EL BLOG ILUSORIO DE RUDY: The Face of Doom

25.5.09

The Face of Doom

I have gazed upon the face of doom.

It belonged to Sergio as he conferenced with Spanish news gatherers. El Chacho announced his conference call to confirm he has enjoyed his stay in Portland, and could he check out now? (Spanish article here, English take there.)

This came as a great surprise. I say this even though I recognize the impossibility of being caught flat-footed by knowledge I was already in possession of. (As a Spaniard, contradictions mean nothing to me!) Sí, I knew Sergio was unhappy with the time for playing that he received. Sí, the two of us have wondered aloud whether Nate McMillan understands the unique bravado that Iberian players bring to the pavilion.

And sí, I now recognize that if I am in Portland next year, it is most unlikely that my mejor amigo will be also. To stem the salty tide leaking from my orbs and onto my keyboard, I imagine finding a new companion in the 2009-10 seasonings. I place no limits on this individual; as long as he is Spanish, plays point guard with élan, and never wears a face of doom, all will be well!

Sergio foto from laopinion.es,

Rudy y Ricky Rubio from eurobasket.com.

1 comment:

Scott PezJuly 3, 2009 at 11:23 AM
Hi Rudy,

As a longtime Blazer fan, I want to applaud you for all you have given to my city. I also want to say how sorry I am that Sergio will no longer be your teammate in the NBA. I don't think enough fans stop to think about what it means when a player is traded away; especially when that player is someone's best friend, or "mejor amigo."

Now that I know you have a blog, I'll be checking back more often. Thanks again for everything. You're a joy to watch, and Portland loves you!
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"El Blog Ilusorio": In the Orbs of Others!

Rudy's Hypothetical Rules of Basketball

1. In ten years, nobody will remember the details of score, assists, or rebounds. They will only remember who won them a chalupa.

2. Any shot worth shooting is worth shooting twice.

3. When not shooting on offense, you should be communicating, passing, and running. Also, yell “Foul!” repeatedly. Why? How can officials summon help if you yell “Good D!” or “Our opponents are superior!”?

4. If legitimately called for a foul, say, “A good call!” (Do this no more than once a game.)

5. When in possession of the ball, have a plan. Further, have a back-up plan, because the first plan won't work (unless you are Brandon Roy).

6. Use cover or concealment as much as possible. (Both Oden and Pryzbilla provide these in abundance.)

7. On defense, ignore words and direct your eyesight to the ball. (Opposing Cleveland, LeBron James told me he would pull up for a jumper. I advanced upon him. Then James drove baseline with great speed. Both of my ankles gave way!)

8. The faster you begin an opponent’s blow-out, the more shots everyone will get.

9. Be polite and professional to everyone you play against. Then destroy them, for they wish to defeat you.

10. Practice shooting in a dimly-lit practice area with someone shouting unflattering threats at you. (I found this useful in Europe, where partial power outages were not uncommon.)

11. You may feel sad about snapping another team’s back with a clinch alley-oop or a clutching 3-pointer. But sadness is preferred to losing. And the winning will then bring happiness. (In the case of defeating the Lakers, the happiness will be most pronounced.)

12. Purple is not my color. (It may not be anyone’s color.)