Day 5

I awoke to the gentle tapping of rain on the window.  It was 5:30 am and I was pretty much done sleeping.  Today is getaway day.  We would be leaving at 9:30 for the next town and a game tonight against Lithuania.  I begrudgingly left the bed not knowing if the next place would be so luxurious.  The shower was arranged like a Pocono honeymoon suite style.  It was a glass box with a rain shower head that provided a perfect experience.

Over the course of the last couple days, I have acquired some extra stuff.  A sports equipment company, PEAK, was a local sponsor and they provided everyone with a school bag full of things: t-shirts, caps, sweat suits, sneakers, various braces, polos, etc.  Jeremy had told us to pack lightly and he wasn't kidding.  I was able to fit everything into my suitcases, but if this is the norm for every city, it will become quite difficult. 

I had received a call from Jeremy at 2:30 am letting me know the plan had changed and breakfast would be at 7:30.  I was casually into the lobby by 7 and had time to check my e-mail and glance at some scores on the internet.  At 7:30 I was still the only Australian-ish person in the lobby.  The same for 8.  The first person I saw was Segun, he is hard to miss, at 8:30.  I asked him what he thought the plan was and he said there was a call about 7:30 saying the plan had changed to breakfast at 8:30.  I packed up my, correction Joan's, IPAD and headed into to eat.  When I got up from the table, less than half the team was in the restaurant.   

Loading onto the bus was a little nasty with rain coming down, but by 9:40 everyone was aboard and we were on our way.  Watching the cityscape pass along, I thought how this trip has been incredible so far.  Before leaving I was not sure if I was heading to hostels and McDonalds, but I certainly wasn't expecting 5-star hotels and photo sessions.  It did not take long for the condensation to take control of the window and my view was gone.  I pulled out the mystery book and spent the next hour in Louisiana's French Triangle.  There had been a particularly gruesome murder and the killer might be getting off on a technicality.  Where is Sgt. Beebe when you need him?  The bus pulls into a rest area and the driver just gets up and leaves.  He doesn't say a word and he takes his potty break and returns.  I have never been on a bus where the driver needed a break after an hour.

On the way to the hotel we stop at the headquarters of an industrial abrasives company, Da Qi (dodge-E).  There were at least 20 employees in group photo formation when we stepped off the bus.  The team joined them on the steps of the facility and at least a dozen people were taking pictures.  We were escorted to the conference room where we were treated to fresh fruit and bottled water.  The director of the company made a quick speech about teamwork and friendship.  He snuck in a little about how well he played basketball when he was younger too.  He also smoked at least 4 cigarettes while we were in there.  There were several others smoking right along with him.  It is so strange.  I remember teachers smoking in class when I was in elementary school, and then being confined to the faculty room which always appeared to be engulfed in a cloud of smoke.  But since the USA has gone smoke free, it was quite unusual.  As the meeting progressed, there were two dozen basketballs being passed around to be autographed.  Some of them were signed twice and I wonder if anyone here will notice.

Dave and Anna review filming assignments.

The ride here took 4 hours.  When we were getting on the bus, we were told it was a two hour trip.  Maybe hours are longer when translated.  The hotel was only half an hour from the sponsor’s headquarters.  As we rode up it looked like a palace.  We passed an English style village complete with Tudor style buildings.  They are making a destination location here called Shakespeare Village and the hotel is the centerpiece.  It is magnificent.  We are only staying one night unfortunately.

GAMETIME:  Lithiania

The arena is a saddle design and as we get closer we can see the Olympic rings and several hundred people milling about.  The bus pulls in and the people throng to the barriers.  It is nuts.  Do they know we are not the NBA?  As we step off the bus, there is yelling and people are reaching over the barrier trying to get high fives, and they hold out t-shirts and basketballs to get signed.  Really?

We get past the entrance and the hallway is lined with more of the same.  Well-wishers indeed, but unnerving.  The locker room is spartan.  A few lockers, no benches, and no chalk board.  I was really disappointed.  The guys changed and we headed out to the floor.  Pushing past the people, the floor seemed like a welcome oasis of calm.  It was a little over an hour from game time and the place was half filled.  Warm ups were interrupted twice.  Once with the introduction of dignitaries and the other for a ceremonial jump ball with the director of Da Qi Corporation we met this afternoon. 

The real jump ball brings the crowd to attention and we are under way.  We get off to a good start.  Our team knows their team was out drinking pretty late last night so we are aggressive.  We end the quarter up 7.  We start the second quarter with a couple baskets and push the lead to ten.  Unfortunately, we let off the gas slightly.  Maybe playing our third game in three days, or maybe being on the bus all day, doesn't matter we let them back into the game.  Halftime is a 3 point lead. 

Back through the throng to the spartan locker room to try to regroup.  By the time I get in there, the guys are really getting after each other about effort and making the easy basket.  My job here is really done by the time I start to talk.  I use the hand-held dry erase board to mark a few spots where we should look for shots, reinforce an inbound called 50 and we head back out through the throng to the sanctity of the court.  The Lithuanians have regained their legs, and these guys can really shoot. 

Our lead turns into a deficit.  We slip down 8 but come all the way back. Just to fall back immediately.  The game comes down the last minute and a half.  We are down 4.  Usually this is a good time of the game for me, but we can not make the clutch shot. 

Final score:  Lithuania 68-Australia 64

As the final buzzer sounds, the crowd jumps over the railing like their team had just won the NCAA tournament.  They steal every warm up top and team towel they could get.  The players are crushed mid court with autograph requests and photos.  It takes at least 30 minutes for it to calm down.  When I get back to the locker room I see the door had been kicked in.  The best part is nothing was taken except for team gear like shooting shirts.  None of the electronics were touched...go figure.  As we head out to the bus there are a few straggling well-wishers.  Seriously, do they know we are not the NBA?

The hotel is a welcome site.  They are keeping the restaurant open so we can have some food before bed.  The players are told to bag up their laundry and drop it off at the desk before they came to eat.  I was sitting down about to enjoy a small plate of food when the interpreter comes to me and tells me to come with him.  Apparently, the hotel offered to clean our uniforms as a polite gesture.  The players put every sweaty dirty thing they had in those bags.  I was taken into the bowels of the hotel, which reminded me of the Hershey Hotel during my college days.  I was shown the 9 bags of stuff and told to pluck out the game uniforms.  Seriously, I thought my day was disappointing already, but this was a topper.  I scooped up the bags of stinky stuff and delivered each one to each player room with the bad news.  It was a little after 12 when I got into my room.