Hoops

Last week, we let Gabriel stay up and watch his first professional basketball game on TV. It was the Portland Trailblazers and he loved it! So much so that it took us an additional hour to get him settled down enough to go to sleep afterwards. 

Anytime he sees a game (usually on YouTube by his request) he runs and finds his basketball and then proceeds to 'practice' while he watches the game.

I mentioned to Steve that he should start coaching him. He said, "I don't need to yet. He is teaching himself and already has great form." The two of them love playing together. Steve insists that he isn't brainwashing him into loving basketball. I agree. It's all Gabriel. Gabriel has pretty consistent shots in the basket at home. He has really come a long way since September when he got the new basketball hoop. He has figured out that he needs to defend the ball, how to shoot with one hand, he even palms the ball. When we are at Steve's school, after he is done coaching a game, we let Gabriel have the run of the court. He throws the ball at the basket and then immediately starts running to the other side. It is so hard to believe that he knows to do that at 2!

So with that said, welcome to my living room. Here is a video of Gabriel getting ready for the game. Enjoy!

Maybe someday, he and his buddy Brae, will play professionally together. Who knows? Only the Lord does!


P.S. The comment by me about the soccer ball is a family joke. When my parents visited last year, my dad noticed that Gabriel had several basketballs and threatened Steve (jokingly) that he was going to get him a soccer ball. One evening he did get one. Dad brought it in and gave it to Gabriel and Steve calmly replied, "Wow son, isn't that a great black and white basketball?" It was so funny! So we occasionally affectionately call a soccer ball a black and white basketball.