My Little Stiemsma Project
So, yeah, Greg Stiemsma. Funny name to pop up, right? Wasn’t exactly a superstar, but I kinda got hooked on his story for a bit a while back. It wasn’t like I set out to become a Stiemsma expert or anything, just sort of happened.
It started when I was watching a Celtics game, must’ve been around 2011 or 2012. This big guy comes in, blocks a couple of shots outta nowhere. Commentators mentioned his journey, you know, bouncing around, D-League, finally getting his shot. That stuck with me more than the actual game, I think.
What I Did Next
I got curious. Not like, ‘analyze his pick-and-roll defense’ curious, more like ‘what’s this guy’s deal?’ curious. So, I started digging around online. Not the fancy stats sites, just reading old articles, forum posts, watching whatever clips I could find – mostly grainy D-League highlights or bench reaction shots.
- First, I just tried to find out all the teams he played for. Man, that list was longer than I thought. Sioux Falls Skyforce, Oyak Renault in Turkey, Seoul Samsung Thunders… it was a world tour.
- Then, I specifically looked for his blocks. It became a mini-obsession for a week or two. Just finding compilations or even single plays where he swatted a shot. There was something satisfying about seeing this underdog guy make a big defensive play.
- I even tried to find one of his jerseys online once. Not the official NBA ones, maybe a D-League one? No luck, or maybe they were too expensive, I forget. Probably just gave up looking.
The Grind (Sort Of)
It wasn’t really a grind, more like late-night internet rabbit holes. Sometimes I’d find a cool story about his time at Wisconsin, other times just box scores. It felt kinda pointless maybe, but it was interesting to follow the path of someone who wasn’t destined for greatness but just kept plugging away. You see the LeBrons and Durants, their path is clear. Guys like Stiemsma? Their path is all over the place.
End Result?
Well, I didn’t become a basketball scout, haha. And I never met the guy or anything. It was just a phase, I guess. But it did make me appreciate the hustle players go through, the ones on the fringes. It’s easy to just watch the stars, but there are tons of guys fighting tooth and nail for those last roster spots, playing overseas, grinding in the minor leagues. Stiemsma was just the face I put to that grind for a while. Made watching random league pass games a bit more interesting, looking for the next guy like him.
So yeah, that was my brief Greg Stiemsma deep dive. Kinda random, but hey, that’s how these things go sometimes.
