The Crazy Eight

So we lost the championship, the one I referred to a couple posts ago as "that motherfucker."

A day later, I'm still not over it. Remember how special that 2005 Illini basketball team was? That team of destiny with the aggressive three-guard motion offense that was synched up to perfection, only they somehow lost the NCAA Championship to that talented Tar Heels squad?

That's what happened to us. It was the same story: that backwards Aesop fable where physical talent trumps chemistry and heart. Those guys were just too big and lanky, man, and I swear to God one of them wasn't even an Asian!

But despite the fact that we lost, I still consider this team to be the best I've ever played on. Officially our name was Team Lakers, but in my heart I'll always call these guys The Crazy Eight -- not just because we all wore the same jersey number, 8, as a show of team unity, but because everyone on our team was fucking psychotic out of their minds. I've never played with a group of guys that were so intense, focused, intelligent, belligerent. As I mentioned last week, there is nothing better in life than playing on a team, and when you get a chance to play for a team as passionate as ours, you don't ever forget it. I'll miss these guys.