because of his stories from times on the court and off the court. He is the craziest guy I've met in my professional career because nobody ever knew what he was going to say or do.
I've learned a lot from Cassell though. One of the most influential things he told me was "never let anyone with a contract work harder then me." The scenario was one cold day in Minnesota. I was a young player who was at practice early and left late so I could get all of my work in. That day in practice I thought I worked hard. I even stayed 30 minutes after practice. Still, as I was walking off the court, Sam pulled me to the side and yelled at me! The gist of what he said to me was that if I was trying to make an NBA team, there should be no reason that a guy making over $100 million should be in the gym longer than you. I turned around and surveyed the court and I saw the reigning MVP in the middle of a workout as if he was the hungry free agent. I took what he said and I still use that to this day for motivation.
In my decision making process on whether to go overseas or stay stateside and hope for the NBA dream, there are many things that factor into the final decision. The biggest factor is believing in yourself. It sounds easy but I mean to truly believe in your game and the time you put in the gym; To truly believe that you can play at the highest level and say that you can play at the highest level are two different things. There are many people that say they should be or deserve to be playing at the highest level - but believing this is another thing.
If you believe in yourself than the only reason to go overseas to play would be Money! This is definitely not a knock on anyone who is overseas or plans to go overseas because I have played in Greece, Russia, Bosnia, and China. But if you believe in yourself and you still go overseas then usually that person is making a good amount of money or an amount that is comfortable for them. That being said, I'm still a person who believes in my skills and the countless hours I have worked in the gym. However, as much as I believe and have faith, I couldn't tell you that I would turn down $1 million in Spain or Greece or anywhere else to tryout with an NBA team for free with no guarantee of anything but a thank you and a lot of hard work. It's an awkward situation though - that one workout can be the workout that leads you to get a spot on a team. But if that workout was after the million dollar offer I would never get a chance to see how far that workout would have taken me. LoL. But to keep it real like they say, my eye is still on the NBA 100%.
Thank You to All my supporters at Texas Tech. Go Raiders!! Keep the questions coming.
Kasib
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