Adena Andrews.com

What’s up guys!? It’s the offseason and I’m enjoying my time off.

I’ve just been at my Mom’s house watching Everybody Hates Chris and playing with my little cousins. This is the first time I’ve been home in Seattle where I can just relax and stay here for a period of time. In college, I could only be here for a little bit and then would have to go back to school.

Most of the time me and the fam’ just chill at home. I have a movie theater in my house and they come over and watch movies and we chill like that. Nate Robinson’s mom was over here until about 4 a.m. on Sunday. I’m close with his entire family, so we all like one big family. My mom came over and cooked for everyone, and that was the first time in a while that I had my mom over to cook. She made me soft beef tacos. Those are the best.

I’m also getting a little work done on my house. I got a new poker table and other little stuff, but other than that, I’m moved in and everything is good. Here’s just a light recap of my season, my crazy teammates and the life and times of a rookie in the NBA.

Our Tough Season
We went through a lot this year. We started off 0-18, switched coaches, had eight players for about 10 games and finally started playing our best basketball of the year towards the end of the season.

After a while it became hard to handle all those losses. After a loss, sometimes I’d go home and play some basketball video games where I could win and feel accomplished.

To be honest, I’ve never lost that much in my life. And after losing so much I kind of evaluated myself to see how I could make myself better and help the team win. If I’m getting better every game and learning something different, I don’t take it as a waste of a season. Even though the overall record speaks of that, I take it as time for me to grow and make myself a better player.

After this season of struggle, I found out that I can actually play basketball in this league. The average lifespan of an NBA player is 4 ½ years. That’s why making it to this league is a huge thing! But staying and playing well is a whole other story. In the last two months I proved that I can do both. By getting time and gaining my confidence in the NBA, I was actually able to show what I can do. Once you find out you can play in this league and gain confidence, it seems like the things that got you to the league are easier to showcase. I’m going to use my same game that got me here, as far as passing, scoring, rebounding and playing D. I’m just going to show it on a bigger stage.

Shinning Moment of the Season
When we played Cleveland in our house I guarded LeBron and he guarded me the whole game. I finished that game with 21 points, seven rebounds and five assists. I thought to myself, I just played against the best or second best player in the world and I held my own with time and minutes in the game. After that game, every game started to be about showcasing what I can do. I knew that I had made my statement in the league. I could do this.

Rookie Duties
I honestly thought it was going to be a lot more hazing and stuff, but it was a lot easier than I thought. Basically every time we got on the plane to fly somewhere I had to get Popeye’s chicken for the team. Other than that, if they needed something while we were on the road, as far as walking to the store or something, I would do it. Other than that, it wasn’t really that hard.

The way I am, if you do some ridiculous rookie prank stuff like fill my car with popcorn and play tricks on me, I’m going to go ahead and do something back to you. Jokes are OK, but that old saying “what goes around comes around” is pretty true, and I live by it. Even as the lone rookie on the team, I’m not afraid to give them a taste of their own medicine. Guys know my personality and what type of person I am, so a lot of that didn’t go on. Plus, it’s hard to haze someone when we are losing. Losing feels like hazing as it is.

And guess what? I didn’t bring the chicken the last game in Miami! CDR tried to clown me and say “Damn, rookie you get triple-doubles and you think you don’t have to bring the chicken?” Nah that wasn’t the case. I just had a lot to do, so I couldn’t do it. I mean, what was the point of bringing it anyway? It was the last game!

If we were winning and in the playoffs and I was getting hazed, I wouldn’t care. Go ahead, fill my car up with popcorn do whatever you want. We would still be playing and I’d be fine with that.

Rookie of the Month Award
The award was totally unexpected. I was told that if I had a good game against Miami there was a soft chance that I could get Rookie of the Month. I was like “How?” You got Brandon Jennings and these other guys who keep winning and they are going to the playoffs. Why would they give somebody on the Nets, Rookie of the Month?

But the day we had our exit meetings with Rod Thorn is when I found out I won. I really appreciated it.

Winning that award shows you what confidence will give you and that hard work does pay off. So the times I was getting DNP’s or playing just eight minutes a game, I was still the first and last one in the gym working on my game. And when I was playing 30 to 35 minutes and I got a triple-double, I was still in the gym. Against Chicago, I played 49 minutes and I still played 3-on-3 with the guys at practice the next day. I think it just shows you that I’m willing to put in the work.

Favorite Teammates
Besides CDR (Chris Douglas Roberts), Bobby Simmons has got to be my favorite guy on the team. He taught me everything as far as basketball at this level. He taught me the part about basketball that most don’t teach…Like how to pay attention to other greats. Instead of watching Kobe and guarding him and trying to stop him, he advised me to learn him. He told me to learn what he does good and try to mimic it.

I’m also still really close with my boy CDR because there was a large part of the season last year (his rookie season) where he didn’t play. So it was easy for us to relate on that. With him I always know I am dealing with a real person who is from the same type of background I come from. So it’s definitely a lot easier to talk to him. He is also always one to speak his mind.

Although he’s not my teammate, another guy I have a great relationship with is Nate Robinson. He is from the Seattle area too (there must be something in the water that breeds us ballers!). Right now, I’m just giving him his space for the playoffs. But anytime he wants to vent or talk, I’m here.

Good Times
Though we had lots of losses this season, it wasn’t all doom and gloom. We have a lot of funny guys on the team — whether it’s CDR, Bobby Simmons, Keyon Dooling, Trenton Hassel or Jarvis Hayes — we kept each other smiling. We also played so hard in practice and went so hard at each other. Those moments were worth everything. It just seems like when we got in the games our brains just went dead. But other than that, we actually loved practice and we played hard.

We also did a little team bonding in the beginning of the season where we want to an Army base camp and we got to play army games. We had to be on teams of seven against the Army guys and try to capture them. It was like a video game and you are in the field. We had to be stealth and talk to each other about positioning and things.

That definitely was the start of everything, and it was my first time at a team event. That day I gained a lot of respect for my teammates.

Twitter “What if”s
I wrote something on my Twitter earlier in the season and folks took it the wrong way. I paid the price. But my whole thing was “What if…What if I got drafted five minutes earlier or later to Toronto or Charlotte? How would my life be?”. I wasn’t trying to say I want to be out of New Jersey. I know I don’t control that, and why would I want to leave? I love New Jersey. That was just me thinking about how life would be different. I went from being “The Man” on the court in high school and college to not playing at all, and that’s tough. When all you know how to do is play basketball and you end up sitting as a rookie, you don’t know what to do.

I really didn’t have any other rookies that I knew who could understand my situation either. My close friend DeMar DeRozan went to Toronto. He started the first and third quarter the entire season. Brandon Jennings is the Man in Milwaukee and Steph Curry, he went to a perfect situation where he is the Man there too. Same thing with Johnny Flynn. All these rookies that I knew went to teams where they played big minutes. So I turned around and looked at myself and said “Can I play this game?” Because if I can’t play this game on a team that’s losing, then what does that say about me? So I just had this “What if…” question to the world. Like, “what would have happened if I got drafted here or there.” Some people took it as “I don’t want to be here” or “I want to get out of here”. It was just a legitimate question they took the wrong way.

Thoughts On Moving to Brooklyn
I went over to Brooklyn for an appearance at a hospital and the only thing I can tell right now is that there’s going to be a lot of traffic around that new arena. If the team moves there, I might move to Brooklyn or to Long Island because I’m not going to commute from Jersey to Brooklyn. Especially since you can’t predict traffic in New York. I live right by the Lincoln Tunnel in Edgewater, NJ and sometimes when I’m going to the city to grab some sneakers it may take an hour just to get to the city. My New Yorkers out there got any suggestions on spots in Brooklyn to live or visit?

NBA Playoff Predictions
I am really not into the playoffs right now. First of all, because I’m not in it. Secondly, too many of my guys are in it right now. I don’t know who to root for. I want Nate to do well and Jamal and Jason Terry. Basically all my Seattle guys. Who do you guys think I should root for? Let me know!

Well, thanks for following me here on Rookie Chronicles throughout my rookie season. And make sure to follow me on my twitter and my facebook page.

—T-Will

Can you spot Mitch Kupchak in this picture?

In a sea of blue, Mitch Kupcak stands alone. Now that's gangsta. (photo via @ArashMarkazi)

I hope those weren’t his seats?

As I found myself at work, awake in the hours they call “wee” on Sunday morning I started to think “Does Jesus know that I’m going to be too tired to attend church because the Lakers went into overtime?” “I wonder if he watched the game?”.

I posted it on Twitter and lots of folks had an opinion about it. Because I work for the league and basketball is indeed my favorite sport I automatically assume Jesus HAS to be a basketball fan. Why wouldn’t he be?

A friend of mine (who is a football manic) said according to Jerry Jones God is a football fan. That’s why he built the hole in the Texas Stadium so that God could watch his favorite team on Sundays. Jerry Jones is a drunk with loose lips, so on to the next one.

Here are my reasons why Jesus is an NBA fan:

• We have a player named after him Ray Allen a.k.a Jesus Shuttlesworth
• Dwight Howard wanted to put a cross on the NBA logo when being scouted by NBA teams. “to make sure that everybody hears the truth about God.”
• David Robinson came crusading for Jesus in the NBA before Superman
• Also Marc Gasol a.k.a Baby Jesus, the resemblance is scary.
  

  Marc Gasol is the spitting image of Jesus

• We have another player who is named after his favorite book “King James”
• Every night our players soar into the heavens try to get closer to The Man himself
• We don’t abuse the whole Sunday game thing.
• We embrace the Holy Trinity with “The Big Three”. Not just with the Celtics but we are always looking for Big 3 on a team
• 40 games in 40 nights…. Jesus was a fan of making floods and things last that long.
• J.R. Smith’s Black Jesus Tattoo
• “The Basketball Jesus”- Larry Bird.. nuff said

So you see, the NBA has to be Jesus’ favorite sport. I’m sure him and God love chillin’ and watching an ESPN Sunday game. I think he also understands when I have to work on Sunday or I’m exhausted from a double OT the night before. Any more reasons you can think of why The Big Guy would love the NBA? Who do you think he roots for? Let me hear it.

The new VH1 show “Basketball Wives” is a travashamockery. I set my DVR to watch this nonsense and woke up the next morning only to have my entire day ruined by this sitcom. Can I please have that hour of my life back?

I don’t know what I was more offended by, the self-important, wanna-be somebody women or the horrible production of the show. I don’t like my intelligence insulted by poor cuts and shotty soundtracks or blingy broads complaining about how hard life “used to be”

Used to be is the key word in all this because most of these women are not even with the basketball players anymore. Only one is happily married and the other is in the process of getting divorced. The rest of them are yesterday’s news printed on a tabloid at the bottom of my cat’s litter box. Straight up garbage. Basura.

They are teaching girls that if you want the bling, nice shoes, nice car and more go find you a golden penis, sit on it for a few years and it will turn into the good life. You can even start your own business with a lil startup money from the golden penis of course.

The wives want to show that there is more to their lives besides luxury hotels, clubbing, eating, drinking and shopping. Well how about you show yourselves doing more than oh… clubbing, eating, drinking and shopping. Just a suggestion.

Why didn’t they get LaLa Vasquez (Carmelo Anthony’s wife) or Eva Longoria (Tony Parker’s wife) on the show? You know why… because they are real self-made women with lives and careers before their men. And they also know their role. Fall back lil mommas.

The show is a bitch-fest run by the God Mother, Shaunie O’Neal. I’m sure the women have great personalities and drive but it is sure not shown on this show.

Basketball wives is a bitch fest ran by the God Mother, Shaunie O'Neal

OH and SHAQ AIN’T HAVING IT!

According to AOL Black Voices, Shaq and his lawyer folk will shut down Basketball Wives if he gets bashed in the show. According to the couples divorce agreement, Shaunie is not supposed to take part in any book, movie or TV deals that mention Shaq. Basketball Wives violates this as she is getting TV revenge and in the first episode talking about his infidelities. In a letter written to VH1, Shaq’s lawyers instruct the network to stop airing the show after April 14th.

So if Shaq Daddy has his way I won’t have to put up with anymore of this nonsense on my TV screen or on the blogosphere.

Also, Dwight Howard nipped that in the behind before the show started. His babymomma Royce (seen here getting low, low low by the pool) cannot even mention his name or be referred to as his ex. She is just labeled as a former dancer on the show. DAYUM GINA! Superman II got it on lock. Shaq should take a lesson.

Yeah players may cheat and your marriage wasn’t ideal but please know your role ladies. Marriage woes, even when it’s over, should be something that is kept between you and the man. Do not air your dirty laundry in front of the whole world. A) It will be hard to get another man to trust you. I mean who wants to think they will end up on blast like Shaq. B) It just looks sloppy.

Carry on.

Just read a Tweet that said if Basketball Wives proves successful for VH1, Football Wives is on the way…stop the madness.

THE REAL TOUGH JUICE BLOG ON NBA.COM

Here I am in the playoffs. I’m two years removed from my last postseason appearance and it feels great to be making another appearance. When the season started out I thought I would be here in a Wizards uniform. But the move was made and I’m obviously better off because of it. I’m here in Dallas with an actual title contender.

The First Round

Anybody in this Western Conference is a legit threat. They clawed and fought all the way. So I know that we are meeting San Anotnio in the first round and they mean business. It was no easy task for them to make it in the postseason in this conference or to hold on to the seventh seed.

Teams like the Cavs and Lakers got the chance to rest key players who are huge difference makers. This also gives them a chance to give their bench guys some run. We didn’t have the liberty of doing things like that and I even played with a sore hip the last game of the season. We were still fighting and clawing our way into the postseason.

Since we didn’t get to rest we have to keep this energy up straight into the postseason. The best way to do that is to just keep a clear mind and stay focused on your one goal, winning a championship.

When we were in the race for the playoffs we had to watch out for the lowly, non-winning teams. They were the most dangerous towards the end of the season. At times they have an out of body experience and want to prove something by knocking you down. But that’s all over and done with, and we are on the road to a championship. First victim….San Antonio.

Knowing my role

My role on this team right now is a lilttle bit of everything. I defend and take on those tough assignments. Offensively, I take the pressure off of Dirk and the other guys.If you look at our startinng line up we got four All-Stars starting each game. So we are a forced to be reckoned with this postseason.

The team as a whole is focusing on having a great defensive presence, executing our offense properly and making sure teams know they just can’t waltz down the middle on us.

‘Dem UConn Huskies

They are a beast. Our program at UConn is just built for greatness. Shout out to Maya Moore doing it big in the championship. That championship game was a pretty tight one. It was amazing to see them bounce back in the second half like that. That was a great look. I think they can continue to dominate with this win streak. They are going to be on top until coach Gino leaves.

Baby Caron on the way

My wife is in her last trimester right now and the baby is due in June. It’d be a good look if we could have a Larry O’Brien trophy baby. 

See you guys in the postseason!

–Tough Juice

She’s a good reporter for a girl.

Only reason she got the job is because she is pretty.

She’s just a groupie.

Me doing my job. Chasing my dreams, in 3 inch heels. There's no other way.

Do me a favor and stop with the nonsense. I report and work in sports and I have a vagina. Yes I said it, vah-gih-nah. This makes me no less capable at my job than the bearded brother with the external gonads. It also doesn’t mean I deserve any less respect. MMMkkkay? You should not pretend to hump me in the locker room, you shouldn’t massage my shoulders before the game (unless I ask you to) and you certainly shouldn’t question my gangsta.

Me doing my job. Chasing my dreams, in 3 inch heels. There’s no other way.
It seems since I’ve gotten older I’ve started to learn that I’m a GIRL in Sports. When I was 19 at Sports Illustrated for Kids I just felt like another snot nose intern trying to get some quotes in the locker room. Dressing in whatever clothes my mom picked out for me. Now I’m 24 with a lil more curves and demeanor about professional myself and I’m looked at as a conquest by some dudes in my field, an outsider and/or just another pretty face. I’m reminded at least once a week that I’m a GIRL in SPORTS.

Example: I’ve been at NBA.com for 3 years and someone had the nerve to ask me if I REALLY know basketball. You think I been putting on my makeup at ’till 3 am every night while watching the games? Or maybe I’m checking out how delicious the boys look in their shorts. C’Mon Son.

Another sports girlfriend of mine was accused of being a groupie because she has such a passion for the game and it’s players. Yeah she’s a groupie…. a groupie with a tape recorder and a press pass. Public Relations departments give groupies press passes all the time!

Erin Andews is the perfect example of this. She worked hard to get to the sidleines of ESPN’s college football broadcast and because she’s a got a pretty face folks think they can smash her character. Now the girl has a stalker and is receiving death threats. Something a man in her field would never have to deal with. (I dont’ think her risky spread in a magazine helped though.)

But because we are GIRLS in Sports we know how to play the game. We know we can’t blow the whistle with every hug that a co-worker tries to give us. Or with every “you have great legs” comment that comes from a colleague. We know how to disarm you with a smile and the go in for the kill. We also know how to give you the “Now you know better and don’t let that ‘ish happen again.” look and be on our way.

Shout out to the men in my field who don’t just treat me like one of the boys or just like a lady. But just like me.

And shout out to the ladies that are doing it big in the game and making it look so damn good!

Inquiring ears wanted to hear it, so here it is. Some lucky reporter left his tape recorder on and got audio of Kenyon Martin going crazy over the popcorn in his Range Rover. Classic stuff here.

Keyon Martin goes off

click to read my article

My first blog post on NPR’s “Tell Me More Blog“. It’s my take on Tiger Wood’s commercial featuring his dead dad’s voice.

Support ya girl! Hopefully, there will be more to come.

Dear Tiger: Shut Up And Play Ball

Tiger Woods is better than you and always will be. Yes, he is human and fallible, but he’s still capable of annihilating the entire golf world with just a few strokes.

He also has another mean “stroke” where he can kick your butt and take your girl on just three hours of sleep and a Red Bull. Don’t act like you didn’t already know.

A series of raunchy text messages and a slick porn star can’t undo what this man has accomplished. That’s exactly what Nike and the marketing geniuses at Wieden+Kennedy, wanted you to feel from the 30-second minimalist — yet creepy — ad that debuted on the eve of the 2010 Masters Golf Tournament, Tiger’s comeback stage.