I always thought my dad was the reason that I fell in love with basketball at a young age, learned to throw a football and swing a golf club by the time I was 8, and why I willingly chose SportsCenter over cartoons by the time I was 10. But after my grandma passed away Friday morning, I did a lot of thinking and reflecting this weekend on the things she meant to our family and everything I got from her.

While my dad played an incredibly influential role and was certainly an amazing vessel for all the sports knowledge and abilities I have, I realized it was really my grandma who gave those gifts to me through my dad.

In high school, she was a member of the first ever female basketball team at her high school in Kansas. These were the days when women wore skirts as part of the uniform and not all players were even allowed to cross half court, but she was an incredible trailblazer of the sport and a huge part of the reason why I was able to play basketball - in shorts and a jersey and across half court - starting in elementary school.

She graduated from Kansas and her Jayhawk pride ran deep - up until the end, she was still engaging in verbal trash talk with me every year that Kentucky and Kansas played (and when we beat Kansas to win the national championship in 2012, you can bet that I never stopped rubbing it in). Having spent her adult life in LA, she was a big Lakers fan and never hesitated to remind me of the championships the Lakers stole from my Kings (which effectively ruined my childhood). And, never one to miss a good game, the last time I got to see her two Sundays ago, she was watching the morning Raiders game - true to form.

There are so many things that I appreciate her for, but the ways that she both directly and indirectly influenced my love of sports and the ways that she quite literally trailblazed a path for me to fall in love with basketball is something I'll never be able to thank her enough for. Take time this week to identify and acknowledge and appreciate those in your life who are directly responsible for making you who you are.

Hey, SlideBelts fam!

Does anybody else feel scared today for no reason other than it's Friday the 13th? There's a chance that you may have friggatriskaidekaphobia. A word deriving from the combination of the words Frigg, the Norse goddess from whom Friday is named in English, and triskaidekaphobia which is the fear of the number 13.

Experts say that friggatriskaidekaphobia affects millions of people.

Triskaidekaphobia, or the fear of the number 13, is even more widespread. Most hospitals and highrise buildings skip the 13th floor. As well as most airports, not having the 13th gate. It is also believed in some parts of the world that having 13 people at the dinner table is bad luck. 

Have a great weekend and stay safe everybody!

Recently, I stumbled upon a speech given by former US Navy Admiral, William H. McRaven, sharing how he conquers his day with one small task in the morning - making his bed.

"If you make your bed every morning, you will have accomplished the first task of the day. It will give you a small sense of pride and will encourage you to do another task, and another, and another. By the end of the day, that one task completed will have turned into many tasks completed. Making your bed will also reinforce the fact that the little things in life matter. If you can’t do the little things right, you’ll never be able to do the big things right. If, by chance, you have a miserable day, you will come home to a bed that is made. That you made. And a made bed gives you encouragement that tomorrow will be better. So if you want to change the world, start off by making your bed."

While the speech focuses on the importance of making your bed, if you are able to accomplish something small first thing in the morning, it will help motivate you to tackle other tasks (big or small) throughout the day. This accomplishment can even be something that you do every morning already but haven't realized yet - from waking up without hitting the snooze button, getting an early workout in, to enjoying your morning cup of coffee. And if you are afraid that you're not good at making your bed...you can always get a self-making one