Better late than never, I always say, so here’s the extremely late season-end wrap-up for my 2009 overseas professional basketball season I played in Mersin, Turkey.

If you’ve been following along, you probably already know that we went to the finals of the Turkish Championship against Fenerbahce, the team that has dominated the Turkish league over the last few years. Unfortunately, we were swept in a best of 5 series. The first two games were horrendous, the last game, not so much.

Although we fell short of our initial goal of winning a championship, we still felt accomplished to have made history for the Mersin Buyuksehir Bld. Basketball Club, because the club had never made it to the finals before. This appreciation in our accomplishment was evidenced in a very joyous team dinner after the last game at a lovely seaside restaurant. The managers and president of the team were all smiles and everyone seemed to have a look in their eyes, not of disappointment with the game, but with the fact that the season was over.

I didn’t realize how close a family we had become until it was time to leave and everyone was taking last pictures and extending goodbyes as long as possible. I had quite a few long hugs with teammates that I know I will truly miss.

Here are a few of the staged and candid pics we took as the night was wrapping up.

The Americans, other than myself, were leaving on a very early morning flight the next day, so this goodbye would be final. I had to stay a few extra days to handle my dental work and pack up a house full of things. The dental work is a totally different story…quick summary--I was elbowed in the mouth and my left front tooth was knocked loose. Painful and a little unsightly, but only if you’re all in my grill LOL.

All in all, as I said, I left Mersin feeling accomplished and as though I left it all on the court. That’s enough for me!