David Bluthenthal, forward of Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv, will post here a weekly blog, especially for the yellow readers. Dont forget to follow us!
So its 12 days after my first day as a member of the Israeli National Basketball team and if I had to choose one word to describe it, the word would be… fun. Is that weird? I mean it the hopes of a nation riding on the game of basketball. Its been a combination of professional basketball mixed with a little vacation. Sort of like sleepover summer basketball camp while having the hopes of a nation riding on the way you play. I sacrificed my summer and quality time with my family to play in a competition that I didn’t grew up knowing.
I am currently taking Hebrew lessons but do not know enough to understand the speeches my coach gives before the game and at halftime so a couple of guys translate for me. I believe it is my responsibility learn the language after all these years living here and my first lesson is today.
We are back home in Tel Aviv after a long trip to Rio Maior Portugal last week. It was only 4 days but it was about 2 full days of travel so it seemed long. However the most memorable part was that I turned 30 on the first day, the 18th. Here is my day- 8am wake up, 9:15 leave for gym, 10:30 practice, 1 team lunch, bus to airport, catch a 5 pm flight to Munich (4hrs), transfer onto a plan headed for Lisbon (another 4 hrs), bus from Lisbon to Rio Maior (1hr), arrive at hotel and have team dinner, in room by 11:59, and asleep by 1… That is the way i spent my 30th birthday and it was one of the best B-days yet.
The part I’d like to forget was the trip home. Here goes- 5am wakeup, 5:30 drive to airport, 7:15 am flight to Frankfurt (4hrs), collect luggage and recheck in with different airline, flight for Israel scheduled for noon and board plain only to be told of 1:30 delay, finally take off and arrive home at 8:30pm an hour and a half late.
Playing basketball at 30 is truly a blessing and traveling with the team is part of the joys of this game…….
Anyways, 3 days ago we beat Belgium pretty good and we are starting to prepare for our 3 day group play with Netherlands, England, and Belgium which starts Monday until Wednesday. So far I think we have a really good team mainly because all 15 guys can play and help your team so we can maintain a high level for 40 minutes. Personally I feel pretty good, and with that I mean my body feels pretty good. After all I am 30 and I have been playing basketball for a really long time so I am bound to have my aches and pains. Fortunately my favorite part of the game, other than shooting, is keeping my body is in shape to perform at a high level so its not hard to get motivated to work at it.
Thats it for now so stay turned to hear more of the D Blu Blog.
