Last Summer our National Team from Belgium -- which is named the Belgian Lions -- managed to qualify for the first time since 1993 for the European Championships for countries, better known as Eurobasket 2011, held in Lithuania.

I was more than proud to be part of this success because it gave basketball in Belgium a long needed boost.  The last game of the qualifiers, a do or die against Poland in front of our own outrageous fans, is still very high on my list of most memorable games.

So hopes were up for the actual tournament last summer.  

We went all the way to Dallas, Texas to prepare ourselves, stopped on our way back in Toronto, Canada for some friendly games vs. Team Canada and we had the feeling this was going to be our year.

Things eventually turned out completely different and quite dramatic.

Wandering the corridors of the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena during the UCLA Bruins defeat of Eastern Washington the other night brought back many fond memories spanning over 20 years.

The Sports Arena is one of my favorite venues, and not for its lovely décor.

For me it is the place where I knocked down a last-second, game-winning finger-roll from 12-feet to win the Southern California Regional Championship in high school. Versus Miles Simon and the Mater Dei Monarchs. Eat your heart out.

It is also the site of four consecutive wins during my collegiate basketball career at UCLA, versus the USC Trojans. Perhaps my fondest memory of this L.A. landmark was a 157-game stretch that spanned three seasons in the mid-80, when my father (Marques Johnson) was the starting small forward for the Los Angeles Clippers.

Update (Wednesday):

Less than 24 hours after the Denver Nuggets acquired Rudy Fernandez and Corey Brewer from the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for a future second-round pick, Fernandez has apparently had a change of heart about his NBA future.

Instead of seeking a buyout and returning to play for Real Madrid, one phone call helped put Fernandez back together again.

According to Eduardo Schell of Marca.com, Nuggets' head coach George Karl called Fernandez at 5am before Fernandez boarded his flight to Denver from Madrid, Spain. Karl assured the Spanish swing guard he would be his 6th-Man this season.

Now Denver bound, Fernandez tweeted this morning: Destination: Denver!! You have to expect surprises with the NBA.so now to enjoy having fun with my teammates and working hard.

"My return to Madrid is very difficult, because out of there with a" buyout "is very complicated. Now I owe to Denver is the team that has trusted me and I will give everything for the Nuggets," Fernandez told the Spanish site.

"I felt a bit like Pau in the last hours, we are like stickers. I do not understand is that a player like Pau, with everything you've done and all that has earned its path these things happen."

Update (Tuesday):

Can the Sacramento Kings lure Andrei Kirilenko?

We might be closer to that answer according to Ailene Voisin of the Sacramento Bee, who cites sources that indicate that the CSKA Moscow and free agent forward might be interested in an offer from the Kings who are "deeply in the mix".

There has been no word yet if Kirilenko will play Wednesday night in Euroleague action against Panathinaikos.

Hey basketball world…

This weekend my team got the much-needed win on the road against Dexia Mons, another Eurocup team from Belgium.

There is now just three games left before our Christmas break and hopefully Coach Gjergja will give us time off so everyone can spend some time with their families during the holidays.  Especially those American-import players around the league -- Sean Singletary, AJ Slaughter, Ahmad Nivins, Warren Carter, Justin Cage, Ronell Taylor, and my teammates Kennedy Winston and Chris Booker.

Being so far from home almost all year, they would benefit from a trip home.