Hey, fam,

Check out my latest interview on page 2 of ESPN.com - I ride around with an interviewer from ESPN and talk about all things me. Also, there’s a little shout out to the BALL DON’T LIE camp.

What up, people? I know I’ve been out of commission for a minute, but I’m back. I’ll be hitting you with some thoughts on actually shooting BALL DON’T LIE and what it was like to portray Sticky in the film soon, but in the meantime be sure to check out STREETBALL: THE AND1 MIX TAPE TOUR tonight at 9:30pm PST to see what I’ve been up to on the Tour and on set of the film BALL DON’T LIE.

Two weeks ago was the first time this year that the entire 2007 AND 1 team got together under one roof. We were all out in LA for some meetings and a big photo shoot to promote the tour. The theme for this year’s tour is ‘United Streets of America.’ The campaign has to do with the fact that our 10 city US tour this year has every game scheduled to be played outside. AND 1 is going for a new look this year on the ESPN show ‘Streetball.’ Consider the tour to be somewhat reinvented. It is going to be different from the last 4 years where every city looked the same due to the fact that filming inside arenas makes for a consistently familiar feel. This time around the games are gonna be hott because you’ll be able to identify where we’re at for each game. For example, the game in NYC is going to be played in Coney Island, which is definitely easy to identify. Similar to the 2002 tour where we had an outdoor game at Venice Beach and it was so apparent that we were in Cali with the beach and palm trees.

All us players are hyped for this upcoming tour. During our time together everyone was enthusiastic and excited to officially get things moving. The whole weekend included a couple of meetings to discuss what to expect for our 2007 tour with regards to rules and what is expected of the players. We then had the photoshoot and then one last meeting where we evaluated the gear coming out for the upcoming season. When we all get together like that, time is always taken up by messin’ with each other, talkin’ shit and just havin’ a good time. Some of the stuff I remember is us laughing when Hot Sauce was killin’ some people with his immitations of everyone. He’s got everyone on the team down pat! It’s funny as hell to see him turn into people when he immitates! Then I remember everyone arguing at one point about if Lil’ Romeo is going to be a good Pac-10 level player. Some people said yes and some said no. We are all fans of the game just as much as we are players. It doesn’t matter if it is high school, college, minor league, overseas or NBA ball.

During the photo shoot shoot they told us they ended up taking 2500 photos for the upcoming promotions for the tour. That includes autograph cards, posters, print adds and flyers. Also add in all the magazines coming out soon with the tour schedule and player pics. It’s gonna be hott!!! It’s got all of us as a team looking like soldiers reppin’ ‘United Streets of America.’ You can check out some of the photos taken that day during our downtime…..

Professor
AND 1 #12

Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about getting in character to play Stick. You know, everyone thinks this shouldn’t be something to sweat: They look at the film and say, High School-aged foster kid from Venice who balls, that’s easy for you. But, it’s a big challenge because of the OCD. I look at the dates and realize I got a month to get in character and carry the lead role of the film. That’s serious.

For me, it’s all about managing my time with more responsibility than usual. When I’m on the road,

Yesterday, I went to the production office for the first time to work with my acting coach for a couple hours. It was cool to see everything up and running, or at least, in the works, knowing that when I first met the director Brin Hill, the film was mainly just a vision.

I got a chance to meet people in the office as well as Rick Fox who was in the building meeting with Brin and Michael Roiff.  

LAst weekend I had one of my most off nights I’ve had in streetball the last few years. It was not a good look. But, as usual, I recovered and came back in a big way to make-up for the off-night.

Started in St. Cloud, Minnesota, where we ran into a tough team of players, which some played for St. Cloud State, a D-1 school out there. For the game, I was off as Hell! Probably 3 or 4 for 16 from the field. At least I had about 8 assists to kinda make up for it.

The next game in Fayetteville, Arkansas, was one to remember. It was in a rec center out there and it was packed. About 2500 people were in the building and it was standing room only. I have to come out blazing and recover from the last game. Bringing the heat, I ended up with 45 points and 10 assists and absolutely turned out the show. Spring had about 50 and dunked from the free-throw line, shutting it down in a big way.

The last game was equally a good show in McAllen, Texas. We ended up beating their team with players from their ABA team The Razorbacks by 99 points! It was ridiculous how many highlights and dunks there were. I had another huge game along with Springs and Highriser. We all had 45 plus and they both had 10 dunks each. Is playing this well in these exhibition games has me excited as Hell to start the summer tour with this type of chemistry. Get ready, we’re coming.

For the past 2 weeks ive been working with an acting coach and it has been nothing but good. I feel like after every lesson im more and more prepared to do what i need to do come the shoot date of may 29th. I think part of it is that i relate to the guy teaching me so well. The other part is just that he has excellent knowledge of how to become vulnerable to feel a situation of a character by relating it to a real life situation and using some key tricks on the side as well. It may sound confusing, which im sure it is to people unfamiliar with acting but he makes it clear.

Last weekend I had a game in Amarillo, Texas and another in Charleston, South Carolina. Each of the games were good but both very different. Its interesting to me how different every single game in streetball is. The first game in Amarillo was packed, about 2500 people in the building which sat less then that. We ended up blowing out a team by 60! I had 30, my guy springs had about 50, and my boy KB aka Bad Santa had a triple double with about 20. With this group of guys we have right here we run and gun to a whole nother level where its impossible for people to keep up unless they played in streetball games as often as we do. Usually the dudes we face are ex pros or college players who are good but not used to our style of play. So when they do face us, it gets real crazy and can be very exposing for them. The game was so packed around the court it created a sort of intimacy in the gym, which is really what you need for a dope streetball game.

This weekend was a real busy one for me. On Wednesday, I worked 17 hours on the set of SEMI-PRO! It was my last day and immediately after I got off the set at 11pm, there was only enough time to run to the house, pack and head for the airport to catch that 1:55am red-eye flight! I had 3 games scheduled for the weekend for a side tour we have called the HUSTLE UP STREETBALL TOUR. This tour gores to cities that the AND1 tour would never go to. Majority all b and c markets.

We had 2 games in West Virginia and 1 in Lexington, Kentucky. When we arrived in the West Virginia airport, I soon realized we were in the country! The airport was the size of a basketball court and that’s it. There was only 1 baggage claim stand in the whole airport for every airline! The first game was real cool even though I was sleepy as hell and never got to lay down at all before I played. I still ended up scoring 10 and having at least 5 assists and we won by 60 so I couldn’t complain.

The next game was real cool. We won by about 50 putting in the same type of run the other team out of the gym type performance. My new AND1 teammate SPRINGS murdered! He had about 50 points and probably 10 dunks. I ended up with 18 that game. Then the last game in Lexington was our biggest win yet believe it or not. We won by 90! 100 to 110. No exaggeration! It was ridiculous. Springs, myself, Highriser and Bad Santa all showed out with killer performances to finish off the trip with a bang. Next weekend we’ll be out in Amarillo, TX, and Charleston, SC, so come check us out if you live out this way.

As far as reading the script for BALL DON’T LIE, I stay on it as much as I can whenever I’m free. This weekend I read a ton aloud to myself and I feel like it helps for a lot of the scenes. I apply acting to hoops like Brin always advises. I think that’s the best way to approach it being that it’s what I do and the code I live by. When I do moves over and over in the gym by myself, it becomes second nature to me to the point where I can execute it no matter who’s guarding me or how many people are in the crowd. Holler.