Over the course of the Hornets nine-day trip to China from Oct. 7-15 for the NBA Global Games, point guard Kemba Walker will be checking in with hornets.com periodically for his running blog. Keep checking back to see what Kemba has to say:
Wednesday, Oct. 14 - 10:47 p.m.
Today's game was great. We just covered all the different parts of the floor. We played really well on offense and the defense was great - we put a lot of stops together. Every time we made a mistake out there, we came back and cleaned it up and that was the best part about it.
Speaking of mistakes though, Troy (Daniels) had one of his own when we were running onto the court from the tunnel and he went down, hahaha. He's alright though. Troy's clumsy though. When I was running out, the line was getting shortened up, and I was like, "What happened?" Everyone started saying that Troy fell, and that was hilarious. I just had a chance to watch it, and it was pretty funny. We're going to get on him for a while for this one. But sometimes things happen like that.
Overall, this was a very important trip for us. We're taking these games serious. These games are high - big for our confidence, our camaraderie, our chemistry and the way we want to play. I think we're doing a great job at taking the things that we learn in practice and bringing that into the games. We've been having great energy in practice and our focus is on another level right now. As long as we stay focused, keep pushing together and keep playing the way we're playing, then we've got a chance to be a really good team.
We've got a lot of new guys out here, but I'm not surprised how quickly we're coming together. These guys are great guys - high-character guys - who want to win. The guys who were here last year are very motivated from the disappointment of last season. We know what it takes now and we want to keep getting better. I think we have been - every day.
I'm excited to head home now. I've had nothing short of a great time here in China, but its definitely time to go home. I had a blast! It was a great experience and I had the chance to get out and enjoy both cities a little bit, but now its time to get home and try to get adjusted to that time difference. It's going to be grueling but its all been worth it.
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Tuesday, Oct. 13 - 10:03 p.m.
This morning we had the chance to go up the roof of the hotel to take the team picture and it was amazing. It was a great view - just unbelievable. It's going to be something special to have, especially in a couple of years when we have a chance to look back at this time and this team we have. It's a great group of guys and a great experience we had here in China, and that picture was awesome on the rooftop with the buildings behind us - it was pretty spectacular.
Then today at practice it was like a mini Shanghai media day. I expected it to be like that with all the reporters and media folks there, especially for Jeremy Lin. It was a lot of media though - something that we're really not that used to, seeing that many media members back in Charlotte. But like I said before, it's been a completely different experience out here and we're all just trying to embrace it. After the media came in, we had an awesome practice, too, especially considering the fact that the guys were a little bit tired and a little bit fatigued. The schedule out here has been a little different for us going to a lot of appearances and different events with different guys. A lot of the guys are a little banged up and a little tired, but we push through. That's why I think we're going to have a special team this year. Amongst all things, we're here for one reason and that's to get better as a basketball team. I think we got better today.
At night, getting out to the Fan Fest was cool. We all enjoyed ourselves and J-Lamb won the 3-point contest. My UConn brother brought it home for the team. But Frank Kaminsky was the highlight of the night. He was hilarious and did a great job. Usually rookies get a little nervous, but not him. He embraced the moment. He had a blast and we all had a blast. It was cool. Frank is a real goofball, so I kind of expected something like that from him. Frank is a cool dude. Now I didn't expect the dancing to be so good! I expected him to go out and do something and what he did was cool.
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Monday, Oct. 12 - 8:41 p.m.
We had a great practice today. It was short but sweet and we went pretty hard. We went over some things, watched some film and I think we got better even though it was a short practice. I'm going to try to get some rest because we're all expecting a pretty tough practice tomorrow with more contact and things like that to get ready for the game on Wednesday.
We did a handful of events for Brand Jordan today, too - just some fan appreciation stuff. For me, being a new guy with the brand, I'm just getting familiar with a lot of people's faces and meeting some new people because now I'm part of the brand. We stopped by the House of Flight tonight and it was kind of like a small museum dedicated to Michael Jordan. There were some of his old shoes and other momentos referencing his accolades. You always try to pay tribute to a lot of his stuff, but when you get a chance like this to look back, it's really mind boggling. You know everything about him, but seeing this stuff you realize how great he really was. It's an honor for me that I'm able to play for him and now be a part of his brand. We also had a chance to view the new painting that was unveiled of him today, and that was super cool! It was amazing. I took some pictures of it myself. Man, I wish I could paint like that! It came out really dope, and I'm pretty sure he appreciated it. I liked it a lot.
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Sunday, Oct. 11 - 6:33 p.m.
I thought we played really well and played with great purpose tonight. We got the win and we all know there are a few little things we need to clean up, but overall I think we're playing pretty well. We're moving the basketball, racking up the assists and just playing together. That's going to make us a lot better this year.
We came out with a lot of energy tonight, and when we do that, good things happen. You want to have energy, you want to have good pace and you want to set that tone. I thought we did come out with great energy and a good pace. The starters really set the tone and the bench came in and kept it up. That's how it has to be.
We've got things working on the pick-and-roll early. I'd like to think of myself as a good pick-and-roll player, and J-Lin is really good at the pick-and-roll, as well as Brian (Roberts). We want to get better at it every night and try to make the best plays possible. If we don't have a shot, then we have to try to find the open man. That's what we've been doing. That's where those assists that I was talking about earlier help out too.
It was great out there today in Shenzhen. The fans were great and they cheered us on really well. It was definitely an experience. I know we enjoyed it a lot and I'm sure the fans did too. It was great to see MJ out there today too - the crowd just went nuts for him, but wooooo J-Lin! He's king over here. It's good to see though. It was a great atmosphere. Now its on to Shanghai!
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Saturday, Oct. 10 - 3:15 p.m.
I had a good time at the Jordan Brand event last night. The people out there were excited, especially when we were taking selfies with the crowd, they loved it. Whenever my teammates and I get the chance to put smiles on peoples faces like Cody (Zeller) and I were able to, we want to do it. At the end of the day, its just a small piece out of our day that it takes to do that. It may seem like nothing at all, but we could tell the impact we made on those kids at the Flight Camp, and I thank Jordan Brand for giving me that opportunity.
I had another chance to make that difference when we went out into the Shenzhen community and did a Learn and Play Center Dedication with NBA Cares that was pretty cool. They introduced all of us to the fans and J-Lin did a great job speaking to the them all. It was exciting. They also had some of the girl students put on a small performance for us as well, and they did an amazing job. I had my phone out almost the whole time taking pictures and shooting video. It's just cool to be a part of all of this. It's something different and the experience has been great. I'm loading up my phone with pics and video so through the years I can look back at all of this stuff and remember this experience. You don't realize how many people acknowledge you or know you in different countries until you get out here. I had no idea we had fans in China. When I'm walking around and hearing people screaming, "Walker, Walker," its kind of surreal. It's cool though, and I'm glad they get a chance to see us. I know that we don't speak the same language, but its still pretty cool and you can see that we're making them happy. That's what its all about - putting smiles on people's faces. I've been having a blast so far.
I'm super excited about finally getting to take the court tomorrow against the Clippers. I can't wait. I think its going to be really cool to play in front of a sold out crowd here in China. It's going to be great for both us and the Clippers to be able to put a show on!
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Friday, Oct. 9 - 4:23 p.m.
It's been pretty cool so far here in China. Last night a few of the guys - Jeremy Lin and Lamb, Marvin (Williams), P.J. (Hairston), Spencer (Hawes), Aaron (Harrison), Troy (Daniels), B-Rob (Brian Roberts) - once we got our bags to the hotel and got settled in, we got a chance to walk around Shenzhen a little bit. We all went out to a restaurant called Shark and were able to chill, relax and get some good food. It was pretty cool. We all wanted Al (Jefferson) to come too, but he decided to extend his nap after dinner. I was the guy who was blowing him up but he said he fell asleep as soon as he got back to the room. I don't think he slept much during that second flight so It could have been that, but we'll definitely get the chance to get out together and do some more team bonding.
We really are enjoying ourselves so far. It's a different city - something new with a different culture. I think this is all of our first time here, so we're trying to get adjusted to it, especially with this time change. It's a little different, but so far so good.
I've been getting some great pictures. I love taking pictures and I've got some great ones so far so I'm looking forward to taking some more. If any fans see me out in Shenzhen, I'll definitely have my camera on me. I just love being able to look back at old pictures sometime down the road, so I'm enjoying taking pictures of this great city.
We had our first practice in China today and the legs felt good. I felt really good, actually. I think everyone felt good. Everyone looked good and got up and down pretty well. We had some great energy and great pace. It was a great overall team practice, so I think coach was pretty impressed with it. We're looking forward to getting these games in against the Clippers. Playing in the NBA is always challenge in this league in a night-in and night-out basis. Of course, playing against Chris (Paul), will be a great challenge, but I'm up for it. It's a team game, so its not just me, but it will be fun to play in front of the Chinese fans who have shown themselves to be big fans of ours, so I'm looking forward to it.
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Wednesday, Oct. 7 – 7:37 p.m. EST
It’s been one of those kind of days that just gets you excited. First, MKG showed up this morning just a few hours out of surgery to talk to all of us. That was crazy. I was very surprised to see him this morning. He actually shot me a long text before that saying some nice things, but I was really surprised to see him at the airport. That just shows his leadership. Mike is a natural born leader and that’s just one small thing that goes to show how much of a leader he is for this team. It means a lot to all of us – especially to the guys who really have to step up now in his position like Jeremy Lamb, Troy Daniels, P.J. Hairston and Brian Roberts – those guys who have to fill that void. It was good for him to stop by, say goodbye to us and wish us the best of luck. We’ll be thinking about him.
The trip has been cool so far. It hasn’t been too long for the most part. Most of us slept or watched movies, but now that we’re on this break here in Alaska, it’s nice to get out and stretch the legs. It’s pretty cool getting the chance to bond with the fellas – that’s the most important thing about this trip. It gives you a chance to bond with everybody – even the guys you don’t get a chance to really see like the guys behind the scenes, guys with the cameras and the security guards. We all work for the organization so it’s nice to get the chance to bond like this. It’s pretty cool.
Once we get to China, I’m hoping to do as much as I can to get out and see the country. I’ve been really looking forward to this trip. It’s going to be fun! I’ve never been, so I’m looking forward to something new.