Opening Ceremonies were definitely memorable! According to the Chinese alphabet, we were around 140 out of more than 200 countries, so we had to wait in our "holding tank" for quite some time. Before moving into the gym to be staged for our entrance, we had the awesome opportunity to meet the President, the First Lady, and the former President [George H. Bush] of the United States. We got some great pictures with the President and some of the NBA stars. Once we were in the gym, we tried to stay cool in our blazers and long sleeved shirts, but were pretty unsuccessful. It was hot.

 

Walking into the stadium is one of the most amazing things you could ever do. Waving at the American flags, seeing the President in the stands, and watching my fellow athletes get excited was unbelievable. There were other athletes around me jumping around and saying, "How COOL is this?" I remembered walking in Athens and having every emotion hit me all at once - I looked like a blubbering fool.

 

Today [Monday] we play China, and we're excited to finally get the show on the road. The Chinese will be a tough opponent - playing at home in the opening game.