matches were heavily curtailed because of outfield conditions.Andy Pycro

DAngelo Russell had to say something. After all, his favorite player was right there, standing a few feet away, on the same court -- someone he had studied for years, devouring countless hours of footage, then rewinding and playing it again before trying to mimic it on the court.For years, Russells friends and family couldnt quite understand his adoration. The player he had long admired wasnt one of the NBAs biggest stars. He didnt play for a major-market team. He didnt even start.To Russell, none of that mattered, and when the games action paused for a pair of free throws during one of their matchups last season, the Los Angeles Lakers point guard, then a rookie, made his move and approached his idol the same way a fan might.Man, Russell told Spurs guard Manu Ginobili.?Its a pleasure to be out here with you.Russell cant remember what Ginobili said in return, but for Russell, the moment was cool enough.I was like, Damn, he said, because he was one of my favorite players growing up.Growing up in Louisville, Kentucky, Antonio Russell Jr., like many his age, pledged allegiance to Kobe Bryant, but when it came time to pick sides, his younger brother went in a different direction.He used to tell me that his favorite player was Manu Ginobili, Antonio Jr. said. He always used to be like, Manu Ginobili, Manu Ginobili, Manu Ginobili.Antonio Jr.s response: Whoa.For years, Antonio Russell Sr. considered his 6-foot-5 son to be a blend of Jalen Rose and Lamar Odom, two left-handers with size who could handle the ball and do a bit of everything. He soon noticed that DAngelo just wasnt as interested in those players -- or anyone else -- as he was in Ginobili, an acrobatic lefty with court vision and, above all, a fearless nature.As time went on, I saw him pattern his game [after him] and doing the things that Ginobili does, Antonio Sr. said.DAngelo Russell studied film of Ginobili, trying to learn whatever he could.Yeah, basically everything Ginobili did, said Jamie Johnson, a childhood friend. He tried to watch how Ginobili moved off the ball -- just everything, as far as IQ-wise too, because Ginobili, of course, isnt the fastest guy. [DAngelo] understood that he wasnt fast either, so he tried to find players that were similar to him.Thats perhaps the largest reason Russell came to admire Ginobili so much: He believed Ginobilis style was one that he could emulate because their bodies, athleticism and skill sets seemed similar.See, its different when you ask who your favorite player was. You can say those American guys who made their name, like Kobe and Allen Iverson and Shaq and all those types of guys, he said. But I really look at it and say, if I could model my game after somebody [it would be Ginobili].Russell explained further by saying that if a player wanted to emulate, say, Dwyane Wade, he might focus more on pump-faking and midrange jumpers. If that player liked Bryant, precision footwork would be a priority. It depends what suited that specific player.You try to go to what youre accustomed to, he said. And Manu was never as athletic, but he could really pass the ball. He could score the ball, and he was just so unpredictable, and he was a lefty, so he was a player that I really prided myself on being.Throughout Russells youth, it seemed the Spurs were always in the NBA Finals, and Ginobili always seemed to be making a huge impact as a spark off the bench, helping San Antonio win four championships after he joined the team in 2002. For years, Russell followed the wily Argentinian, wondering how Ginobili remained so comfortable as a backup and seemed so ready coming into games, so bursting with energy.When he gets in the game, its like, the whole persona of the game just changes, he said. I was like, man, if I can pride myself into being like that, just being a guy thats so unpredictable that even at the age hes at now [39], hes so hard to guard.More than that, Russell said Ginobili was one of the first players to popularize the Eurostep dribble.Ever since then, everybody really started doing it, he said.As a rookie, Lakers staffers showed Russell footage of Ginobili, particularly how the Spurs ran plays to get him the ball -- a film assignment that didnt take much coaxing.He was just, like, so fiery, and he makes winning plays, and hes so unpredictable, so its hard for teams to scout him, he said.Russell hopes to develop all those traits, but theres one, above all, that he wants from his idol.Just the energy he has, he said. When he gets in the gym, I dont know, hes always ready. Its hard to come off the bench and be ready all the time. Hes always ready, and thats a skill. Cheap Air Max 97 White China . -- Mike Smith never saw his first NHL goal go in. Cheap Air Max 97 All Gold China . Aaron Harrison scored a 22 points for Kentucky (6-1), which has won four in a row following a Nov. 12 loss to current No. 1 Michigan State. Julius Randle overcame a scoreless first half and added his sixth double-double in as many games with 14 points and 10 rebounds. http://www.cheapairmax97fromchina.com/cheap-air-max-97-pink-china/ . -- Teemu Selanne scored the first goal of his 22nd NHL season, and the Anaheim Ducks extended the best start in franchise history with their fifth straight victory, 3-2 over the Calgary Flames on Wednesday night. Air Max 97 Sale Mens . Bradwell was scheduled to become a free agent Tuesday. Born and raised in Toronto, Bradwell is entering his sixth CFL season, with all six played for his hometown Argonauts. Cheap Air Max 97 Grey China . -- Mike Smith never saw his first NHL goal go in. The ICC has handed official warnings under its pitch and outfield monitoring process to Kingsmead in Durban and the Queens Park Oval in Port of Spain. Kingsmead hosted the first Test between South Africa and New Zealand from August 19 to 23, and the Queens Park Oval the fourth Test between West Indies and India from August 18 to 22. Both matches were heavily curtailed because of outfield conditions.Andy Pycroft and Ranjan Madugalle, the match referees for the two Tests, both rated the outfields poor in their official reports.Madugalle and Geoff Allardice, the ICCs general manager, reviewed CSAs response to the poor rating, while Allardice and match referee David Boon reviewed WICBs response.Since this was the first occasion either ground had received a poor ratingg, the grounds stood to receive either a warning or a fine not exceeding USD 15,000, along with a directive for appropriate corrective action.ddddddddddddThe sanctions take into account Durban and Port of Spain venues history of producing good conditions for international cricket and commitment by both the boards to take appropriate steps to ensure similar events are not repeated in future, an ICC release said.In all, 11 sessions out of 15 were lost to a wet and soft outfield at Kingsmead. Only 22 overs of play were possible in the Port of Spain Test, with no play at all on days two, three, four and five despite largely sunny weather. ' ' '