From Louisville, Kentucky to Malaga, Spain, Taquan Dean can stroke from damn near anywhere.  Now, you can get inside his head as he sheds some light on what it’s like to be an international baller.  Welcome to his world.  Welcome to The Dean’s List.

10/24/09 - “…a message that will forever change my life.”

At the airport getting ready to fly to Buresa to play tomorrow. My 1st time back people and I know I’m gonna be winded, but my motto is “Go hard or go home.” It’s been 3 weeks since I’ve been on the court and this has been a long, boring week. I’m a ball player, that’s what I do. I love to compete and I love challenges.

The win in Belgrade was huge; I felt like I was in college again, cheering so much. Sometimes you forget that it’s a game and it’s fun when money is in the picture. You face so many pressures of performing well and hoping your next pay check comes, that you forget why you’re playing this game: because you love it. And if there’s one thing I realized from being out with injury, it’s that I gotta have fun. That little orange ball has taken me so many places and allowed me to see so many things that I never imagined.

I had a guy off of Facebook send me a message that will forever change my life. A few years back, Francisco Garcia and I were at a party and this guy came up to ask us for our autograph but he didn’t have anything for us to write it on. He then went into his pocket and pulled out a dollar bill. We pretended to take the dollar and walk away, but of course we signed it and then went on with our lives. What we didn’t know is that this autograph was for a kid who loved us to the point where he walked around with that dollar bill every day, happy. Recently, that kid died and his mother put the dollar bill in the casket, knowing that’s what he would have wanted. No championship, million dollar contract, or mansion can make feel the way I feel about that story. I touched someone so much that a piece of me went with him to his grave. Forever thankful. God bless.

10/20/09 - Get out of my head, Kobe

Ok I’m back people. I know some people blog every week, but I’m such a crazy dude that I have something to say every day. The doctor told me that I can suit up for Thursday’s game in Serbia…but I can’t play. That means I’ll be ready to go Sunday, and when I heard the news, I went into killer mode.

Now I’m in the weight room with a 30-pound weight vest, an iPod, and 3 elastic bands connected to waist. 3 sets of 12 reps. Now in my head I’m thinking the trainer is nuts for using elastic bands because I just don’t trust them. 1st set over and I’m actually getting a pretty good workout. Now it’s time for the 2nd. As I burst into my sprint, the elastic rips and I go flying backwards across the weight room and fall into the corner, LOL. OK, now the laugh is over with, and it’s time for serious business.

Full court 1-on-1 with the weight vest on. Leg is feeling great and Kobe is in my head telling me he works harder than this. So I push harder, jumper after jumper and sprint after sprint. Trainer begins to look at me like I’m crazy, and I look back at him with a smirk like, “Yeah, I know I am.” That’s the end of the 1st practice, and the 2nd is in 5 hours. Stay tuned I will let u know how it went. Headed to Belgrade tomorrow, and hopefully I can get a few minutes in Thursday’s game.

10/19/09 - Another day, another doctor…

I wake up, look out the window, and tell God and myself that today’s gonna be a good day. Now it’s time for 200 push ups, oatmeal and some green tea. Today is an important day because I’m seeing if the doctor will give me the green light to play again. Got a knee to the thigh a month ago and kept playing, not knowing that the impact was so hard that I had a slight tear in my muscle. No wonder I was a little off balance on my shot. Since I’ve been out we (Unicaja) have lost 3 games and this thursday is the start off the Euroleague. I’m always searching for new challenges, and what a challenge this is.

One thing I’ve learned from the greats is that you can’t be afraid to fail. Funny thing is, for the 1st time in my life I’m listening to the doctor. The old me would have said “I’m playing, no matter what they say”.  So here I am waiting for the results, and the funnier thing is the old me is still in me, LOL. I’ve been working out with the weight vest and running the hills on my own. It drives me crazy knowing if I take a day off someone is gaining on me or I’m losing time gaining on someone else. Check back with me tomorrow and I’ll let you guys know the results.

10/18/09 - Allow me reintroduce myself…

I’ve been out of sight out of mind for four years now. The desire didn’t stop, the relentless hours in the gym haven’t stopped, and the obsession to get back to the states has grown even more. You see it every year and you guys wonder: “Where have these players been and how can they make a living overseas?” If you must know, basketball is life over here. The players never get a break; they play all year long, after the season they go and play for their national team, and then it’s time for the season again.  I’ve been blessed to have met coaches that believed in me and helped me become a better player ever since college. That’s where I’ll get into detail with this new blog. Check back with me in a few days so we can get this thing started.

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