kpyouthfoundation.com Blog

Playing Better

Administrator — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 03:39:00 +0000

Whats up to everyone across the world. Lately we have been playing better, winning the last three games. We beat Ashkelon in a tough game. I had a great game and led my team to a victory. I had 17 pts and hit 4 out of 5 thrree pointers. The next game was a game that everyone in the country except for maybe half of our fans thought we would lose. We had to play Jerasulem. They are a stacked team with great foreigners and great Isreali players. Many people on their team play for the Isreali National team which carries the 12 best isreali players in the country. The environment was terrific. I saw things at that game that I have never seen before at a basketball game. The crowd was going crazy an hour before tip off. The environment was so intense that many of their fans that was in the arena got kicked out because of fights. We were pumped up as a team. Without telling every detail in the game, we handled our business and shocked the counrty by not just winning but winning by 15 points. We really had them beat by more but they made a run at the end that brought it to 15. I had a solid game with 13 points and 7 rebs. After these two wins many people were waiting for our downfall. but what they didnt know was that we werent expecting any downfall. To us as a team we felt that we werent playing how we were capable of earlier in the season. It was only going to go up for us, especially with the hard work we were putting in as a team. The next game we had to play on the road against a team that has been playing well, Rishon. Rishon is also a team with great foreign players. One of our key players went home for the week and two other starters got hurt in the last game against Jerasulem. The odds was definetly stacked against us. One of our players showed up on game day and we had two other starters out. With all the excuses to lose we got another big win!. This win was special for me as I hit the game winner to put us up at the buzzer. I had another solid game but didnt quite play how I planned too, but the buzzer beater definetly made me feel good getting the win! After this winning streak we were at 4-5. It isn’t bad to be were we are right now especially after starting 1-5. The first round is about to end and we feel that we are coming together as a team. With the second round coming really fast we look foward to getting to a good start. We have seen every team once and every team is pretty much the same as in the first round. Stay tuned to see if we can continue our winning ways. I hope my mother will be here to see us play the best team in Israel and even Europe, Maccabi Tel-Aviv.

Holla

Talk to you soon.

Jersey!

Season is looking Up!!

Administrator — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 01:27:07 +0000

Ok, the weather is great, the food is good, etc. But the reason I’m here is because of basketball. We have had a rocky start to the beginning of the season. We have reason (excuses) why we have a 2-5 record. I will spare you the time of reading our excuses. However we have played 6 games that have been decided by 4 points or less and we have won 2 of those games. The league is very even so we are only two spots from the fourth seed. We currently stand at 8th in the standings. We are a couple bounces, baskets, calls, etc from being higher in the standings. As a team we have been playing our best basketball so far, but we know that we can improve a lot and even beccome one of the better teams. Last week was a big game because if we lost that game we would have one of the worst records but if we won we would be 8th. Our crowd was still amazing despite us blowing a 19 point lead at home the week before. I had one of my better offensive games since I have been here. I led my team with 17 points and a win. I shot the balll well 3-3 from 2pt range, 3-5 from 3pt range, 2-3 from the line. I think that each game I get more comfortable and each game I improve. Next week we play against Jerusalem. This is a big rival because the fans both think they have the best crowd. All I know is I expect an intense game because the teams both have things to prove and settle on the court. For the crowd we will see but I’m almost certain that it will be a great environment to experience!!

I miss home especially during the holidays. Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. The bad thing is that I miss a lot of thanksgivings home because I’m usually somewhere in another country or state. There are also a lot of birthdays from family and friends that I miss around that time. It’s something that I can’t be mad or complain about because this is the life I live playing basketball traveling. I just have to make the best out of the situation. My teammates wife cooked for the the team on Thanksgiving and we watch the football games and it made me feel like I was back in New Jersey. The food was also great. Macroni and Cheese, Turkey, chicken wings, cornbread, rice, etc. I had a great time with my team and there family.

Holla

Jersey

Post from Israel

Administrator — Sat, 13 Nov 2010 03:12:06 +0000

Hello once again to all my fans and supporters. I’m sitting in my apartment watching ESPN. For most people that is an everyday thing but If I was to tell you that Im in Holon, Israel it throws an interesting twist on it. I feel fortunate to watch a good episode of ESPN when I’m back home in Jersey, so right now I’m on cloud 9 watching the highlights to all the football games, especially my Jets.

I have been here for a litttle over a week and I have already fell in love with the country. The weather is perfect, its actually a little too hot but at this time of the year when its suppose to be getting chilly I will take it warrmer any day. (pause). The food is also amazing, I have a favorite restaurant already. Its called SOHO. Its a Japenese Sushi Bar, but they serve everything from wings, steaks, and ofcourse sushi. What I normally like to get is for starters the sushi with cooked salmon on the top with veggies in the middle. It has a name for it but Im such a regular already they just know what it is I want. For the main course they have a medallion steak with mash potatoes and veggies. The potatoes has onions in them and gives it a great taste. I like to have a couple of ginger ale with that and that completes the order. Maybe some wings to take home for a late night snack. Ordering food is easy because everyone speaks ennglish.

My team… We have had two pre season games so far but my time has been limited because I am new and still trying to get adjusted. We have a good team thou. We have great foriegners and really good Israeli players. We have our first game tomorrow against a team that offered me earlier in the summer Maccabi Haifa, so that will be an intense game. It being the first game of the year is going to make the game even that more intense. We are ready for the game and will fight to win infront of the BEST FANS in Israel.

The first thing you learn about the city that I play in is that we have the best fans here in the country and maybe in the world!! I had no idea that Israel was such a beautiful place. Holon where I play is 10 minutes from Tel Aviv. If you havent heard about Tel Aviv you should do the research on it. I would compare it to South Beach mixed with Los Angeles. But the great thing is that it still has it ancient and historic feeling that makes it Israel. I also forgot to mention that I’m 10 minutes from the beach. In america we see so much negativity on television that I had a wrong opinion about this country. For me my number one option would be to play in the NBA.(ofcourse) But I wouldnt mind playing here for a long time. Next time I check in I will talk about the games we played and some other experiences here.

Thanks and will be back soon

I’m Back!!!

Administrator — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 10:37:45 +0000

Hello to everybody across the world! It has been a long time since I have put my feelings out to everybody, so I’m sorry for those who read my blogs and to those who I have kept waiting. I last left off frustrated in Greece. I can’t go too much into the Greece situation because of pending legal matters. My time was great there. Great weather, great food, and nice laid back people. However, there is a saying the foreigners say to the Americans. “No pay, No play”. I was home just in time for my Birthday on March 18. So that was special being able to celebrate with my family. Especially because I have been away from home for such a long time.

As soon as I got home it was back to business again. I refused to let the time that I wasn’t playing affect me in my future, so I made it a personal point everyday to go harder than ever before!! Many two a days and Charlie horses, sweat, blood, and tears! (Literally). I knew that I was going to play in the Summer League, in Las Vegas with the Golden State Warriors. With that in mind I worked on my conditioning, three point shooting, and other aspects of my game that would help me fit the run and gun style of the Warriors. I went into training camp feeling like I was in the best shape of my life.

I was amongst good young players like, Stephen Curry, Brandon Wright, Reggie Williams, and Anthony Randolph. I got to see all the hype on Stephen Curry. He will be a special player in the NBA for many years to come. I was surprised by his craftiness. To me he wasn’t the most athletic or quick, but he has the ability to see the game and is a great shooter. He can shoot off of a step back either leg, floaters, 3pts, off balance, fade away, and a great spot up shooter. So all he needs is a little space. That’s a lot of things but that is my professional analytical view. (After I play I want to be a analyst). I also got a chance to play against John Wall. His first game was against our team and of course it was media frenzy. The gym was packed and the cameras were rolling. Everybody wanted to see the number 1 pick. Let’s say as he got MVP of the summer league, that the kid John Wall is the truth. You would have to look up the exact stats but I played well. He also had a great game, but it was another experience to see a young star before he has fully bloomed. I say Lebron James, Derrick Rose, Kevin Durant and Brandon Roy. The list goes on and on.

Anyway things in summer league didn’t go all how I planned but I think I made the best of the situation. It might sound like I’m starting to make an excuse but I’m not! I averaged 11pts, 4rebs, 3 assts. I shot the ball well from the floor and the 3pt line and ft line. However I averaged about 21 min and didn’t start any of the 5 games. So when I say I’m not using an excuse, I would have loved to play 32 min and start a couple of games. But sometimes that is how things work and you can’t be negative you have to make the best out of what you have. Every game my stats got better and better so it was only fitting that my last game would be my best. I felt good, it was the first qtr. I scored one basket. And then that’s when it happened…I was playing defense and reached in after the whistle or during the whistle and the ball hit my finger and I felt something weird. I looked down at my hand and my bone came thru my finger!! It was painful but I think that the blood and seeing my bone was what really had me feeling sick! The doctor told me that I was out 4 to 6 weeks. I’m on week 5 now. I just start shooting again but my jumper looks as pure as it did before the injury. Now I just have to work on conditioning and therapy. I had a great experience with the Warriors in Las Vegas. Good Luck to all of my teammates in the future.

What’s next for me? Therapy at HandWorks, in Saddle Brook with Sally and Kathy. and workouts with my trainer Joe at Sports U, in Fairfield. Besides that my summer has been busy with my foundation and my AAU team. I have two age groups 15 and under and 17 under teams. Anyone knows any players that are interested and want to work hard, email me at kasibpowell1@yahoo.com. But what everybody wants to know is what will be the next team I will play for. I wish I could tell you that, but I can tell you that my first priority is to get on a team (NBA) that has a roster and making a NBA team. There is interest from a couple of teams so within two weeks I will know more about that. At the same time I have my ear open to European offers. In two weeks my mother, my agent and I will sit down and see what the best situation and opportunity is after it is all on the table. For the future I won’t keep you waiting that long. Keep you posted!
NJNETWORK

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Administrator — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 03:17:27 +0000

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