ace3g
09-12-2012, 10:49 AM
Dice Yamaguchi caught a glimmer of his NBA future as a middle school boy in the metropolis of Fukuoka, the largest city (pop. 1.4 million) on the Japanese island of Kyushu. He doesn't remember the day or the year. He only recalls an image, and how he was awed by the athleticism and artistry of Michael Jordan above the rim.
It wasn't that Yamaguchi hoped to be like Mike. It wasn't that he imagined competing in the NBA. But there was something about the magic of the sport, the electricity of the game, that gave rise to an idea. Maybe one day I could see NBA action in person.
A group of exchange students from New York City visited his middle school. At the invitation of his parents, two members of the group stayed in the Yamaguchi home. A teenage boy learned new words, picked up phrases and became enchanted with English.
Maybe one day. ...
The journey from young Japanese dreamer to Spurs assistant athletic trainer is a tale of improbable turns and stops and two failures.
When Yamaguchi joined the Spurs in 2011, he boasted an exotic resume. There was the bachelor's degree from Indiana State University, the one week spent as a volunteer trainer with the Indianapolis Colts, an internship with the Indiana Pacers, a master's degree from California University of Pennsylvania, a gig with the Philadelphia Eagles, a stint with the Austin Toros of the NBA Development League.
Continue reading: www.nba.com/spurs/features/120912_rodriguez_yamaguchi
It wasn't that Yamaguchi hoped to be like Mike. It wasn't that he imagined competing in the NBA. But there was something about the magic of the sport, the electricity of the game, that gave rise to an idea. Maybe one day I could see NBA action in person.
A group of exchange students from New York City visited his middle school. At the invitation of his parents, two members of the group stayed in the Yamaguchi home. A teenage boy learned new words, picked up phrases and became enchanted with English.
Maybe one day. ...
The journey from young Japanese dreamer to Spurs assistant athletic trainer is a tale of improbable turns and stops and two failures.
When Yamaguchi joined the Spurs in 2011, he boasted an exotic resume. There was the bachelor's degree from Indiana State University, the one week spent as a volunteer trainer with the Indianapolis Colts, an internship with the Indiana Pacers, a master's degree from California University of Pennsylvania, a gig with the Philadelphia Eagles, a stint with the Austin Toros of the NBA Development League.
Continue reading: www.nba.com/spurs/features/120912_rodriguez_yamaguchi