My Last NBA Game

Good Afternoon! I realize I am posting a bit later than normal, but I promise that there is a very good reason for it.

Last night not only marked the end of an NBA season for Scott and I, but also a closing to a chapter in our lives together.

(Also, linking this marvelous milestone up with Katie!)

Those of you who have been following the blog for a while already know that NBA Entertainment is what brought Scott and I together.

Back in the summer of 2007, I tried out for the Orlando Magic Dancers, and to this day we still have the professional sports entertainment itch in our bones. Last night marked six seasons performing in the league together, and today I am scratching my head at how in the world it all went by so fast.

My Last NBA Game

This year has proved to be a challenging one for me, both mentally and physically. Going into auditions this year, I had no idea what to expect and can without a doubt say that I was a part of a one of a kind experience.

Coming from another team, I did my best not to compare this to that, and took the opportunity to experience being a part of a different team in a different city. The 2013-14 season proved to be just that!

Without much time to reflect right now, I wanted to quickly highlight the game last night… but I will be sure to check back in the next couple of weeks with more posts and pictures.

Just like all games, I arrived at the arena hours before the doors opened for practice on the court with my team. We spent the next few hours getting ready in the locker room for Power Hour, appearances on the concourse to interact with fans before tip-off.

As I changed from my sequin dress and into our first half outfit, I couldn’t help but think that really was the last time I will be donning sequins, with the exception of the occasional fun birthday or New Years dress. The feeling of turning that along with the rest of my uniforms in was truly surreal.

Into our cut up tees, I made sure to snap a few photos with some of my teammates.

Unlike my closing game with Orlando, I knew ahead of time that this would be my last time dancing with these ladies on court and did my best to soak every little thing in.

Ready for intros, we grabbed our white hoodies and team chiropractor, Dr. Chad McKernan for a thank you photo.

As we made our way back stage, we spent a little more time getting to our spots, knowing that was the last time we would all be experiencing intros together.

With the dimming of the lights, we took the court for one last hurrah as the 2013-14 Detroit Pistons Dancers.

Even though we didn’t end up getting a win, we finished the season on a good note with an amazing and loud crowd cheering us on.

While changing out of our uniforms for the last time, the reality of turning in more than costumes set in. For a lot of us, we would also be turning a page and embarking into a completely new chapter in our lives.

Post-Game Celebrations

After saying many goodbyes, we stopped for dinner at Trattoria Da Luigi in Royal Oak before arriving to our entertainment teams wrap up party.

(Unpictured spaghetti dishes as well as multiple baskets of bread!)

Everything was delicious, and Scott and I made a note to revisit more this summer.

One hundred percent content after a couple of glasses of celebratory wine and a good Italian meal, the group of us walked over to Fifth Avenue to say our goodbyes one last time.

There, we caught up with fellow entertainment teams and wrapped up the end of our season with lots of laughs and hugs.

After a full day of smiles and tears, we each parted our ways and only hope to see each other again over the summer.

It’s crazy going from seeing the same group of people multiple times a week (sometimes even every day!) for eight months to nothing. Each year, I take what I can from the experience and feel blessed to leave with a handful of friendships I know will last much longer than our time on the team together.

This morning, I woke up feeling good. A little sad, but overall happy with my decisions over the past few years. Through the good times and the bad, I made my way through six seasons getting the most I could out of every opportunity, and took in everything I possibly could without any regrets.

I am looking forward to sharing more about my time as a professional NBA dancer, but at the moment I must hurry out the door to my post-season treat to myself: a massage!

Thank you for following this journey with me, and I promise to have much more to share coming up!