Reflections

By Adonal Foyle

Personally, this was a good season for me. I played in all 82 games after playing just 48 games in the 2006-07 season despite being healthy all season. It was the first time since the 2002-03 season that I played all 82 games. So it's nice to know that I can still do that. As you get older, it becomes more and more difficult to stay in shape and go to work. But I still enjoy the NBA, I still enjoy the game and I enjoyed my new teammates in Orlando. I'm 33 years old, but I still feel like I'm learning. I'm learning something new everyday from the younger guys and from the coaching staff. And I think that's a mark of being in a field that still inspires me. And that is very exciting.

Thinking back to when I first arrived in Orlando and meeting my new teammates, they always found ways to keep me on my feet. They always made me laugh because I was always on the verge of killing one of them. I was the oldest guy on the team, so they called me "Grandpa" or "Gramps". They made fun of me all the time. They made fun of my accent, they made fun of everything I said. It was definitely something different from what I experienced at Golden State. But the Magic are a younger team. So, they kept me young and they kept me fresh. They taught me not to take myself so seriously. They guys just have a really good disposition. I think I spent more time laughing here than at any other season in my career. The guys were winning, they always chuckled, they were optimistic and they were just a bunch of crazy people. And it was wonderful to be a part of that.

It was also a great thing to see Dwight Howard have his best season of his young career. He works hard in practice and he wants to get better every game. One thing I try to do more than anything else is to let Dwight know that he is really, really good. I tried not to give him anything that may come easy for him at practice. That way, it will teach him to be mentally tough. I would even foul him or get him to get mad at me. I think those are the things that were important in his growth. Dwight really needs to know how good he is. I tell him all the time how good he is because it's true. He is a remarkable athlete. He's gifted with astonishing ability. He also needs to be told when he's not doing well. And I think I've been able to tell him both sides during the course of this season. I give him a lot of credit for taking as much as he did, learning from assistant coach Patrick Ewing and taking everything to heart. Patrick is arguably one of the best centers to play the game. And the two were able to talk and formulate strategies before every game. And that was a wonderful thing.

I have to make a decision very soon whether or not I should opt out of my contract or exercise my option and return to the Magic. Unfortunately, there won't be a whole lot of information given to me to help me with this decision. You don't know how teams are really going to shape up until players are drafted and free agents are signed. And my deadline to opt out is June 15. With that said, it almost feels like you're making a decision blindfolded. I really had a wonderful time being part of the Orlando Magic. And I am definitely giving that a thorough look. I'll also see how things stack up in this short period of time and see what my options are.

This summer, I won't be traveling as much as I normally do during the offseason. I want to finish my Master's at John F. Kennedy University. I want to be closer to home while I'm training. Last year I had an appendectomy so it really cut into my time to workout. So, just being able to train close to home, go to school and being a regular kid again is going to be a lot of fun.

As the founder of my charity, the Kerosene Lamp Foundation, we're also launching our first essay contest, "Express Yourself", in Canouan. So, it's going to feel good to go back to the Caribbean and continue giving something back to my home island.

- Adonal