1. Find a good spot. This means guys that are on your level or better. You're not going to get any better by beating up on your little brother or sister. It's better to find a game in your neighborhood or gym.
2. Develop a game plan. Think about how you want to play. Do you want to penetrate, shoot, or just pass the ball around. It's good to think about this before hand.
3. You usually have to wait for "ups", your turn to play. Try to get on as good of a team as possible. There's always a guy who thinks he is Kobe Bryant, yet lacks the talent. Watch out.
4. Wear sensible shoes. Whatever feels good will work. In general, try to look cool and you will play better.
5. When your waiting for the game to start, don't try to impress people by attempting to dunk the ball or jumping up and grabbing the rim. Just spin the ball on your finger or watch to see what the guys playing have. Stretch or whatever. If you can dunk, do it in the game.
6. Mark a guy that you can hang with. If you're a skinny guy, watch out for dudes built like Barkley. You'll wind up getting pounded in the paint all night, which is not fun.
7. Take what the defense gives you. If he plays you tight, drive around him. Too loose, shoot on him. If he overplays you, find the open man.
8. Same thing on defense. If your guy can't shoot but likes to drive, step back and give up the shot. If he can't drive, step up. If he can only dribble to his right, make him go left.
9. Keep it simple. Learn how to make crisp passes with the proper rotation. Don't force anything. Don't throw behind the back passes that hit somebody in the face.
10. The best way to defend your guy is with a simple hand check. You can still watch the ball and basically make the dude go wherever you want, if you're strong enough.
11. Shoot correctly. Finger pad control, backspin, follow though. Keep you head square to the basket.
12. Use simple moves well. A good crossover dribble goes a lot further than trying to do what ever Iverson did last night.
13. Use your left. Shooting with your opposite hand, you have to raise the opposite knee. It takes time to learn but is effective.
14. Rebounds and outlet passes make the game better.
15. Keep playing when you're down big because comebacks are always possible. When you're up, play defense.

can i get a hoot hoot?

This week's comic is here.

Other stuff:

The paper interviewed BORF this week in jail. A good short writeup of what I'm talking about is here if you don't know what I'm talking about.

Anyway, they sent someone in to interview him, and they let me illustrate the story. The illustration I did for it is here. They also ended up using a snippet of it for this week's cover. Pretty sweet.

Also also, I'm going to have a big ass painting in this art show that is opening on Mardi Gras day (the 28th). The show is called "Arty Gras", and is a showing of Louisiana artists (some displaced, some not) from all disciplines. Painters, sculptors, photographers - all willing and trusting enough to send their art to DC. Proceeds from each sale will go to benefit Habitat for Humanity or BRAF.

Show opens on Tuesday February 28 with a big Mardi-Gras party from 7:30 pm until 11 pm & runs until March 19. It's at the Warehouse.

I'm not going to be able to make it to the opening cos I'm going to drive down to New Orleans tomorrow morning for Mardi Gras, but the painting I did for it is about 5 feet wide and 3.5 feet tall and looks like a large children's book drawing depicting Noah's arc with a bunch of animals on a boat laughing at other animals drowning. Noah is one of those Fisher Price bath tub guys, but with a beard. It's kind of ruthless, but I find it funny. I just hope it isn't taken in the wrong way. It's not intended to offend. Plus I had the idea for this painting well before Hurricane Katrina, so really I don't see it as a total reference to that. Fits in pretty well though I think. I'll post a picture later tonight if I can...

I'll also hopefully have a few comics mounted there as well. Would like to be there for the opening, but am going to go home for Mardi Gras for the first time in 5 years?! Could that be right? Jeez.

Anyway, it's going to be a big surreal group hug and I'm pretty excited about it. Is anyone else going to be around? Who's all going?

To anyone thinkin' bout swingin' round my way Friday night, I present an extra special (and completely optional) challenge: I have recently begun a quest for the best tiramisu in the city. You think you know where to get and/or make some bomb @$$ tiramisu then bring it to tha party. If I taste it and agree that your tiramisu is in fact THE bomb-diggy, I'll totally make out with you...or give you a high five. Now I don't want suggestions, I want to taste the sucka, so just bring it.

That's all.

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