Joel Anthony's Fruitfulness Of a Promise

It was the first day of September when the days are shorter and the nights are noticeably earlier. Autumn has finally arrived, the end of summer time and a time of mellow fruitfulness.
Canada is the best place to see Autumn the reds and yellows of the sub-alpine larch and aspen trees. The sugar maple reds covered a wide stretch of the country and the smell of ripe fruits as the warmth breeze of the sun touches the gentle chill of fall.

Joel Anthony the Miami Heat’s undersized power forward/center is looking forward to the beautiful promise of Autumn and aside from the FIBA international competition where Canada has not yet won a single game (beaten by Lebanon, France and Lithuania) he is also looking forward in playing alongside Lebron James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh as the NBA season is growing near. Miami will always be about the big three and Joel has no qualms about it. This is his opportunity to play along with them and win as much games he could ever imagine. He is the perfect complement to Miami’s fire power a hard nose worker who picks up the garbage and doesn’t need to make his own shots in return.

Joel’s career is slowly falling into place like a jigsaw puzzle slowly finding the right pieces. Aside from being undersized as a center. No one really paid much attention on Joel, having been cut from his college basketball squad in Dawson College and had to work doubly hard in order to get in UNLV where he led his team to a 30-7 record on his senior year. And inspite finishing second in the NCAA in shot blocking he was still undrafted.

You have to marvel on how Joel can defend 7 footers and out-rebounded each one of them. But it doesn’t follow that if you tower everyone you will become a good rebounder it’s still all about speed, timing, effort and establishing a good position towards the ball. And that can only be done by hard work and tons of time practicing repetitive steps in the gym making it effortless in actual game. Joel knows it’s his work ethic that could make a difference. That’s why Miami signed him to a 5 year deal worth $18 million and a chance to win a championship with the big three.

Canada is the best place to see autumn and amidst the yellow and the red covered mountains, towers the 6-foot-9 Anthony, a product of hard work and perseverance after a productive summer comes the fruitfulness of a promise.