is it really over?

we fought out guts out. we did all we had to do. we kept on going even when we were down. we played like champions. we left it all on the courts. we never gave up. but we lost.

it's the end of another season. end of a long road. and it's another end with nothing to show for. no medals, no victory and no glory. it's like we're destined never to succeed, never to have the sweet taste of gold. 6 years for some, 5 for others. no gold, no champions.

it means nothing to start with so much promise, so much hope and anticipation, yet end with nothing more than memories. it means nothing to most people, but it means everything to me.

the hopes we had were much too high.

i really don't want to believe that it's over. no more games with the guys, no more trainings where i'll receive red and yellow cards amongst other colours, no more "nama", no more "shut up lah nicholas", no more suz, no more aggro mao, no more blood-shot-to-the-head, no more faggard rard, no more da.

i think i've said this far too many times, but training has been the only thing i've looked forward to the whole of this year. not just training, but training with the j2s. i can't imagine training without them.

way out of reach but we had to try.

i can still remember when we all started out. from sec1/2s, when all we knew was believing in a dream that got us to national 3rd. we fought like we knew nothing else, we played as a team and we made it. we achieved beyond our wildest imagination. 5 years on, a little older, a little more (or less) mature and a whole lot more dreaming later, here we are.

the game will never be over.

the season is over. for the j2s, they have played the last competitive basketball game of their lives. the only regret i have is that we (the j1s) were not able to bring them to the finals. not to win it, but just to have taste of that atmosphere. that sensation of hearing the crowd cheer for you and the feeling of being there. they never got to experience it. and i wish for it to change. but i'll never change the memories, all the talks, the blood, sweat and tears. every single minute of the times spent on and off the court with the j2s. not one to be replaced, ever.

for

daniel

gerrard

fu ginn

nicholas

yong jing

mao lin

yelin

chian fern

wee hsuan

this is not goodbye, but will be remembered like one. i think i'm going to miss you guys like crazy.

win - we did not. but that's only on paper. in our hearts, i think we all won. we all won something that no championship medal can replace, no gold or glory can justify. we all won the hearts of our teammates and a lifetime of friendship.

fight - need i say more? it's the only thing we know how to do. and we did. we gave our all. we never backed down, we never surrendered. and we're gonna keep fighting because it's the only thing we know how to do.

team - i'd much rather lose with this team, than win with any other. there will be no other like this, no team like mine. we came together, gave our hearts for one another and ended up with one heart, one soul. no one can take that from us. i'm not going to forget this team in a very long time.

dream - don't stop dreaming. it's the dream that kept us alive for so long. it's the dream that got us this far. it's the dream that probably saved you all from my red card jokes. it's the dream that got us to where we never believed we ever could. it's the dream that kept us all together. so don't stop dreaming. for so many other reasons i can't list out. don't stop dreaming. and for one more reason.

because we're keeping the dream alive.

thank you j2s, every single one of you. without you guys, i would have never known what a team of dreamers and fighters would be like. thank you for everything.