As I unload my dogs from my car to let them run out in the open land, I look up to the sky, close my eyes and think back to high school. I was once told by a coach in high school that if you want to become a winner, you have to learn to win on the road. And I’m looking forward to this game because I’m amazed at how teams, cities, fans and the media get ready for this event like its a boxing match. They want to know who’s the strongest, who’s the fastest, who’s the quickest, and who’s in good shape for a fight to the finish. There are so many people from around the world that are going to be in Athens, Greece, to see who will be crowned as champs. A good friend of mine called me to say that she is mad at her little sister, because she gets to go Greece as a high school graduation present. She could choose from Las Vegas, Nevada; Madrid, Spain; and Athens, Greece. She and her friend choose Athens, because they heard that there is going to be a big basketball game in Athens. I was speechless to hear that lots of people in the United States of America know about the Euroleague.

Getting ready for the Euroleague Final Four is great: Spending lots of time working on your jump shot and free throw shooting. Watching film of your opponents to see what they bring to the table. It's cool to daydream of making up plays in your head: There are 10 seconds to go in the game... The ball is in your hands... You shoot... You miss the shot... The clock is ticking.... The ball get tipped back out to you... You shoot again... The ball goes in... Game over. You win.

Better yet, what about a pair of free throws needed to win the game. The gym is so loud that the...

First of all, I would to thank god for making this possible, for me and Tau Ceramica to be a part of the Euroleague Final Four. It's a dream come true for me, making it to the Final Four after trying for three years with two different teams (Partizan Belgrade and Lietuvos Rytas). Well, when I first arrived to Partizan from the United States in the middle of the season, I didn't know anything about the Euroleague. I thought all basketball was the same, but it's not. Here you can do a little bit more than at home in the States. For exmample, you can knock the ball off the rim and take one more step when you go for a layup. Since then, watching these last four years how Barcelona, Maccabi Tel Aviv and CSKA won the title has made me want to be a part of that list too. So I feel that I waited long enough to be a part of something special. I knew that if I made it to another Euroleague team that I would give my all and play hard whenever I stepped on the floor, because there is no tomorrow and no turning back.

I still can't believe it! As I write this, I have less then 13 days, exactly 312 hours, until tipoff in the semifinals! I think that my team will be in great shape because we've been working hard every day to get ready. We have some tough games to play in the Spanish League before we head to Athens,...