It's easy to get caught up in the wins and losses and I sat back and listened to some kids last weekend talk about the hysteria of Lebron James and his decision to go back to Cleveland.

Sometimes people forget the human element of what sport is, a release to escape the daily grind and real life challenges while showcasing talent that can unify a diverse cross section of people for two hours a week.

The relevance of mentioning the Lebron scenario is because coaches always try to recruit the best players when assembling a team but to achieve success no matter who your marquee face is requires a supporting cast each with unique assets if you stand any chance of being more than attractive potential on paper.

To put my own personal agenda to the forefront, it’s fitting that the two players who are celebrating their milestones this week happen to share the occasion.

As a 15 year old I got to carry the water and towels for Werribee’s Big V Men’s team which featured a host of NBL players past and present but one guy who I always looked up to was a scrawny kid Cameron Luke who ran faster than he does now, talked a hell of a lot less and didn’t whine about being old and sore after training twice a week but one thing that remains at 33 is his passion for the game.

After a few years, at the end of 2005 our lives moved in different directions, we lost touch but at the same time my coaching aspirations took me to Sherbrooke where I began coaching a 14 year old with a bleached blonde mop of hair and mouth that would of drove his parents mad at home, Jay Richardson. We shared two years with plenty of success on the court and built a close friendship but midway through 2007 at just 16 Jay and his rebellious ways led him to choose the party lifestyle of a teenage boy, so like Cameron we lost touch as basketball was no longer our common ground.

Some time passed and I returned from two years living in Perth, Facebook came into prominence where we reconnected and joked occasionally about the times shared and fact he did a runner wasting his basketball talent. The event that changed everything is nearly three years to the day as we received news one of the Sherbrooke players in our team of 2005/06 committed suicide and we both attended the funeral, which happened to be the day that brought us back together.

Subsequently Jay hadn’t touched a basketball since the day he walked out of the Sherbrooke team in 2007 but I knew if I could get him back funnily enough his never quit attitude was still within. Ultimately he debuted in the BIG V for me at Blackburn in 2012 and followed me to Pakenham last year showing his blue-collar work ethic and ability to impact the game without scoring a single basket no matter whether he’s matched up on an American import or player 15 centremetres taller.

In Cameron’s case it was my desperate plea for him to do me a favour and host the Warriors BIG V awards dinner last year that saw us catch-up for the first time in six years on the night and then as they say, the rest is history.

Now 13 years down the line since I first called Cameron a mate and nine since I first coached Jay here we are and while they now conspire together giving me a hard time for different events of the past, the pleasure these friendships will continue to provide long after I’m bald from the turnovers and missed shots each of them have attributed over the journey is what it’s all about.

Images: Jay sitting nearest to me in 2007 at the Southern Peninsula Tournament & Werribee BIG V team photo of 2003.

Ryan Rogers - Coach