Follow Your Dreams: Jonathan Balkman

[JBlaze23]

The Dream:

Six months ago Jonathan Balkman, age 24, was teaching badminton to a bunch of freshman at High School a few miles from his home in New Jersey. Although he enjoyed his job, he could only think about one thing, basketball. He often reminisced of his high school days at South Plainfield where his team went 27-1 and was two points short of winning a state title. Balkman was never the best player on the court nor the fastest. His jumpshot was decent and his handle was okay. There was one thing he loved to do, and that was to pass. According to Balkman there was nothing better than, "Coming off a pick and roll with both defenders biting and finding your teammate wide open for an easy bucket."

Balkman always wanted to continue his basketball career but he always understood that basketball helped him get an education and a good job. Before the start his varsity team's basketball season Coach Balkman's players wanted to make a deal with him. They said, "If we win the county championship and a state title, you have to try out for a NBDL team."

"Deal," He said, and this started the first chapter of his dream.

[JBlaze23]

The Start of the Journey:



Not many teams were looking to give Balkman a shot at his dream. The only team to contact him was the Idaho Stampede. The Stampede lost their best player, former NBA-er Luke Jackson, for the season and needed another guard to fill the roster. Balkman happily accepted and joined the team just in time for their regular season opener against the Reno Bighorns.

[JBlaze23]

vs.

Starting Lineups

Stampede:
PG: Howard Stokes
SG: Richard Best
SF: Michael Gooding
PF: Damon Porter
C: Tony Hamilton

Bighorns:
PG: Cory Scott
SG: Sean Richardson
SF: John Sharp
PF: Lee McDaniel
C: Arthur Williams

Jonathan Balkman's Goals:
1. Dish an assist to 2 different teammates
2. Hold his matchup to 41% from the field
3. Finish the game with a B+ rating or better


*Note: Until they fix the ability to change quarter lengths, I will be playing on 5 minute quarters

[JBlaze23]

Stampede Lose Heartbreaker 35-34

The Stampede lost their first game of the season on a buzzer beater. With the score 34-33 Stampede, Corey Scott hit a step back jumper at the buzzer to propel the Bighorns. Hamilton and Gooding both paced the Stampede with 8 points each in the losing effort. Jonathan Balkman saw his first action when he stepped on the court with 55 seconds left in the first half. He was nervous and tense. His first ever pass was intercepted by John Sharp who took it the length of the court for a dunk. Balkman seemed to settle down and hit two huge runners in the final two minutes to give the Stampede a chance to win.

Here is how Balk did in his first NBDL game:

Next Game: Bighorns (1-0)

[JBlaze23]

(0-1) vs. (1-0)

Starting Lineups

Stampede:
PG: Howard Stokes
SG: Richard Best
SF: Michael Gooding
PF: Damon Porter
C: Tony Hamilton

Bighorns:
PG: Cory Scott
SG: Sean Richardson
SF: John Sharp
PF: Lee McDaniel
C: Arthur Williams

Jonathan Balkman's Goals:
1. Take at least 2 jumpshots
2. Hold his matchup to 5 points
3. Finish the game with a B+ rating or better