我们已经进入了NBA俗称的“dog days(三伏天)”。这指的是圣诞假期之后全明星周末之前的这段时间。在全明星周末后，你能看到漫长赛季尽头的曙光，这时候每场比赛的胜负都至关重要，所以大家都会卯足了劲。狗日子就不同了，这段时间很难熬。我们的赛程已经过半，每个人要么在与伤病搏斗要么已经精疲力竭。队中的新秀蔡斯-巴丁格问我：“我们还有40场比赛要打么？我们怎么办？”蔡斯本赛季到目前为止参加的比赛比大学任何一年都多。

没必要遮遮掩掩，我们队最近的确没打出最佳状态。我们的连续六个主场，目前是1胜4负(今晚我们将迎来金州勇士)。之前我们经历了一段严酷的客场之旅，当时我们相信回到主场，有球迷的助威，我们将轻松地取得胜利。我们在与诸如鹰队、掘金和太阳等强队交手时，发挥得不够好，没有获得胜利。许多人于是都开始看衰我们，我必须提醒你们每支球队都可能经历一段低潮期，这很正常。我们知道要进入季后赛就必须和实力相当的球队殊死一搏。现在还不是指责和质疑的时候。我们必须保持团结，找到赢球的办法。

我从杜克大学教练老K那里听来一个比喻，我觉得送给现在的火箭队正合适。他告诉我们——这话我也转送给了现在的队友——一支篮球队就好比一个手掌上的五根指头。当大家团结在一起时，所有手指都攥紧，形成一只强有力的拳头。(尽管我不崇尚暴力)，但在打架时，一个拳头要强过五根手指。这个比喻放到球队身上，那就是，尽管队员们天赋有高有低，但是只要大家心往一处想劲往一处使，那肯定强过各自为战。如果每根指头都自作主张不顾大局，那会导致什么后果？拳头的威力将不复存在，而且你还会手指骨折(哦！)。所以这就是团结的重要性。一支球队必须团结成一个拳头。

说说我个人的事儿吧，如果火箭比赛转播你一场不落，你应该会发现我的上唇有些毛茸茸的。是的，我正在留胡子。为什么呢？因为这样看上去比较搞笑，有时候你必须拿自己开心。我的好哥们小麦克-邓利维去年就留了胡子，我不能让他一个人专美。我无意冒犯那些留胡子的人，但对我自己来说，长了胡子很搞笑。不要总那么严肃，否则你得生活会失去很多乐趣。笑一笑。笑对自己。笑对别人的嘲笑。这会让你变得更年轻！胡子会留多久？不知道，别管这个，好好享受吧。

回头聊朋友们，

肖恩

原文如下——

We are officially in what us in the NBA call the 'dog days' of the season. It's the period after the holidays and before the All-Star break where time seems to stand still. After the All-Star break, you can see the light at the end of the tunnel and every game is so important, so there is a lot of energy for these games. The 'dog days,' however, are tough to get through. We have played more than half the season at this point and everyone is nursing injuries to an extent or just plain fatigued. Talking to Chase Budinger, our great rookie, he asks me 'We still have 40 games to go? How do we make it?" Chase has already played more games to date than he has in any year in college.

It's no secret that our team has not played its best basketball as of late. When we pointed to this homestand of 6 games, we did not anticipate going 1-4 (we play Golden State tonight to finish the homestand). We had such a road heavy schedule early that was brutal, that we assumed that when we returned home, we would win just because we were playing in front of our home fans. While we have played some very good teams, Atlanta, Denver, Phoenix, the truth is that we just haven't played well enough to beat these good teams. While many people are counting us out, I must remind you that every team goes through a lull during the year when they just don't play well. We know we are in a dogfight to make the playoffs with so many teams right around us in the standings. Now is not the time to start doubting ourselves and to point fingers. We must continue to stay together and find a way to win games.

I gave the team an analogy that I heard from my college coach, Coach Krzyzewski at Duke University. He told us, which I told the team, that the basketball team is like the fingers on a hand. When a team is together and every 'finger' is in union with each other, you can form a powerful fist. (Although I don't advocate violence), if you are ever in a fist fight, a hand that has formed a strong fist is much more dangerous and powerful than a hand that is not. Much like a team that is together, working towards a common goal, despite the talent level of the team, is much more potent and dangerous than a team that is not. If even one finger (or player) is not working in unison with the other fingers on the hand, what happens? The strength and power of the fist is greatly diminished and there is even a good possibility that you could break a finger (ouch!). Such is the importance of working together. A team must form a 'fist' to fight with unity.

On a personal note, if you have been watching the Rockets play at all, you have probably noticed my hairy upper lip. Yes, I have attempted to grow a mustache. Why? Because it looks totally ridiculous and sometimes you just have to laugh at yourself. My best friend Mike Dunleavy Jr. of the Indiana Pacers grew (an ugly) mustache last year and I can't let him have all the fun. I have nothing against people with mustaches, but on me, it just looks funny. Never take yourself or what you do too seriously that you can't find the inherent humor in life. Laugh. Laugh at yourself. Laugh when others laugh at you. It keeps you young! How long will the mustache last? No one knows, just enjoy it.

Talk to you soon my friends,

Shane