Hi Teammates!
Basketball… After my short intermezzo at Aveiro Basket the season before, I decided to continue my career in Portugal. CAB Madeira was the team I would play for in the FPB (1st league). The team was decent and we were playing in the European Cup (Korac Cup at that time) which gave me more exposure as a player. I played well there and we were very close to moving into the second round of the European Cup but we got knocked out by a strong Spanish team. We made the playoffs but unfortunately we were not able to bring the championship to the island.
Life… The island of Madeira is famous for being where Cristiano Ronaldo is from, but back then he was 15 or 16 years old haha. The island is also known for its beautiful flowers and the weather. The weather was warm the whole year and I lived five minutes from the beach. It was amazing living there. Three things stick out in my mind from living there. The first was the view overlooking the ocean from the gym. After a hard practice or game, coming out of that gym and having such a fantastic view was always worth it. The other memory that I will cherish was the New Years’ celebration that the island put on. Throughout the island, in the different villages, fireworks were lit simultaneously at midnight. It is still, by far, the best fireworks I have ever seen. And the last moment that I will never forget is 9/11. I was at my apartment watching like everyone else in the world. I remember thinking World War 3 was about to begin, and being on that island was probably one of the best places I could be at that moment.
Next… After just one season, I decided to move on to another country. I wanted to see as many countries as I could so my leaving after just one season was by design. I did not know how long I would play and wanted to take advantage of being able to live where other people took their vacations. My journey would take me to Germany for the first (but not the last) time.
Thank you for taking the time to read my words!
Sean