Today was a great day! I had the chance to work at McDonald’s and see first-hand what the employees do on a daily basis. After the restaurant visit, I went to the Miami Seaquarium and swam with the dolphins. I was surprised that the dolphins felt a little slimy and rubbery, but it was cool to get in the water and play with them. We also got to see the manatees, but I decided not to feed them because they had algae on their backs! All of the McDonald’s All Americans enjoyed spending the afternoon there before gearing up for the big event – POWERADE Jam Fest!

Tonight the POWERADE Jam Fest was great because I won the skills challenge! It felt amazing to take the title because I was representing my family, friends and hometown on national television. It was also a great event to participate in because this was the first year in Jam Fest history that they had the skills challenge. I told everyone, including my teammates, from the beginning that I was going to win the skills challenge and they didn’t believe me. They acted all surprised because a “big guy” isn’t usually expected to win. I showed them all tonight!

Stay tuned for my journal tomorrow….

(March 31, 2009) - Today was the last day to prepare for the McDonald's All American Game. We started out the day with practice and I'm pretty confident that the McDonalds East team will be bringing home the title tonight. After practice we had Media Day and I couldn't believe how many reporters were there, all to see us!

Dante Taylor practices before the game on Wednesday (Photo /  Golin Harris)

We did our interviews and answered questions and then hit the court again for our scrimmage. We scrimmaged against each other for an hour and I was really impressed by everyone on the floor. It was nice to get out there and prepare before the actual game on Wednesday at the BankUnited Center.

Earlier tonight we attended the player banquet at Jungle Island. All the guys got dressed up in these shirts called Guyaberas that are really popular in Miami. We were announced in front of everyone and Alonzo Mourning handed each of us a ring.

Pat Riley also gave a speech and it was really cool to hear from two of Miami's biggest basketball legends about life and basketball. Both of them talked about how important it is to use your gifts to help others, and our visit to Ronald McDonald House Charities was a perfect example of that.

Looking back, I've experienced so many great things during my time here and it all leads up to tonight. Don't forget to watch me live on ESPN tomorrow at 8 p.m. ET.

(April 1, 2009) - I have been dreaming of playing in the McDonald’s All American Games since I was young, and today was the day. We started off the morning with a shoot around and took some independent team photos. Shoot around went really well and got my adrenaline going for the big game.

After we were done practicing, we went back to the hotel for dinner and loaded up on some carbs. With a little free time to spare, I took a quick nap before heading back over to the BankUnited Center for the big show.

When we first arrived, we had the chance to watch the beginning of the Girls Game. It’s cool to see how far the women’s game has come and how talented all these girls are on the court. Then it was the boy’s turn to take the floor.

Playing on such a huge stage where all the legends in basketball have played before was unbelievable. I went out there and put on a show on national television and in front of my friends and family in the crowd. I finished the game with 15 points, and 6 rebounds for the East in a 113-110 win! Most importantly, my play tonight helped raise money for the families I met at the Ronald McDonald House in Miami. There really is nothing better than having the chance to give back while playing the game you love.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to share my experiences throughout the week. My time in Miami for the McDonald’s All American Games was one I will always remember.