#steventure blog

[steventureau]

"Fuck!" I screamed. "FUCK!" At the top of my lungs, pure psychopathic rage, had anyone seen or heard me they would have thought I was insane.

You may think this is a bit of an overreaction, given the day I was having. But this wasn't just about the day. It wasn't about the pie, or the traffic, or the closed walk, or my phone screen. These were today's issues. But this was a build-up. Pent up frustration, anger, anxiety and resentment.

This was years in the making. From the covid lockdowns, to my fractured ankle, to my cancer diagnosis and treatment (all during the pandemic), to returning back to work, which had progressively gotten worse, with no career progression only more work and responsibility with no more pay, with a cost-of-living crisis and issues with my own home life. I had just been thinking to myself lately, what exactly did I beat cancer for? To just be constantly kicked and knocked down? To just continually struggle with only the rare opportunity to travel and adventure. It was the build-up of all these frustrations that caused me to scream alone in my car like a maniac.

[junker-town]

You thought these NBA prospects would be busts. They turned into stars

Boy were you wrong. (Hint: We were, too.)

On Thursday, we asked Twitter a question. Following a prompt from Celtics Blog, we wanted to know who your biggest busts were: players you thought for sure were headed for stardom but fell way below your expectations.

Here were your answers.

Today, though, we asked the reverse. Who were the players you felt were busts that turned in pretty successful NBA careers?

Now, we're doing the reverse! Who did you think would be a bust that turned out to be a solid player, or even a star?

— SB Nation NBA (@SBNationNBA) August 4, 2017

It’s simple: There’s a lull in the NBA. Free agency is all but over, and aside from pending Kyrie Irving and Carmelo Anthony trades, we have a good idea of what the 30 league rosters will look like next season.

So what better way to kill time than to reminisce about past judgment calls we made that were just flat-out wrong. Here were some of the names you threw around:

Kawhi Leonard

I thought Kawhi Leonard's ceiling was @Bowen12

— Gervin (@GervinTwittiot) August 4, 2017

A zillion percent Kawhi Leonard and I’m owning that one. https://t.co/S6U2HdCqHd

— Mike Prada (@MikePradaSBN) August 4, 2017

When the Spurs sent George Hill to the Pacers for the 15th pick in 2011, most people were confused. Hill was a solid combo guard who gave Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili relief at either back court spot. Why move him for an unproven rookie who, at the time, wasn’t perceived as much more than a perimeter defender?

Today, Kawhi Leonard has an NBA championship and Finals MVP under his belt and has become arguably one of the five best players in the league. He can legitimately defend four of five traditional basketball positions and has developed into an all-world scorer.

Stephen Curry

Steph Curry. Didn't see the passing, defense, or frame to handle the NBA. Easily the most wrong I've ever been. https://t.co/9kYZw39ST0

— Bryant West (@BSWest5) August 4, 2017

Steph Curry

— 6'11 (@Sethdiddy) August 4, 2017

Curry was rated a 69 in NBA 2K9. He could shoot the lights out when he got hot, but that was about it. Then the injuries came, and he looked nothing like a top-7 pick.

But then Monta Ellis got traded and the Warriors drafted some talent to put alongside their super shooter. Today, Curry is a two-time MVP, a two-time champ and arguably the greatest shooter to ever touch a basketball.

IT4

Isaiah Thomas: even without handcheck rules and with a softer league, I thought his being a zero on defense would keep him off the court.

— Will Dickeson (@WillDickeson) August 4, 2017

Sure, Isaiah Thomas went dead-last in the 2011 NBA Draft, but given his stature, the odds were already stacked against him. A few years later, the 5’9” guard became one of the best success stories in the NBA, crashing into giant defenders in the paint or making defenses pay from downtown. And he’s the star of a Boston team that had the best record in the Eastern Conference last season.

Gordon Hayward

Gordon Hayward

— Don (@chewie93) August 4, 2017

Gordon Hayward. https://t.co/kmTnAEP4iG

— Thomas Duffy (@TJDhoops) August 4, 2017

i said gordon hayward should stay at butler lol https://t.co/gcV0V20U4V

— Whitney Medworth (@its_whitney) August 4, 2017

Hayward was coming off of an exceptional season at Butler, falling just short of winning it all in the National Championship Game. But in a 2010 NBA Draft thought to be loaded with names like John Wall, Evan Turner, DeMarcus Cousins, Wesley Johnson and Derrick Favors — remember, these guys were STUDS in college — Hayward’s name didn’t stand out from the pack.

Today, Hayward is a max player on the Celtics after making the All-Star team with the Jazz last season. He could be the piece that pushes Boston over the hump.

J.J. Redick

I was only a kid at the time so it was mostly just Dukie hatred, but: J.J. Redick.

— Peter Nygaard (@RetepAdam) August 4, 2017

Definitely JJ Redick...he's turned out to be more than a shooter https://t.co/tky8n47Yur

— Bodega J. (@Gym_Jaaames) August 4, 2017

JJ Redick. Thought his nonsense wouldn't work in the NBA but he worked and made himself a player. Jimmer, tho...... https://t.co/NjpeppUXAF

— grundlefly (@jerry_eldred) August 4, 2017

The career J.J. Redick has carved out for himself continues to shock me. https://t.co/8z6S1tj4hY

— Eric McKay (@EricMcKay_NCN) August 4, 2017

At a time where the three-point shot wasn’t nearly as valued as it is now, J.J. Redick was a specialist. He still is, but his savvy approach to the game has endeared him across the league as one the best veterans to have on a roster: case-in-point — the Sixers gave him $23 million next season to hit threes and mentor their young guys.

DeMar DeRozan

DeMar DeRozan!

— Adam Voge (@adamvoge) August 4, 2017

I am still slightly confused by the ascension of Demar Derozan to NBA superstar. https://t.co/DMguq5LKqB

— David Ray Allen (@davidrallenjr) August 4, 2017

DeRozan was somewhat of a raw talent when he entered the NBA in 2009. He was a freak athlete who used that athleticism to his advantage on both ends of the floor. Now, the Raptors’ guard is the best mid-range shooter in the NBA, one of the league’s best finishers and an All-Star starter.

Kevin Love

Kevin Love, a lot.

— Steve McPherson (@steventurous) August 4, 2017

Kevin Love Loved him in college, thought there was no way his skillset would translate https://t.co/m4kAfH7J3O

— Peter Adultman (@Pete_Volk) August 4, 2017

Kevin Love spent one season at UCLA as a dominant rebounder, outlet passer and post-scorer with decent range. At the NBA level, he’s been a carbon copy.

Anthony Davis

I....I didn't think Anthony Davis was gonna be able to score consistently in the league. An all-time bad take https://t.co/mygTiTXcG6

— Mikey Hlebasko (@MichaelHlebasko) August 4, 2017

I thought Anthony Davis was going to be a bust. Man, I was wrong!!!! https://t.co/6kM7IC7AIq

— Kaleel Weatherly (@KaleelWeatherl1) August 4, 2017

I’m leaving these guys out to dry here, because I’ve got no idea how they thought Anthony Davis wasn’t going to be great. Shoutout to The Brow.

Kemba Walker

Kemba Walker because I'm a dumbass

— Ravis (@SRavi81) August 4, 2017

Kemba Walker

— Oleh Kosel (@Redhopeful) August 4, 2017

Kemba Walker is listed at 6’1”. At that height in a league that grows every year, it’s easy to count him out. But Cardiac Kemba’s been everything Charlotte imagined and more. Now, they need to get him some help so they can take the next step.

This guy needs a healing

Worst scout ever-I thought Tim Duncan looked soft and too slow in college

— Walter Spath (@wfspath) August 4, 2017

Just gonna leave this Tim Duncan tweet right there.

Kristaps Porzinigs

Kristaps because I always count on the Knicks to make bad choices.

— Chandler Robertson (@C_WRobertson) August 4, 2017

all Knicks fans w porzing

— Brian O'Leary (@Brian_OLeary1) August 4, 2017

KP

— myles wᎥsh (@myleswish) August 4, 2017

Kristaps Porzingis

— Levy Aninditio �� (@Aninditio) August 4, 2017

When the Knicks selected Kristaps Porzingis fourth overall in 2015, Madison Square Garden booed him. But KP turned those boos into cheers by placing second in Rookie of the Year voting then endearing himself as the basketball unicorn ready to take the league by storm.

Hey, even Phil Jackson can get one right... right?

Devin Booker

Devin Booker

— shark week disliker (@CowlonFullerton) August 4, 2017

Devin Booker

— BostonSports (@NE_sports_only) August 4, 2017

Any pause you may have had regarding Devin Booker kindly exited stage left when he hung 70 points on Boston last season.

Klay Thompson

I completely missed the mark on Klay Thompson. Not even gonna lie. He shut me up so fast. https://t.co/GySO63Ikz4

— Kristian Winfield (@Krisplashed) August 4, 2017

Klay Thompson

— Eddie Scissors (@Eddie_Scissors) August 4, 2017

I thought Klay Thompson could shoot it. I had absolutely no idea he could play defense at the level he does now. Mama, there goes that man.

[steventureau]

"Bomaderry Creek cuts through sandstone to form a spectacular gorge with cliffs and overhangs. The vegetation ranges from lush rainforest in the gullies to dry, open eucalypt forests on cliff tops. The sandstone flora is particularly colourful in spring.

The walks through the park include steps and creek crossings and there are unfenced cliffs.

Please supervise children at all times.

Dogs are allowed in regional parks but must be kept under control and on leashes at all times."

[steventureau]

"Looking over the Kedumba River to Mt. Solitary.

Mum-mi-ee is the Gundungarra Aboriginal name for this feature.

The plateau that forms the Blue Mountains has been deeply cut by streams and rivers. The vertical cliffs are made of sand deposited here during the Triassic age (about 250 million years ago). Directly below the cliffs are layers from the Permian age, which include coal deposits formed from about 250 million years ago. Exposed in the depths of the valley are rocks from the Devonian age (about 400 millions years ago). The Blue Mountains is a geologically stable environment, which has allowed the development of unique habitats and micro-climates, home to many plants and animals found nowhere else in the world."

[steventureau]

I went for a walk yesterday along a farm. I watched a Fox stalk an Eagle. The Eagle noticed and flew away. I sat and watched the Fox creep around the area a bit before I continued walking, coming across a field with a derelict structure.

[steventureau]

"Whibayganba

Whibayganba is a place of cultural significance within the local landscape of Mulubinba.

Whibayganba was an island. Its beginnings and traditions a complex cultural narrative. Stories originating from a past where ancestral beings created Country, and shaped the law and relations between all living things. Their memories are retained, etched, and spoken of in Country, a legacy that links the Dreamtime with the present.

Local lore tells of a great kangaroo concealed in the island who would thump his tail causing earthquakes.

The island was originally a closed off site, surrounded by rocks and turbulent waters. The strong gale force of the winds that batter the island enabled this place to be a suitable refuge to confine a giant kangaroo. The kangaroo remained hidden in Whibayganba.

In 1855 the top of the island was lopped off by the English, and in 1846 they had completed the construction of a breakwater that was started in 1818. The breakwater attached the island to the mainland creating open access to Whibayganba, access that had been denied for thousands of years.

The alterations are against Aboriginal principles of respecting country, maintaining balance and equilibrium and ensuring protections and conservation of sacred places."

'That's a sad story.' I thought, surely one of many very familiar ones around the country.

[steventureau]

"Why is the Nepalese Peace Pagoda at South Bank Parklands?

The Nepalese Peace Pagoda was originally commissioned and installed at South Bank for Expo 88. Following its success, it became a coveted item, with several international bidders vying to keep it. It remains here today thanks to a generous donation from philanthropists Frank and Myra Pitt, in addition to contributions from Brisbane locals, the Australian Government and Brisbane City Council."

[steventureau]

"I stopped to admire a scribbly gum tree to my left, always left in awe of them and their scribble patterns. I realised that I could travel the world, I could even move overseas. But the sights, sounds, and smells of Australia would always remain with me. Growing up camping, bushwalking in, hearing its sounds, it had become a part of my soul."

[steventureau]

"Daniel Solander

Cape Solander is named after Swedish botanist Daniel Solander (1733-1782), who accompanied naturalist and botanist Joseph Banks on HMB Endeavour from 1768-1771.

A Gifted Student

Solander studied under famous botanist, Carl Linnaeus, at Sweden's Uppsala University. Before Solander completed his studies, Linnaeus sent him to London as his representative to work at the British Museum cataloguing the natural history collections, and to promote the Linnaean classification system. This system became the internation standard for the classification of all species and is still used today.

Unfinished Business

In 1768, Joseph Banks invited Solander to join in the scientific staff on HMB Endeavour on its voyage to the South Pacific. Together, Banks and Solander collected approximately 30,000 specimens including around 1,300 species new to Western science. The number of species they collected demonstrated the need for a classification system that could cope with Earth's biodiversity.

On his return to England, Solander became Joseph Bank's secretary and librarian and went on numerous collecting expeditions including to the Isle of Wight, the western highlands of Scotland, Iceland and Wales. He was also appointed keeper of natural history at the British Museum.

Solander died of a stroke in 1782 aged only 49, leaving much of his work incomplete, unpublished or waiting on contributions from others.

A Significant Legacy

Solander made important contributions to botany through his discoveries and his meticulous categorising of the specimens he and Banks collected around the world.

As early proponents of Linnaeus's systematic biology, Bank's and Solander's work here led to Kamay Botany Bay National Park being nominated as a UNESCO World Heritage Area. The national park is important both culturally and scientifically in 'The Rise of Systematic Biology' - the study of biological diversity and its origin.

This includes a taxonomic classification system for categorising organisms into related groups."

[steventureau]

'Strickland Falls Track

1.7km loop, 40 minutes return

Medium grade, some steep sections and steps

This track was proudly completed by the "Friends of Strickland" in 2003.

Follow the signs from Banksia Picnic Area to experience spectacular cliffs, mossy rocks, ferns pals, wildflowers, tall eucalypts and lush rainforest.

The Gymea Lily is a feature of the walk.'

[steventureau]

"Girrakool -place of waters

Brisbane Water National Park was originally established in 1959 when an area of 6,000 hectares was dedicated for public recreation, the park is now more than 12,000ha in size.

Girrakool picnic area was established soon after the appointment of the first ranger, Mr Jack Higgs, in 1961.

The establishment of a picnic area and development of walking trails at Girrakool was carefully planned to provide access to the beautiful waterfalls and abundant native flora. Girrakool was officially opened on 11 September 1965.

This beautiful reserve takes its name from nearby Brisbane Water which can be seen from a number of places within the park. The park is a combination of rugged bushland, beautiful wildflowers and spectacular waterfalls and creeks.

Aboriginal people have used the area for centuries and there are Aboriginal engravings on many of the sandstone outcrops.

The importance of the area for Aboriginal people is reflected in the two Aboriginal places in the park, Bulgandry Art Site Aboriginal Place and Kariong Sacred Land Aboriginal Place."

[steventureau]

"People and the Lakes

The Dharawal and Gundungurra have lived around Thirlmere lakes for many thousands of years, leaving grinding grooves, rock engravings, artwork, and other evidence of occupation.

The local Aboriginal people were some of the first to feel the impact of European settlement, suffering from new diseases, violence and occupation of their lands. 

They called the area Couridjah, which is believed to mean honey and refer to the nectar of the abundant banksia flowers.

Europeans officially found the lakes in 1798, and they have been popular with visitors since at least the 1860's.

In 1867 a pumphouse, which still stand beside Lake Couridjah, was built to supply water to steam engines plying the new southern railway.

Today the park is a significant conservation reserve ideal for quiet public enjoyment."