Donyell Marshall Blog

Checking in from Seattle

2008-03-20T14:41:00.002-04:00

Hey, everyone. It’s Donyell, checking in …

Life’s been pretty insane since the big trade sent me out here to Seattle. Getting traded is something I’ve done before, but it’s always hard to get uprooted and move. I remember how it went down the day I found out.

During that time of year, there’s always speculation. But I didn’t hear anything, personally, about myself. But I’ve been around the league 14 years and I know it’s a business; and I knew the Cavaliers needed to do something to make the team better. Did I think I was necessarily be a part of a trade? No.

The night before I was joking around with some of the media – but in reality trying to see what was going on. Now I’m kind of wondering if I jinxed myself as far as the trade.

I actually found out for sure the next day. Obviously, there was the rumor the night before about me possibly being in a trade to Memphis. And that was the first time I saw my name flying around.

The next day after the Indiana game – the day of the Deadline – my wife said, ‘We’re going to lunch; we’re not going to sit around and watch ESPN all day.’ Because she knew that’s probably what I would have done if I would have been home.

So we’re sitting at lunch and I get a call from a reporter who asked me if I knew anything. I said I hadn’t. The same reporter called back a little later and said he’d heard it would be Seattle. Then my agent called and said it was true, and that he didn’t want to call me until it was for sure.

It didn’t totally sink in until three o’clock – right at the Deadline. But my agent had quite a few players get traded, so he had a lot to deal with. Cedric Simmons is one of his players and he went in the Cleveland deal. Bobby Jackson and Stromile Swift – who have my agent – got dealt a couple days before that.

When I saw it on ESPN a little while later, I guess that’s when I knew it was official.

Right after that, Danny (Ferry) called me and we had a talk. And the GM in Seattle called me after that to tell me it was a done-deal and they would get back to me with flight arrangements.

The conversation I had with Danny was good. He pretty much told me the situation and that it wasn’t anything personal, it wasn’t anything I did. It was just what needed to be done to get the trade to go through and for the Cavaliers to get better and I told him, ‘No hard feelings. I understand.’

I’ve been traded before and I know it’s part of the business.

Since I’ve been gone, I’ve talked to Damon (Jones) and I’ve talked to LeBron. Even Eric (Snow), periodically.

Obviously, I was disappointed – going from a team that just went to the Championship (and that could go back to the Championship) to a team that’s in the middle of a youth movement. It was difficult; it was frustrating – especially when you get out there and you’re told that you’re not going to play because Seattle wants to evaluate their young guys.

It was difficult, but I believe one reason that they brought a guy like me here was to mentor the young guys. And just like I was close to LeBron – within the first week me and Kevin Durant and Jeff Green talked a lot. Kevin said he really liked having me here and a lot of the players really don’t talk to him. I sit down and have conversations with the young guys, and I guess it really wasn’t like that before.

I’ve been thinking about getting into coaching and this is part of the business – being able to sit down and talk to the players and get in their heads, calm them down when things aren’t going right, especially if you’re an assistant coach, because half the time, you’re the mediator between the player and the head coach.

Even though I’m still a player, this has given me practical experience as far as coaching.

Speaking of coaching … Everyone made a big deal about the little scrap that P.J. Carlisemo and I had a couple weeks ago. That was a minor incident.

And I think the reason it got blown out of proportion was because – if you’ve ever seen the bench set-up in Milwaukee – the media is seated right there. And it was a minor disagreement over a defensive scheme and something that happened on offense.

It was a minor disagreement and it was over by halftime. Yeah, I slammed my water bottle out of frustration. But it was over a few things – not going to the Playoffs, being part of the youth movement and now, getting into it with my head coach. It wasn’t really over what happened with me and P.J.

I didn’t pout the rest of the second half. I sat there and laughed and joked with my teammates. The media said P.J. benched me for the rest of the game. Well, you can’t get benched when you already know you’re not going to play! The articles in the paper made it seem like it was more than what it was.

It was nothing as bad as what they wrote.

P.J. and I walked from the locker room to the bus together after the game. It was two friends who got into an argument. We’ve known each other since I was a freshman at UConn and he was coaching at Seton Hall. It was a disagreement between two friends.

The rest of this year, I’m going to be here to mentor the young guys. The next month or so, I’ll stay in shape – which I have been doing. I’m not taking time off – even during the summer. Because I’m not playing doesn’t mean I’m not going to do anything. I haven’t done that. I’ve been still working out, still running, still practicing.

But I want to stay in shape so I go into summer a step ahead for next year. And I like mentoring these young guys. They respect me and what I have to say. We just finished an East Coast trip and a lot of the guys came to me about how to guard this guy or that guy. Even the coaching staff has asked me for my input.

I have one more year left on this deal and we’ll see which way it takes me. And after that, I’ll sit down with my wife and my family and we’ll discuss our future.

Before the Break

2008-02-12T02:58:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone. It’s Donyell, checking in …

It’s great to be back although I can feel that I’m a little rusty. I think the toughest thing has been getting the timing back. Obviously, missing three months and then coming back and not playing much has been tough. Really, I’ve only played in five games since I’ve been back and I only got meaningful minutes in two of them. So right now, I’m just getting the timing back.

I’m not making excuses, but in the Denver game, my difficulty was catching the ball and getting a rhythm down. People sometimes don’t take into account that when you get back from an injury, rhythm is everything. You look at the Indianapolis Colts – at the end of the season, when Marvin Harrison was out – their biggest concern was getting their timing and their rhythm back.

Sometimes it comes down to little things like just catching the ball. You’re not used to receiving those kinds of passes after you’ve been out for three months. That’s why you have Training Camp – to get back into the thick of things. You play pick-up ball, but you don’t receive the ball in the same way off set plays in a game situation.

So this has been, basically, my second Training Camp. It’s like I’ve had five games and this is my fifth game of the preseason. And right now, it’s been difficult to put me in certain games. The flow is going well, the team is playing well and I don’t quite have the timing down. But you have to find a way to get it back.

There’s a reason I’ve been in the NBA for 14 years, but I’m coming back slowly. I feel like I’m getting better with each game – I think I’ve been rebounding well. Obviously, the shot’s not there, but it’s going to take some time.

I was actually a little nervous when I first got back. Even at this stage of my career, I definitely get nervous when I’m off for awhile and my number gets called. I mean, just look at the famous “wardrobe incident” in Seattle.

I actually was nervous going into that game, but I think the wardrobe malfunction helped ease it. In a way, I could do no wrong in that game because everything was going to be overshadowed by the wardrobe malfunction anyway. I was nervous, but looking back on it, I’m glad I did do it. It helped calm my nerves.

But I do have to straighten out the ESPN report that says I forgot my jersey. That’s not true. My game jersey came off when I took off my warmup top. What’s funny is I didn’t even think about it until I heard the P.A. announcer call the delay of game. I wear an UnderArmor tank top underneath my jersey because the material irritates my skin, and I knew something felt strange when I took the floor.

These last couple games before the All-Star Break are huge. Monday’s win was solid and I finally felt like myself a little bit. I had my best game since coming back. We’ve already put that Denver loss out of our heads.

Denver is one of the teams that get into your head. It goes back to when I wrote about playing well in certain arenas and playing poorly in others. Same thing with teams – some teams you play well against, some teams you don’t.

We’re talking about Denver, but look at Atlanta, look at Charlotte. Those teams play us well for some reason. I don’t know what it is about Denver, but we just struggle with them. Sometimes you can catch yourself going into a game saying, ‘Here we go again.’ But you have to learn to get that out of your head. Obviously, going to Denver is difficult. If you look at the last couple times we went there, it’s either the back end of a back-to-back or the last game of a long road trip. Add the altitude and that game can be very difficult. At home, we just struggle.

It’s just certain teams you have a mental thing for. I’ve always played well against the Sixers, because that’s like a home team from where I grew up. Before and after I was in Toronto, I’ve always played well against them. That’s just the way it is.

I won’t be going to All-Star Weekend this year. Last year I was doing media and that was pretty cool.

This year, I’m not going anywhere near New Orleans. I’m taking the family to the Bahamas. We’re leaving right after the game on Wednesday and we’re taking the kids down there to let them have a little fun. It’s actually perfect timing when you look at the weather in Cleveland right now.

It’ll be cool just to get down there for four days and have some fun. Obviously, you have to work out. (I’ve got my workout clothes, too.)

I’ve been to the Bahamas before, but I really didn’t like it. But that was before the new hotel was built. My wife swears I’m going to like it. We always have a disagreement as far as All-Star Weekend. My ideal for All-Star Weekend is relaxation and sleep all day. Hers is let’s take a vacation and go sight-seeing – and that’s not me.

But either way, I love to spend All-Star Weekend with my kids because I don’t see them a lot during the season. The new hotel – the Atlantis – is really great for kids. They even have a kids’ nightclub that’s open from 7-9 p.m. And my kids know about it and are really looking forward to it. So, it should be fun.

I’ll see you guys on the other side of the break. After Wednesday’s game against the Spurs, that is.

The Balancing Act

2008-01-24T13:10:00.001-05:00

Hey everyone. It’s Donyell, checking in …

The team is doing great right now and we’re feeling pretty good about things. We just need to keep it rolling. Physically, I’m doing well. I’ve been practicing for about two weeks now. The wrist is fine.

Physically, I’ve been cleared to play, but right now, the team is playing really well, and it’s just a matter of not wanting to mess up the rotation. I’ve been practicing and I know the plays. I’m shooting and working out and I just want to keep myself ready until my name is called. I’m ready to go, but right now it’s team first. And that’s what it’s about.

It’s what you have to do. It’s not about being an individual. This is my 14th year in the league and I can’t be selfish. It’s about the team and obviously, I’d rather win than look for personal accomplishments. I would love to play. Everyone likes to play, but right now – it’s 11 out of 13, and nine out of 10 –the team is most important.

One thing that I think we have to feel pretty good about is how we’ve been performing on the road.

I think if you look at the first year I was here, we struggled on the road. Last year we knew how important it was for us to start winning on the road in order for us to be a good team. And we definitely know that now.

I think we did a good job in that last road trip – we got some confidence from that. And this road trip we have coming up is really important. It’s really our last long road trip of the season. And we know it’s important.

Wednesday’s game was big because you want to get some momentum with a very good Phoenix team coming in, and then us going out West for three. So, the win over Washington was very important, and hopefully we can get that Phoenix game on Friday and go out West and get those.

We’re playing well and it’s carrying over to the road. Guys are taking care of their bodies, getting the proper rest and buckling down. On the road, it’s more about defense than offense – and I think our team definitely has that focus.

Sometimes people don’t think that the road can be tough for pro athletes, but it’s a challenge – especially if you’re a parent.

It’s actually more difficult now, as far as the family – because my kids are older. My daughter’s a senior in high school this year and I’m missing a lot of activities that’s she’s a part of. Right now, there’s a conflict because we have a Cavaliers team event and she’s getting honored that day for something she did at school. It’s things like that, and as a parent it can be difficult.

My son actually said to his mom the other day that ‘Dad hasn’t been around a lot.’ When he was younger, he didn’t really worry about that. Now he’s 10 and he plays basketball and I’m missing a lot of his games and he’s starting to really notice that. I’ve been told by people and my wife how much different he plays when I’m actually at the game. He plays more aggressive and he’s more assertive.

I look at my two kids that live in Pennsylvania – they’re used to me not being there, so the road is nothing new. My kids here are probably more affected by it.

I have a son in 10th grade who’s on varsity and I think I’ve only seen him play three times this year. I have a senior (Taylor, 18) and a sophomore (Terrance, 16). I have a eighth-grader (Marquis, 14), a sixth-grader (Paryss, 11), a fourth-grader (Donyell Jr., 10) and a kindergartener (Devynn, 6). All four of the boys play hoops.

They don’t all play like me. My sophomore was more of a small guy who could shoot. But where he’s at, he’s one of the tall guys on the team and I think that I got frustrated by that because they stopped him from shooting the outside jump shot. He’s been playing inside more because he’s one of the taller guys, but he was actually a good shooter when he was younger. Instead of developing all his skills, they put him down low because he’s tall.

My eighth grader is probably going to be more of a “point forward” because he’s played point guard his whole life but he’s going to grow – he’s going to get that growth spurt. And he’s probably going to end up playing point forward.

(This is one reason – at my basketball camp – I make every kid play every position. Because some kids are tall at 10 who won’t be at 15 or 16. And there are kids who are big young, but don’t get that huge growth spurt.)

My sixth grader’s more of a bruiser and I think he’ll wind up playing football before he plays basketball. He has that football-type body and he always talks about wanting to play. I hope he does because I want one of my kids to play football.

And the little one, my fourth grader, played nose tackle in football because he’s so fast getting off the line. But he’s starting to play basketball. He’s starting to get into basketball and really like it because they’re winning this year. He’s a hustler, he’s a rebounder. He blocks shots, he’s physical.

I don’t ever interfere with any of my kid’s coaches. I’m good friends with my youngest sons’ coaches and their kids play on the teams as well – so those three probably get a lot of burn. But I don’t put any pressure on. My oldest son who plays here at Orange, I don’t interfere.

As a parent, obviously I get upset in certain situations, but I don’t interfere. I let the Coach give out the discipline when it’s time for discipline. The Coach calls the plays and play the kids like he wants to.

I’m a pro athlete, but when it comes to my kids, I’m just a regular parent like anyone else.

Time to Get Busy

2008-01-11T13:53:00.000-05:00

Hey, everyone! It’s Donyell, checking in once again …

I hope everybody’s New Year is off to a good start. I’m close to being able to get back to action and I’m really looking forward to it. I actually could have been back by now but, on our recent trip to Toronto, I woke up on Sunday morning and my finger was sore. I went to sleep that night, woke up and had the chills – sweating and stuff like that – woke up Monday morning, looked down, and my finger was infected.

So I had to go to the doctor’s on Monday and get the infection cut out. I don’t even know how I got it. The doctors took a swab of it and the tests came back negative. So, right now, I’m on antibiotics. So we’re waiting for the infection to get done before I start practicing again.

I had actually started practicing, the wrist was feeling good and I was planning on coming back this week or next week sometime. That was before the infection. The infection obviously set me back a little bit, but I’ve been cleared to practice again, so now it’s just a matter of getting a couple practices in and waiting for Coach to feel that he’s comfortable to let me get in.

Physically, the wrist was fine. We had a 20-minute scrimmage with a running clock. Obviously, I was a little winded. I’ve been doing cardio, but it’s nothing like being on the court. So right now, it’s just a matter of getting up and down and getting some shots in game action – at game speed. Obviously, my shot feels good when I’m by myself, with no defenders. So now it’s just a matter of getting some contact going and getting some up-and-down action.

I actually fell during that 20-minute scrimmage and I protected my arm a little bit. But that’s the main reason why I need to practice and fall on it a couple times and get hit – because I can’t go out into the game and worry about it. If I do that, I’ve already lost half the battle. If I’m worried about an injury, I’m not going to play to my full potential.

We’ve been winning and I know Coach Brown is happy with the rotation he has now. How I’m going to fit into that rotation is something I need to sit down and talk to Mike about. Obviously, we’ve been playing good ball lately, and it’s easier to bring someone into the rotation when you’re struggling. So I’m not going to sit here and demand 15-20 minutes a game right away. But obviously, when I come back, I’m going to want to play. But that’s not my call.

I haven’t had a chance to talk to Mike about my situation yet. I don’t know if that’s something he does with every player, but I think it’s something that, personally, as a player – if you want to know, it’s something you have to go find out for yourself. I want to know, because I want to be able to stay ready.

Overall, my job – when I come back – is just to help this team in whatever way I can.

Going through some of the stuff I did last year – and also sitting on the bench at the start of this year – has given me the chance to see things differently. And it’ll be something I’ll sit down and talk to Mike about. Even if I come back and I’m ready to play and Coach feels that he’s not necessarily ready to play me yet because of the rotation, I might even sit out a little longer. Obviously, we have the Injured List and I could continue to be on that. There’s a lot of things to take into account.

On a personal level, I’m very close to returning. But the team is the most important thing, here.

I see myself fitting in different situations within the rotation. I think if you look at the way we’ve played a couple of these games – when you look at LeBron out there leading the point and Andy in there sometimes at the five – I see myself playing the role of the big man who can spread the floor.

I think right now, it’s probably something we’re really missing – especially late in games. And I think that’s where I’ll be able to come in and help this team.

We were disappointed that we dropped Wednesday’s game in Atlanta. But I think if you look at some of those games we did win – like the Toronto game, for example – we had to come back and win those games. And a couple of those games we had to have LeBron take over in the fourth quarter. And you can’t count on that all the time.

And as a team, we can’t always wait until the fourth quarter to make a run. We have to come out and play right from the opening tip. You know the way it works. It’s no different than in any sport. You get a team that’s down – like the Hawks were – and you give them a little confidence, a lot of the shots they normally don’t make, they start making.

Plus, teams scout us, too. They know the fourth quarter is LeBron Time, so they’re going to try to do things that will take the ball out of LeBron’s hand.

Really, I think the biggest key is not to wait until the fourth quarter and try to do it all.

Another problem we’ve been having – and have had in the three years that I’ve been here – has been the third quarter. And we don’t really know why. We need to pick it up as a team. It’s something we know about and we’ve tried different things. We’ve tried to get out earlier after halftime and get some shots up or do warm-up lines. We’ve tried all kinds of things. It’s just, for some reason, our third quarters have been trouble.

But, all in all, as a team I think we’re feeling good. We’re 18-18, and you look at the situations we’ve had this year – with Sasha and Andy and their contract situations. Sasha came back when the season was already started and was behind. Andy came in two months into the season and he was behind. You have my injury, Larry’s injury, E-Snow’s injury. LeBron missed games.

To be 18-18 is not where we want to be, but we’re still right there. If the Playoffs started today, we’d be the 7th seed, but we’re only three our four wins from being the 3rd or 4th seed. All it takes is another run.

We win five or six more games in a row and we’re there. You’re going to drop a few – you’re not always going to win 10 in a row. I think the key is that, at 18-18, you’re pretty much starting from zero. So we start from here and now we have to knuckle down, win six or seven in a row and if we lose, we lose one or two. Then go back and win five or six.

Easier said then done, but in reality, that’s how we’re going to get back into the thick of things.

Getting It Together

2007-12-26T12:02:00.000-05:00

Hey, everyone. It’s Donyell – checking in from the road. I hope everyone had a great Christmas.

It was nice to get a win over Miami on Christmas Day. We’ve been struggling a little bit lately. Obviously, we just need to start coming out and doing the things we did last year and even earlier this year.

We’ve gotten away from our defensive schemes. I think a lot of people wanted to see offense, but we went to the Finals playing defense, and that’s what we have to get back to. Teams have been shooting the ball well and coming out in the first quarter and getting a lot of confidence.

I think once we realize that when we get our defensive mindset back, we’ll get back to the way we’re used to playing. Fans want scoring, but they have to realize that to win a Championship, you’ve got to play defense. You look at last year, we were one of the top defensive teams and right now, we’re near the bottom. We have scorers and we know we can put points up. For us to win, we have to play defense. It’s very simple.

Sometimes to snap out of a stretch like this it just takes one or two games. We had that losing streak in the middle of the month, but right now we’re winning one, losing one, winning one, losing one. And it might take just a two-game run to turn this thing around.

It’s still relatively early in the season, and if you look at the East, it’s still bunched up – and anyone can emerge. You can look at it today and say that Boston and Detroit are the two teams that have the advantage, but it’s bunched up and, in a long season, anything can happen.

You look at last year, when Orlando started 10 games over .500 and barely made the Playoffs. You just have to continue to play and work hard, come to practice every day, and hopefully continue to get better.

We’re not oblivious to the fact that fans have been unhappy with our play at times. We are, too. But we look to each other for support when things get rough. We have the same team back this year – and we’ve said it for the last three years: the only people that really believe in us is us.

When things are going right, fans are cheering; when they’re going wrong, they boo. But the guys in this locker room are going to be here through thick and thin, win or lose. That’s what we realize – that it’s going to be us 15 guys and the coaching staff that’s going to turn this thing around. We have to come in, work hard, get better, help each other’s game, get healthy and try to get back into the hunt.

I’m not going to sit here and say that fans booing doesn’t affect us. And it can get frustrating as an athlete. It’s the fans’ right to boo – and we all realize that – but it can get frustrating. It’s a difficult thing, but that’s the way fans are and it’s our job to play through it. Most of us have been through these situations before and we just have to push it out of our minds and keep playing hard to try and work through this.

I’m really excited to get back out there and help my teammates. My wrist is getting there and I’ve been released to shoot the ball. I’m starting to get back to shooting and I’ll be released for contact within a week or so. And once I get to the contact, it’s just about getting some shots up and getting in game shape.

I’ve been doing cardio, but that’s a big difference from playing basketball. So right now, it’s getting some shots up and once I get released for practice, it’ll just be a matter of time.

It feels pretty good, but obviously, I haven’t shot in almost a month-and-a-half, so right now it’s a little difficult. But it’s starting to come along. I just have to get into a rhythm. Shots now are easy, because I’m by myself. But I have to feel comfortable with guys running at me and on the move, getting banged and things like that.

It gets a little sore now, but that’s just from not using it. But I think it’s slowly getting better every day. And pretty soon, I’ll be back. By then, maybe we’ll get this thing rolling, start getting some wins and get back to business in the East.

Holiday Happenings and the Road to Recovery

2007-12-13T12:05:00.000-05:00

Hey, everyone! It’s Donyell, checking in from Cleveland. The Cavaliers are starting to get healthy again and hopefully I’ll be coming back soon, myself. I see the doctor next week and we’ll go from there. I’m looking forward to being back out there with the guys.

I’m still able to contribute to the team and the community even though I can’t suit up yet. On Wednesday night, I took 30 kids from the Broadway Boys and Girls Club out to Target for a little shopping spree. It’s the second straight year I’ve done it and it really means a lot to me.

You see that people can’t afford things and I look back on last year – I gave kids a gift card and watched them shop. I asked a couple of them what they’re going to get for themselves. And a lot of them don’t get anything for themselves; they bought stuff for their family members. They get things they know their parents wanted.

Last year, the kids got $150 and – this one girl – you could tell she was looking at inserts in the paper because she walked out of there with a shopping cart full of stuff. Then other kids just walk out with an iPod. And that’s great; that’s what this is for. But it’s just good to see the smiles on people’s faces and you’re able to make a person’s day.

I look at my kids’ situations and they can walk into a Wal-Mart and pretty much walk out with what they want to walk out with. And some of these kids are happy to go home with a miniature remote-controlled car. It’s things like that – seeing kids happy for the holidays – which make it all worthwhile.

As to how I’m able to contribute to the team, like I said in my last entry, I can still help out other players because being on the bench with an injury gives you a different perspective on the team.

When you’re a player – even when you’re sitting on the bench – you still tend to wait on getting in the game, waiting for the coach to call your name. Now, I know I’m not going to get called so I’m watching the game for guys setting screens, guys rotating on defense, plays being run right or wrong. And I’m able to talk to guys when they come out of the game.

There are times where a player gets pulled out of the game and they’re not too happy with Coach – and don’t want to listen to the Coach. I’m able to go talk to that person and tell them what they’re doing right or wrong, and they listen because they know it’s coming from a player. They’ll just listen to you more. Sometimes, I’ll yell at guys for not shooting the ball, especially when they’re wide open. I tell them: ‘You complain about not getting shots and you’re getting the shot and passing it up.’

It’s actually a good experience. And if you look at the guys who aren’t playing a lot – if you watch me on the bench – there are times where I’m serious and times when I’m joking around. I’m probably joking around with guys who aren’t playing a lot just to keep the smile on their face, so they don’t get frustrated. I learned that just from my own experiences, going through the last two years – sometimes playing a lot, sometimes not playing a lot.

So now I’m just trying to keep the other guys motivated throughout the game.

Like I said, it feels great now that the team is getting healthier and things starting to take shape. It’s kind of like LeBron said the other night, you don’t want to talk too much, but there were a lot of people talking trash about us at the beginning of the year that without Andy, without Sasha that we’d be about 4-15 right now.

Obviously, we’re 10-12. We had a good winning streak before LeBron got hurt. Then we lost some games in there. But now Andy’s back, Sasha’s back, LeBron and Larry are back healthy. We have to get Boobie and myself healthy, but I think once we get our full team back, people are going to see.

I think what’s helped us out is that we’re 10-12 after going through maybe the toughest part of our season. We’ve done China, we’ve done the West Coast. I think I saw an article that said since we left for China, we haven’t been in Cleveland for longer than 72 hours straight. That’s a rough stretch – the first two months of the season, including Camp and you haven’t been home for three days at a time.

So to be 10-12 right now with everyone coming back healthy, it only helps us out in the long run.

On the Road Again

2007-11-29T11:58:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone! It’s Donyell – checking in from the road. It’s been a while …

Being hurt has been very tough, especially with us shorthanded in the front court. But I’ve tried to contribute as much as I can without actually being out there.

The prognosis was that I’d be back in 6-8 weeks and I just got that last week, so I still have five to seven weeks left. Right now, I can only take the brace off to take a shower. Next week I can take it out a little more often. My return just depends on how the situation unfolds as to when I come back. I don’t think conditioning is going to be a problem because that’s all I can do right now and that’s all I’ve been doing.

Obviously game conditions are different than just running and shooting around, but it’s like the doctor said: 25 percent of people beat the 6-8 weeks, 50 percent of people come back on time, and 25 percent come back after. And that’s the only statistic we have right now.

Being hurt has really sharpened my leadership skills – with a teammate coming out of the game, being able to talk with them. It’s like learning to be an assistant coach. I’m not saying I’m going to retire at the end of this contract and go right into coaching, but there’s still things I can work on in case that happens.

I’ve always said that I’m going to play this game and be done on my own time – not because I’m too old or anything like that. I want to make sure that I have all my tools in place, that I am able to step right in and coach. I just want to have all my avenues open and that’s the reason why I started to go back to school as well, because I wanted to have that opportunity open. I wanted to have this experience in case I wanted to coach. That’s why I’ve been more vocal.

I’ve always had an interest in coaching. One unique thing at my basketball camps is that I’m there all day, every day. I don’t coach all the time, but if there’s a team that needs it, I’ll coach them. I’ve never really decided at what level I’ve wanted to coach yet, but that’s something I’ve always been interested in.

Despite being shorthanded, the mentality of the team right now is great.

In the past, there were times where you might say something to a teammate and they might get upset. But this year, teammates are accepting advice very well. I know guys will come up to me and ask what they could have done differently and what they’re doing right.

When you look at the situations with Andy and Sasha and things could have gone sour early, but this team is playing hard.

I think the core group of guys coming back together for another year has been huge for our relative success, early on. Yes, we do miss Andy. But I think that’s the reason we’re still able to play pretty well. Right now, I think we have the same exact record as we did last year at this time. Yes, we’re missing a key component, but we have guys who have our back.

If you look at our first year together – three years ago – Andy was hurt in the first part of the season, and we still won 50 games that year. And I’m not trying to count Andy out, but we’ve been here before. And that’s part of the approach that we’re taking. We talk and we all agree that it’s going to be tough without Andy. But this core group played without Andy before, and that’s what’s helping us out right now.

Tuesday’s win over Boston was really big. Even though it’s early, it’s big. People have been kind of handing Boston the East, and when we won that game, I think we were letting people know that the Eastern Conference still goes through us. And Sunday’s game in Boston is going to be another huge game. I think this stretch is a very huge stretch for us, considering that it’s Toronto, Indiana, Boston, Detroit, Toronto, Boston, New Jersey and Washington.

These are all teams that we feel are going to be in the Playoffs and we might meet in the Playoffs. So even though it’s early, this is a very important stretch in our season.

A lot of people thought that the West Coast trip was going to get us and we came back 3-3 from that trip. And we’re 4-1 in this stretch, so hopefully we can keep it going.

Being on the road like this, you come into all the arenas you’ve had history in. Different arenas have different effects on you.

For some people, it’s, ‘Hey, we’re in New York. Look who’s in the stands – I’m going to go out here and play well.’ Or you’re in L.A. or Miami or anyplace like that. Or some players go to a place like Milwaukee and they’ll say, ‘Man, I don’t know about this.’ It could be the lighting in the arena. It could be a dingy feeling where it just doesn’t wake you up.

Some of it is the crowd in the arena. Years ago, you’d go to Cleveland and there was like 4,000-5,000 fans there and you’re trying to play a basketball game and there’s no energy – no nothing.

Unfortunately, it’s a mentality. I don’t play well in the Palace – never have. And that’s always in the back of your mind. You’re thinking, ‘Man, can I just get one good game here.’

I’ve had some great games in Philly, and I think that’s because its home and I usually have family and friends in the stands. Personally, I’ve had some good games in Milwaukee. Toronto – as an opponent – I’ve had some great games. Minnesota’s always been good, and I think that’s because of stuff that went down when I was a rookie.

That’s the way it is when a team kind of treats you wrong. It fades after a while, but the first couple times back, you really want to stick it to them.

Let's Get It On

2007-10-31T04:11:00.000-04:00

What’s up, everyone. This is Donyell, checking in on Opening Day.

It’s hard to believe the season is already here, even though you could say that was a long preseason …

Our record was not good, but I think if you look at last year, we were in the same boat. We had two wins and one of them was against a European team – Maccabi Tel Aviv – which is not really even a legit victory. And I think if you look at the situations – we were playing our third-string free agents late in the game, and teams made some runs on us.

We used the preseason games the way you’re supposed to: getting back in sync, learning to play as a team, getting in some conditioning and work on defensive and offensive stuff. And I think that’s what we did.

If you look at Miami, they were 0-7. There are a lot of teams that didn’t do well in preseason. Last year, Dallas didn’t do well in the preseason, lost their first four games and won 50 of their next 55. We know it’s going to be tough, but we can’t look at the preseason to tell us that.

We have the “X” on our back now and teams from the East are going to try to take what we have. There are teams out there thinking that what we did last year was a fluke.

We know it’s going it’s going to be a tough start to the season. We open up with Dallas and go right on the road for a six-game-in-eight-day road trip out West. A lot of people are thinking that’s going to be our season. But that’s not going to be our season.

It’ll be good to get that trip out of the way. It would be one thing if we started the season off poorly and looked at the schedule and saw that trip coming. If we start out slow, we know we have that trip out of the way and we have a good schedule the rest of the season.

It’s strange opening the season without Anderson and as far as how that will affect me in the rotation, I don’t know what’s going through Coach’s mind. I know I’m going to have to earn minutes. I’m going to have to go out there and play effectively every night. And I can’t think about Andy not being here. I have to go out and perform and play well.

I’m older now and the body’s not what it used to be. But I can still play this game. I know I’m going to be called on to do different things. My game’s not always to score 10 or 11 points. Sometimes, it’s going to be the little things. Rebounding, playing good, hard defense, showing on pick and rolls and knocking down some shots.

I hope to do a little of all of those on Wednesday night. This is my 14th opener, and this one’s probably a little different. This one, I’m actually excited about. I know the Eastern Conference Championship banner is going up – a first for the franchise and a team I was on.

This is as excited as I’ve been since my rookie season.

Close Call in Macao

2007-10-19T08:15:00.000-04:00

What’s up, everyone back home. Our trip to China is winding down, and this week, I had a pretty strange and scary situation come up.

Ater practice was over on Thursday, a couple of us were planning on going to Hong Kong. So we were looking at prices for the helicopter to see how fast it would get us over and get us back. Then, Coach pulled me over and said, “I’ve got some bad news.” And, at first, I thought he was joking. But he wasn’t. He said, “They lost your passport.”

I got angry at first, but I kind of loosened up when they told me I had to go to Hong Kong to get the passport, because I figured while I’m over there I’ll just stay for a while. (It’s about a 45-minute boat ride and a 15-minute helicopter ride.)

Marvin (Barnes) – the Cavaliers head of security – was telling me to hurry up, that we have to get over there because it’s a national holiday in Hong Kong on Friday. They have it twice a year – I think it’s called National Grave Cleaning Day, where you go to the cemetery and clean your loved one’s or ancestor’s graves. They have picnics there and everything. The whole city shuts down. So if I didn’t get my passport on Thursday, I wouldn’t have gotten it at all.

I had to fill out paperwork in the NBA offices. After that I had to go to the police station in Macao. I was in the police station for three hours and they wouldn’t let me leave the country. They’re telling me there’s a procedure I have to follow, and it’s going to take a couple days. Of course, we’re leaving Saturday and I don’t have “a couple days.”

The Consulate called and told them to release me. We got the paper work done so I could get out of the country. When I got to Hong Kong, immigration was there with the Consulate so I can get into the country. The woman at the Consulate agreed to stay a little longer, and I got my passport about 7:30 at night.

I flew over to Hong Kong on a helicopter. It was my first time on a helicopter and I was actually kind of scared at first. But once we got up in the air, it was pretty cool. It was a twelve-seater, not one of those “bubble” helicopters that you see on TV. It was a good experience – you have a lot of little islands and boats and like 300 big cargo ships in the bay near Hong Kong.

Hong Kong’s a beautiful city, too. There’s buildings on top of buildings. It’s way different than Shanghai. They say it’s like New York, and it is like New York. I actually made a little trip out of it. And I took the 10:30 helicopter back.

I know a lot of guys are going to Hong Kong right after Friday’s practice. Even if you only get over there for a couple hours, you can say you’ve been in that city. And I was glad I got a chance to do that.

Even with the problems on Thursday, the whole trip has been a cool experience. The people have been great – very receptive.

I think I’ve lost about five or six pounds since I’ve been here. I know a lot of the guys have talked about losing weight, as well. It’s not that the food is bad; it’s just different. And we haven’t eaten as much as we normally do. We’ve been practicing hard and just not eating normally.

But when people from other countries come to the States, I’m sure they find our food really different as well. And you know, you’re scared to try stuff at first. If I wasn’t sneaking in a McDonald’s here and there, I probably would have lost more than the five pounds.

The fans here are really incredible. Preseason games back home, yeah they’re necessary. But they can be kind of boring. Here, people are cheering. They’re really into it. The fans here make everybody feel like they’re a superstar. If you do something well – no matter who it is – they cheer for you and they have a good time.

I feel big here. I feel real good. I love it – for real. They had a big billboard of me in Shanghai. People around see me and they say, “Marshall! Marshall!” It’s great. I’m surprised at how well people know me over here. They’re calling LeBron “The Little Emperor” on this trip. Maybe I can be “The Mini Emperor.”

This trip has really made me appreciate where I’m at. You take basketball for granted sometimes. When we landed in Shanghai, I turned to my wife and smiled because I look back at what basketball has brought me. I don’t have to struggle. My kids don’t have to struggle. Maybe it took coming to China to show me what basketball has brought me.

It’s been great. I’m really glad we came.

Get Out of Town

2007-10-15T12:59:00.000-04:00

Greetings from Shanghai, everyone. It’s already been a trip – in every sense of the word.

Going to the huge outdoor market was really great. We read a lot in advance about negotiating with the street vendors, so it was fun doing that as well as just walking around. I felt like I was like LeBron or Kobe or Shaq – with people following me around. I don’t really go through that kind of thing in the States. To be here and everyone coming up to you, it was pretty interesting.

I’ve been really just taking in the whole city – the crazy traffic patterns, the structures of the high-rises. I just put my headphones on and walked around the city on Sunday.

I think it’s good for the team to get out of town for the camaraderie, but it’s also an excellent chance for us to see a different part of the world. I got into the hotel yesterday and was just amazed – even being in the league for 14 years – at what basketball has brought me. I would have never thought I’d be in Taiwan this summer. I never would have thought I’d be in Shanghai. I was with USA Basketball, but it was a different experience. Now I can come to a place like this and afford to get things and have fun in a different country halfway across the world. And it’s an amazing feeling.

Being on the road with the guys, we always say throughout the year that we only have each other. And when you’re over here, that’s really all we have. We’re the only people who understand each other, really. So it’s a good time to bond as a team. The food is different, so most of us go out to eat together. It’s a great place to bond.

You can tell by the response here in China that basketball is becoming a world sport. I don’t know if it’ll ever replace soccer, because if you go to Brazil, for example, that’s a soccer country – even though they’re starting to put out some really good basketball players. Yesterday, I’m sitting in my hotel room and ESPN International is talking about football, and I’m getting ready to watch a football game – until I remembered that they’re talking about soccer.

Being in Taiwan earlier this summer got me somewhat prepared to travel here to Asia. But Shanghai is completely different – the buildings, the structures, the people. Taiwan has a ton of shopping and I haven’t done too much shopping here. There, there was a huge mall on every block, but here I just picked up a couple of suits.

My wife is here with me, and she’s enjoying it. Anytime she can go shopping, she’s enjoying any experience. She’s more of a sight-seer, which is what she’s doing right now. I think that’s what I’ll do when we finish practice. And I’ll catch up with you a little later this week.

Summer is Winding Down

2007-09-26T15:00:00.000-04:00

Hello Everyone!

The summer is winding down and training camp is just around the corner. Let me tell you how excited I am to begin! The Cavaliers built a brand new state-of-the-art player development center called Cleveland Clinic Courts. It's not too far from downtown and is actually a little closer to my house. I've been here working out already and it is a really great place. There have been several of my teammates and even some free agents working out there too, so we've been able to get some good pick up games going. Hopefully it will be one of the factors that will bring us back to the NBA Finals this year.

Soon after camp starts, we are going to China for two preseason games against the Orlando Magic. We will visit Shanghai and Macau. Some of you might recall that I went to Taiwan earlier this summer. I am looking forward to going back, but not looking forward to the jet lag. Our schedule is very tough to open up the season. We start with Dallas and three days later we're on a nine-day road trip out West. It will be a good test for us.

We are really going to build on what we did last season. All the guys are focused and ready to get to work...I know I am!

Peace,

Donyell

On My Way to Taiwan

2007-08-07T18:12:00.000-04:00

Hi Everybody!

I can't believe the summer is almost over. Making it to the Finals definitely made the off season a whole lot shorter. But I've been making the most of my time since the Finals ended. Most of July I had my annual boys and girls camps in Reading, PA. It was another good year. I had a lot of fun working with the kids and spending time with my family back home. I also followed my AAU teams closely. We were really young this year, but we played well and ended up losing in the first round of the tournaments in Las Vegas at the endo of July. My teams' names are Donyell Marshall Foundation 1 and 2.

We are working hard to improve the website. Make sure you check back very soon to see the new design and all the new features. I also have a fundraising event coming up called Nothing But Net. I'll post the information soon for those who'd like to get involved.

I'm on my way to Taiwan. I'll be there for the NBA Madness Tour and while I'm there I'll have the opportunity to make appearances on behalf of the NBA to various basketball clinics. I'll be teaching basketball skills to young kids and maybe make a couple of speeches to the youth about life and basketball. I will also tour the country and meet with NBA sponsors from Asia and basically welcome them to the NBA family. I'll be very busy out there but I look forward to it. That's all for now, gotta take a nap to get ready for my trip!

Bye for now...I'll tell you all about my trip when I get back...

Peace,

Donyell

Reflection on the NBA Finals

2007-06-15T18:13:00.000-04:00

Hi Everybody!

Getting to the NBA Finals was an incredible experience. Obviously, it didn’t turn out the way we wanted it to. For my family to experience it, and for what I’ve been through in my career – as far as all the ups and downs – it was tremendous. So, to be a key part to a team that makes it to the Finals – especially in a city that’s never been there – no matter what happened in the end, it was a wonderful feeling. They talk about ‘bittersweet’ – but I never really understood it until today. Obviously, I’m bitter because we lost, 0-4. But it was sweet to be here and experience something that a lot of people play 15, 16, 17 years and never experience at all. So I think it was a good run.

I think the biggest disappointment was not being able to give the fans of Cleveland just one win. It would have been nice for them to be able to celebrate something.

I know a lot of people look at the five that we had out there at the start of the fourth in Game 4 – me, Andy, Damon, LeBron and Daniel – as probably a crazy lineup. I can’t say what we really call that unit, but that’s our “Don’t Give a Damn Team.” We just go out there and play. We don’t have exactly the best defensive players out there – but we talk, we help each other and half of the stuff we do isn’t in the playbook. We just go out and play and at that time – knowing that we had maybe 12 minutes to go in the season – we tried our best to go out there and extend our season. It just didn’t happen.

There was a reason many of us came here a couple years ago as free agents, and that’s because we thought this was a team that could win a Championship. It usually takes a couple years for a team to gel, but we gelled faster than a lot of people thought. But that’s because we’re a good group of guys and we genuinely like each other.

Last year, we were the big signings and maybe we didn’t have the seasons that people thought we should have, but we did what we were supposed to do: we got to the Championship. We didn’t win it, but we got there. And we feel that we can get back here.

We’re not satisfied, obviously. And we didn’t have a good showing in the Finals. But we’re going to try our best to get back and next time, have a better performance.

This season easily ranks No. 1 in my 13-year career. Maybe I didn’t get the playing time I wanted to or score like I wanted to. But it definitely ranks No. 1. Your goal in basketball is to win a Championship. I know they say that nobody remembers who finished in second place, but to be one of only two teams playing in the month of June – for me, it doesn’t matter what happened throughout the season. That’s what you dream about.

Peace,

Donyell

Ready for the Pistons

2007-05-23T18:14:00.000-04:00

Hi Fans!

Well it's the end of May and I am certainly happy to be beginning the third round of the playoffs. The Eastern Conference Finals is the farthest I've ever gotten in my career. We are excited to be here. For those of you who didn't watch, we beat the Nets in a 6-game series. We just happened to clinch the series on my birthday and I had 18 points in 18 minutes. What else could I ask for? That was the best birthday present ever!

Now here we are beginning another round and we are taking on the Pistons for the second year in a row. Last season we fell just short in a long and grueling 7-game series and I hope this time we'll be the team moving on. It's going to be a tough, physical, defensive-oriented series. Last night was Game 1...we came into the Palace of Auburn Hills and almost took the victory. We play again on Thursday...Make sure you watch.

Until next time...peace,

Donyell

Round 2 Here We Come

2007-05-07T18:14:00.000-04:00

Hi Everyone!

Round 2 of the playoffs! I hope you are as excited as my teammates and I are. We have 5 days off between the first and second rounds so we were very happy to play yesterday afternoon. But it was nice to be able to take the days off in between rounds to prepare for New Jersey. They are a tough team. This series is going to be very competitive so make sure you tune in and watch.

Four of the teams I have played for in my career are still in the playoffs (Cleveland, Chicago, Golden State and Utah). I am really happy for Adonal Foyle from Golden State. We played together for three years when I was in Golden State. That team has really been playing well at the right time and it was great for them to be able to beat the number one seeded Dallas after being out of the playoffs for so long.

Well, I gotta run...it's almost practice time. We play again tomorrow before heading out to New Jersey. Wish us luck...Talk to you all soon...

Donyell

First Round Opponent - Washington

2007-04-23T18:15:00.000-04:00

Hey Everybody!

The NBA season has come to an end and we are one game into the playoffs. We drew Washington in the First Round and we beat them the first game. I'm looking forward to the rest of the series. It should be interesting to see what happens. Hopefully everybody on our team will stay healthy and we can go deep into the playoffs. It's a great time of year! The weather in Cleveland is getting warmer...and the level of play is hotter too. You have to bring your "A Game" to the NBA postseason because everything is more intense. It's like a brand new season to all the teams because it doesn't matter what your record was in the regular season...we all have an equal chance at winning the NBA Championship. So stay tuned everyone...it's going to be exciting.

Other than that things are going well. I'm busy with my family and planning my summer activities and basketball camps when I'm not playing ball. Should be a busy off season for me...I have also decided to go back to college at UConn to finish my degree that I didn't get because of my early entry into the NBA. I feel like it's important for me and I'm excited to get started. Thanks for checking in again...I'll write again soon.

Peace,
Donyell

Back From Vegas

2007-03-16T18:16:00.000-04:00

Hi Everyone,

I'm so glad to finally be back on line and in touch with all of you. It's been a very busy season for me and my teammates. We've definitely been on a bit of a roller coaster, but since the All Star break everything seems to be falling into place and the team is picking up steam going into the playoff push. I'm looking forward to finding out which team we will end up playing in the first round. It's still way too early to tell because all of the teams are very close record wise. It doesn't really matter which team we play, the playoffs are a totally different atmosphere and a time that all of us look forward to.

I went to Las Vegas for the All Star break and was able to get some good broadcasting experience working for a local tv show. Broadcasting is a career I am considering when I retire. It was a hectic weekend, but I had a good time while we were there.

The summer is coming and that means I'll be busy with my annual basketball camps. All the information is currently posted on this website. I would love to see you there!

Until next time...Peace.

Donyell

10,000 Points!

2006-11-19T18:17:00.000-05:00

Fans it's me again. First off I would like to say hello and that I am excited that I scored my 10,000th point on November 7th against the Atlanta Hawks. Although that was a very good night for me personally we lost. We lost 2 in a row but it is still early in the season. This is one of the best teams I have ever been on and we have remained positive. We hope that you the fans remain positive as well.

As we are going to have ups and downs during this season, our goal is and will always be the same, to win the championship. Well thanks for now and keep cheeking in. I must go now, my family is having a little celebration for me.

Thanks again for being the best fans.

Now I'm Cookin'!

2006-10-07T18:18:00.000-04:00

Hey fans,

I'm back again to give you an update. First I would like to say thanks for everyone that has seen the website so far, I hope everyone likes it, and I would like to say thanks for all the nice and kind emails about the website. My web team has been doing a great job.

Now to give you some updates. I have been working out all summer and for the past months myself and teammates have been playing at the Q. I am very excited for the up and coming season. We start practice Oct 3rd. Boy I can't wait.

I have also recently been involed in a celebrity chef cookout for charity at Benihana's, boy was that a lot of fun. That is one of my favorite resturants and my kids love it also. They always ask to go. But to be able to actually go there and cook the food was amazing. Also got to wear some cool aprons that kids made for us to wear, mine got the most money for a cool thousand dollars. Well fans that's all for now. Check back later as I give more updates on how training camp is going. We are ready to make this a fun year hopefully you are ready for the ride as well.

Thanks again.
Donyell

Welcome!

2006-07-19T18:21:00.000-04:00

Dear Fans,

First I would like to welcome you to my Web site and my very first Journal Entry. I am very excited to have this web site and be able to stay in contact with you, “My Fans”. I do apologize that it took me so long to bring a web site to my loyal fans, but I do thank you from the bottom of my heart for your patience and support. And with that let's get started.

For the past few weeks I have been having Basketball camps. I had one week of Girls camp that just finished its ninth year, and one week of boys camp which just finished its thirteenth year. I had a very exciting time with the kids as always, and I love to see the kids improve from the first day of camp till the last day of camp. We have photos of all award winners from the camps, so please feel free to check them out as well as the fan of the month.

That’s all for now so please check back often as I will be updating you, my fans with information in regards to where I am and what I’m doing as much as possible. I’m off to Las Vegas to support my AAU teams, so please cheer my team on from afar. Again, thank you for your support and being so patient with me.