What People Are Saying About James Donaldson and his "Standing Above the Crowd" book (Marlee Huber, author of Unstoppable Abundance)

“Standing Above the Crowd makes me feel 10 feet tall!”

— Marlee Huber, author of Unstoppable Abundance

Standing Above the Crowd is now available!!!  

To order your own personally autographed copy for only $19.95, please go to www.StandingAboveTheCrowd.com and James Donaldson will personally autograph your book to you.

WSU-and-Soncis-great-James-Donaldson-talks-with-KREM-2-Sports

http://www.krem.com/video/raw/Raw-WSU-and-Soncis-great-James-Donaldson-talks-...

What People Are Saying About James Donaldson and his "Standing Above the Crowd" book (Greg Guedel, Attorney at Foster Pepper, LLC)

“Every day, James works to help his community by mentoring and teaching people how to make positive progress in their lives. His commitment to success isn’t for self-gain; it’s driven by his desire to see others achieve their goals and dreams. Standing Above the Crowd is one more example of how James reaches out to share his knowledge and experience for the benefit of others.”

— W. Gregory Guedel, Attorney at Law, Foster Pepper, PLLC, and Snohomish City Council Member

Standing Above the Crowd is now available!!!  

To order your own personally autographed copy for only $19.95, please go to www.StandingAboveTheCrowd.com and James Donaldson will personally autograph your book to you.

What People Are Saying About James Donaldson and his "Standing Above the Crowd" book (Jamaal Wilkes, NBA Champion with L.A. Lakers)

“I knew James Donaldson as an opposing center with the NBA’s Seattle SuperSonics and Dallas Mavericks when I was with the Los Angeles Lakers. We knew it would always be a tough contest because of his focus and sheer determination, and we would have to bring our “A” game.”

— Jamaal Wilkes, Former NBA All-Star, President/CEO of Jamaal Wilkes Financial Advisors, LLC

Standing Above the Crowd is now available!!!  

To order your own personally autographed copy for only $19.95, please go to www.StandingAboveTheCrowd.com and James Donaldson will personally autograph your book to you.

James Donaldson (Sonics), Shawn Kemp (Sonics) and Adia Barnes (Storm) at Park Dedication - 04-23-11

We all had a great time catching up with each other at the Hubbard Homestead Park Dedication ceremony on April 23rd 2011.

Great to see Shawn and Adia!

What People Are Saying About James Donaldson and his "Standing Above the Crowd" book (Seattle City Councilmember Sally Bagshaw)

“James is a gentleman with heart. He cares deeply about his community and his friends old and new; I count myself lucky to be one of the latter. James inspired and encouraged me during our 2009 campaigns for local office, and I believe his words, ‘If it’s to be, it’s up to me’ will inspire others to live their best and stand tall beside him.”

— Sally Bagshaw, Seattle City Council

Standing Above the Crowd is now available!!!  

To order your own personally autographed copy, please go to www.StandingAboveTheCrowd.com and James Donaldson will personally autograph your book to you.

What People Are Saying About James Donaldson and his "Standing Above the Crowd" book (George Toles)

“Having worked with pro athletes in the major U.S. sports for forty-plus years, I respect my friend James Donaldson for accomplishing what is a very tall order. To stay true to your values, excel in your sport for many years, found and run a thriving business for more than two decades, all the while putting God and others first—James makes it look as easy as his dunks from way above the rim. When this smiling giant unpacks his amazing mind, it pays to look up and listen.”

— George Toles, former NBA announcer and retired media executive

 

Standing Above the Crowd is now available!!!  

To order your own personally autographed copy, please go to www.StandingAboveTheCrowd.com and James Donaldson will personally autograph your book to you.

 

I'm Making the Move From LP's To Digital - Come Go With Me As We Walk Down Memory Lane! (featuring Al Jarreau)

This evening I’m playing (and converting to digital) Al Jarreau’s “High Crime” album from 1984 and my favorite song on it is “After All”.

So, here is a video clip on “After All” featuring Al Jarreau.

Enjoy! 
 

What People Are Saying About James Donaldson and his "Standing Above the Crowd" book (Tyler Tichelaar)

Standing Above the Crowd is now available!!!  

To order your own personally autographed copy, please go to www.StandingAboveTheCrowd.com and James Donaldson will personally autograph your book to you.

Standing Above the Crowd:
How to Execute Your Game Plan to Become the Best You Can Be
James Donaldson
Aviva Publishing (2011)
ISBN:

NBA All-Star’s New Book Provides Secrets for Success in the Game of Life

James Donaldson, former professional NBA All-Star, has a heart as big as he is tall—and at 7’2” he is taller than most. His heart, his concern for others, and his desire to encourage the next generation to succeed are all evident in his newly published book “Standing Above the Crowd.”

Donaldson provides us with two books in one in this part motivational, part autobiographical book that reflects Donaldson’s own quest to be the best, how significant people in his life supported and motivated him to become an athlete, and how the values he learned from being an athlete can be applied to succeeding in business, politics, and life.

I admit I’m not a basketball fan, but that hardly affected my interest in this book because Donaldson’s voice is clear and entertaining and his sports stories caught my attention for how they illustrated larger points he had to make about dedication, leadership, always trying your best, and even how to deal with failure and turn it into success. Furthermore, his intriguing stories of playing against such household names as Shaquille O’Neal, Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar are sure to interest everyone. In fact, he includes a bonus section about the Fifty Greatest NBA Players, over thirty of whom he played against, and he also asked his friends Tom “Satch” Sanders, eight-time NBA champion with the Boston Celtics, and Lenny Wilkens, NBA Hall of Famer both as a player and coach, to contribute their memories of many of these great players.

While any basketball fan or person seeking to better his or her life will find this book informative and entertaining, it’s largely directed at young adults, who are the most likely to look up to sports figures, and Donaldson uses his “celebrity” appeal to get their attention and provide them with some of the tools they will need to succeed in life. Donaldson, who is very concerned about making the world a better place, spends a lot of time speaking to youth groups and at high schools, encouraging students to promise to themselves that they will graduate from high school, and also, always to do their best.

Donaldson has clearly done his best throughout his life. He has a good head on his shoulders which he attributes largely to his father’s influence. He became an athlete, although he initially had no interest in basketball, because he had a coach who convinced him to try out for basketball, and he made it into the pro’s because he had coaches who saw his potential and brought it out in him. Realizing the importance to children of having an adult take an interest in them, Donaldson does so today by mentoring and speaking to youths.

Throughout “Standing Above the Crowd,” Donaldson provides practical advice and tells it like it is. For example, he cautions students against giving into peer pressure and he encourages them to make agreements with themselves that they will not go back on. He made his own agreement to himself early on never to drink after he witnessed his uncle in a drunken stupor. Donaldson encourages kids by saying:

You’ll actually garner a certain measure of respect from your peers if you’re able to stick to your convictions. People find it easier to pull you down to their level (into their drama, trauma, and issues) than to elevate themselves to where you are. That’s human nature, so don’t feel bad about it or let people make you feel bad about what you’re doing. Don’t let them do that to you! Remember, you have “the power,” and as long as you stick to your dreams, you hang onto “the power.” Hopefully, one day your friends will find their own power and elevate their games to your level.

Beyond giving advice, Donaldson is full of great stories. Among the most memorable are his stories of playing basketball in Spain, Italy, and Greece; how a basketball injury resulted in his establishing The Donaldson Clinic to provide physical therapy for others, and the ups and downs of running that business; and his 2009 run to become Mayor of Seattle. In this last story, Donaldson remarks how he had little confidence in politicians until he was convinced to get involved in politics. Knowing what an honest person Donaldson is from reading his book, I felt some restored confidence in the political system after he stated, “Now that I’ve had a chance to ‘look under the hood’ of how the political process works and how it can benefit communities, I can see for myself that participating in that process is truly one of the best things a person can do.”

James Donaldson needs no recommendation from me. He has more than thirty people who provided glowing testimonials for this book about what a wonderful person he is. But my view of the world is a little brighter knowing a professional basketball player like James Donaldson is willing to contribute his time and energy to his community to create a better world. James Donaldson will encourage anyone who reads his book to Stand Above the Crowd. And I encourage anyone who knows a young person, especially boys interested in sports, to give that young person the gift of spending a few hours with James Donaldson through this book.

For more information about James Donaldson and “Standing Above the Crowd,” visit www.StandingAbovetheCrowd.com.

— Tyler R. Tichelaar, Ph.D. and author of the award-winning “Narrow Lives”

 

 

I'm Making the Move From LP's To Digital - Come Go With Me As We Walk Down Memory Lane! (featuring Al Jarreau)

This afternoon I’m playing (and converting to digital) Al Jarreau’s “We Got By” album from 1975 and my favorite song on it is “We Got By”.

So, here is a video clip on “We Got By” featuring Al Jarreau.

Enjoy! 
 

Listen to James Donaldson and Kevin Calabro on ESPN 710AM Sports Radio this afternoon at 4:45pm

Update!!!

Okay, now I’ve heard that the interview that Kevin Calabro and I taped this afternoon will now play at 4:45pm on ESPN Sports Radio 710AM.

Kevin and I will be talking NBA playoff basketball and I’ll be talking a little about my just released book “Standing Above the Crowd”.  www.StandingAboveTheCrowd.com 

In this business, you learn to “go with the flow”.  Smile!!!

Enjoy! 

Listen to James Donaldson and Kevin Calabro on ESPN 710AM Sports Radio

Ooops… sorry about that everyone!!!

Looks like there was some mis-communication in regards to if the interview was going to be live or taped  it turned out to be taped and it will air sometime in the next day or so, probably leading up to an NBA playoff game.   

Anyway, stay tuned!

Listen to James Donaldson and Kevin Calabro on ESPN 710AM Sports Radio this afternoon at 2:15pm.

Listen to James Donaldson and Kevin Calabro on ESPN 710AM Sports Radio this afternoon at 2:15pm.

James and Kevin will kick it around a little bit about NBA playoffs and James’ new book “Standing Above the Crowd”  www.StandingAboveTheCrowd.com 

I'm Making the Move From LP's To Digital - Come Go With Me As We Walk Down Memory Lane! (featuring Rick James)

Okay, now I’m really going to get you moving with one of the funkiest R&B artist of all time!  Rick James!!!  I know you know who that is and you’re enjoy the collection that I’ve been able to amass over the years.

This morning  I’m playing his “Garden of Love” album from 1980 and my favorite songs on it are “Big Time”, “Don’t Give Up On Love”, “Summer Love”, “Mary-Go-Round”.  I don’t think a lot of people remember this album because it’s some of Rick’s more mello work, but I really like it.

My favorite song on it is “Summer Love”. 

So, here is a video clip on “Summer Love” featuring Rick James.

Enjoy! 
 

James Donaldson on the Up and Adam show with Adam Bjaranson Portland Trailblazers TV - 04-13-11

I was on Adam Bjaranson’s TV show yesterday while in Portland and had a great time with him as we were talking about my new Standing Above the Crowd book.

Check out the interview and have fun! http://www.nba.com/blazers/tbtv/video.html?videoID=1788

I come in about the 17 minute mark of the show.

You can pick up your own copy of Standing Above the Crowd at www.StandingAboveTheCrowd.com

Happy reading!!!

I'm Making the Move From LP's To Digital - Come Go With Me As We Walk Down Memory Lane! (featuring Rick James)

Okay, now I’m really going to get you moving with one of the funkiest R&B artist of all time!  Rick James!!!  I know you know who that is and you’re enjoy the collection that I’ve been able to amass over the years.

This afternoon I’m playing his “Street Songs” album from 1981 and my favorite songs on it are “Give It To Me Baby”, “Ghetto Life”, Super Freak”, Call Me Up” and of course the classic “Fire And Desire” with the one and only Teena “Vanilla Child” Marie as they belt it out.  It’s a shame that these amazing artist leave us way too soon!

So, here is a video clip on “Fire and Desire” featuring Rick James and Teena Marie

Enjoy! 
 

Standing Above the Crowd book is now available!

I’m making daily runs to the post office shipping out personally autographed Standing Above the Crowd books!

Order your own personally autographed copy at www.StandingAboveTheCrowd.com and enjoy some great reading and insights on how I encourage people (especially our youth) on how to execute their game plan to be the best they can be!

www.StandingAboveTheCrowd.com

About_the_Author_-_Standing_Above_The_Crowd_-_2011.pdf Download this file

James_Donaldson...Book_Introduction.REV.pdf Download this file

Standing_Above_The_Crowd_Book_Review_-_March_2011.pdf Download this file

Standing_Above_the_Crowd_Press_Release.pdf Download this file

What_People_Are_Saying_about_James_Donaldson_Testimonials_-_2011.pdf Download this file

Enjoy!

I'm Making the Move From LP's To Digital - Come Go With Me As We Walk Down Memory Lane! (featuring Millie Jackson)

I’m going to really test your memories on this artist/singer.  Do you remember Mille Jackson?  She was a soul singing, R&B artist who added some raunchiness to her songs, yet sung from her heart about a lot of relationships gone wrong.  Good stuff!    

I’ve come across at least 10 – 15 Millie Jackson albums from the 70’ – 80’s and I’ll be working on converting them all weekend. (Smile!)
Her “Just A “Lil Bit Of Country ” album from 1981 and some of the better hits on it are “Till I Get It Right”, “Loving You”, “Standing In Your Line” and “Rose Colored Glasses”. 

My favorite cut is “Rose Colored Glasses”.   Check it out!

Enjoy

I'm Making the Move From LP's To Digital - Come Go With Me As We Walk Down Memory Lane! (featuring Millie Jackson)

I’m going to really test your memories on this artist/singer.  Do you remember Mille Jackson?  She was a soul singing, R&B artist who added some raunchiness to her songs, yet sung from her heart about a lot of relationships gone wrong.  Good stuff!    

I’ve come across at least 10 – 15 Millie Jackson albums from the 70’ – 80’s and I’ll be working on converting them all weekend. (Smile!)

Her “I Had To Say It” album from 1980 and some of the better hits on it are “I Had To Say It”, “The Rap ’81 – The Stranger”, “Somebody’s Love Died Here Last Night” and “It’s Gonna Take Some Time This Time”.  My favorite cut is “I Had To Say It”.  Check it out!

Enjoy

I'm Making the Move From LP's To Digital - Come Go With Me As We Walk Down Memory Lane! (featuring Millie Jackson)

I’m going to really test your memories on this artist/singer.  Do you remember Mille Jackson?  She was a soul singing, R&B artist who added some raunchiness to her songs, yet sung from her heart about a lot of relationships gone wrong.  Good stuff!    

I’ve come across at least 10 – 15 Mill Jackson albums from the 70’ – 80’s and I’ll be working on converting them all weekend. (Smile!)

The first album is her “For Men Only” album from 1980 and some of the better hits on it are “If That Don’t Turn You On”, “I Wish That I Could Hurt That Way Again”, “A Fool’sAffair”, “Despair” and “Not On Your Life”.  My favorite cut is “A Fool’s Affair”.  Check it out!

Enjoy

Scout.com: Former Cougar hoopers making serious tracks

Copyright © Cougfan.com and Scout.com. All rights reserved. This website is an unofficial independent source of news and information, and is not affiliated with any school, team, or league.

via washingtonstate.scout.com

Former Cougar hoopers making serious tracks

Former Cougar hoopers making serious tracks: "THE LARGER-than-life world of 7-foot-2 James Donaldson has expanded yet again to include one more new adventure. Donaldson, the former Washington State and NBA standout, has authored a motivational book titled “Standing Above the Crowd.”"

NW Asian Weekly: Diversity Makes a Difference & Scholarship Aards Gala - April 1st - 2011

I just returned from the Diversity Makes a Difference & Scholarship Awards Gala sponsored by the NW Asian Weekly at the New Hong Kong restaurant.

We all had a great time and I handed out copies of Standing Above the Crowd to several scholarship winners… and of course, I posed for tons of photos! (Smile!)

Everyone had a great time!

Congratulations to the students and award winners!

See the full gallery on Posterous

Standing Above the Crowd book is now available!

Today is the day!!!

Today I became an officially, published author (my first books arrived at my home) with the book that I’ve been working on “Standing Above the Crowd”.  Now begins the speaker circuit and selling books! (smile!)

If you know of a group that I should contact to for a speaking engagement, please let me know.

You can pick up your very own autographed copy at www.StandingAboveTheCrowd.com

It’ll be available in select bookstores in a couple/few weeks.

Enjoy and thanks for your support!

 

 

 

 

 

What_People_Are_Saying_about_James_Donaldson_Testimonials_-_2011.pdf Download this file

Standing_Above_The_Crowd_Book_Review_-_March_2011.pdf Download this file

Standing_Above_the_Crowd_Press_Release.pdf Download this file

I'm Making the Move From LP's To Digital - Come Go With Me As We Walk Down Memory Lane! (featuring Freddie Jackson)

I’m playing some more Freddie Jackson on the stereo/converter this morning. 

I’m playing his “Just Like The First Time” album from 1986 and my favorite song on it (and one the I learned to play the saxophone with!) is “I Don’t Want To Lose Your Love”. 

There are several really good songs on this album like “Tasty Love”, “Look Around”, and “Janay” also!  

So, here is a video clip on “I Don’t Want To Lose Your Love” from the “Just Like The First Time” album.

Enjoy!