It started with a hoverboard.Near the height of the popularity of the handleless-riding devices, Alex Scales brought one to the gym for his usual workout. One thing led to another, and a trick-shot series was born.I was on a hoverboard messing around at the gym, Scales said. One of my guys was like, I bet you cant make it from there. So I just shot a 3, and then I made it, and it just caught on from there.In an effort to keep things fresh at his workouts, Scales turned that one video into Trick Shot Tuesday, a series where he posts new and increasingly impressive trick shots every week on his Instagram account. The shots have enjoyed plenty of viral moments and multiple appearances on the SportsCenter Top 10.The one that really caught fire was the one I did the actual push-up on, he said of the video that shows him making a hook shot from half court while doing a push-up off of the basketball. That was probably one of the hardest ones that Id done, because of the fitness you need to be able to have to do it.Scales doesnt have any long-term plans for his trick-shot game, aside from growing his Instagram following (hes currently hovering just above 2,000). Nor does he spend too much time practicing his craft in the gym at Arizona State where he works out. He said he usually comes up with the shot for Trick Shot Tuesday that day and often completes the whole process -- from conception to practice to filming the final product -- in about 30 minutes.I had one where I kicked it. I was like, You know what, Im only gonna give it five tries. After these five tries, Im done, Scales said. Then I made it on the fifth try. It just depends on the difficulty of the shot. Some of the ones that people are like, Man, that was crazy, that looked difficult, Im like, That was one of my easier shots.Those who dont know Scales background might think its improbable that hed be able to complete trick shots with such ease. But hes not just a random person posting trick-shot videos on Instagram. Scales spent 15 years as a professional basketball player and once held an NBA record -- for the shortest career.Scales, who went undrafted out of Oregon in 2000, made his NBA debut -- and farewell -- on Nov. 19, 2005, for the San Antonio Spurs, playing just 9.2 seconds at the end of a 97-91 win over the Phoenix Suns. He shared the court with future Hall of Famers Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili, along with ESPNs Bruce Bowen, who had his number retired by the Spurs in 2012.A week later, Scales was waived and never got another shot at the NBA. San Antonio was his fourth and final stop in the league, after he had preseason stints with the New Jersey Nets, Houston Rockets and Seattle SuperSonics. Scales thought he had his best shot at an NBA breakthrough in Seattle.When I was with Seattle, there was a great write-up about me, he said. This is when Rick Brunson had his first guaranteed contract. They had written in the paper that [the Sonics] had a million-dollar question: Do they keep Rick Brunson or Alex Scales? Ray Allen was quoted in the paper saying, Alex Scales is the only one playing like he belongs here.The Sonics cut Scales at the end of the preseason, and then he was picked up two weeks later by the Spurs. It was the third time in his career that he thought hed done everything he needed to do in the preseason to make the roster, only to end up on the wrong end of the waiver wire.It was just a sad situation to see a guy who did everything he was supposed to do, was productive when he got in the game, to not get an opportunity, he said. Because I felt like if I would have gotten that opportunity, I wouldve been something special.With the NBA door closed to him, Scales went to the D-League and eventually back to Europe, where hed started his professional career in 2000 in Italy. Scales last played professionally for Tadamon Zouk in Lebanon, the culmination of a 15-year career that saw him also make stops in China, Argentina, South Korea, Spain, Greece, Russia, Ukraine, Turkey and Puerto Rico. When he was in China, he had his most memorable experience of culture shock.I wanted some shrimp, so they come out, they bring me some shrimp, he said. Its got the eyes, the legs -- Im like, Man, what is this? Im not used to this shrimp!Scales first played in China in 2001-02, before Yao Ming came over to the NBA, and again two seasons later, when the NBA boom was just beginning in the country. He said its been impressive to watch how much the game has grown in China, but he does regret one aspect of that.The pay [in China] is 18,000 times more than what it was then, Scales said. I tell people now that I grew up in the wrong era.Now 38, Scales knows the window is closing on his basketball career, but hes trying to keep it open as long as possible and says hell listen to any team that calls to inquire about his services. But until then, hell keep making trick-shot videos every Tuesday, and he hopes they can entertain and motivate people.If something comes up out of it, itd be great, but at the same time, I like doing it to see peoples reactions, he said. People are like, I could never do anything like that. But I always emphasize that practice makes perfect, so theres always something youre capable of doing if you put your mind to it. So thats why I go about it. Nike Air Max 270 Womens Clearance . -- The goal posts lying flat on the field, Arizonas fans lingered on the field, congregating around the locker room entrance nearly 30 minutes after rushing out of the stands. Nike Air Max 270 Clearance . "Were just throwing s--- at the wall hoping something sticks," said Tortorella about the possible line combinations for Fridays game against Columbus. The Canucks have lost five straight games and six of their last seven, leaving them in a logjam in the Pacific Division, currently sitting fifth - good for ninth in the Western Conference. http://www.max270cheap.com/air-max-270-flyknit-sale.html . The judges scored it 48-47, 48-47, 49-46 for Jones (19-1). It was the champions closest call. Despite the loss, it was a remarkable show by the confident Swedish challenger, who had the best of the early rounds and then hung on in the fourth and fifth. Air Max 270 All Black Mens .2 billion agreement with Rogers Communications for the leagues broadcast and multimedia rights. Nike Air Max 270 React Electro Green . Nine days before the opening ceremony, organizing committee chief Dmitry Chernyshenko said Wednesday that Sochi is "fully ready" and will deliver safe, friendly and well-run games that defy the grim reports that have overshadowed preparations.The top-seeded Chicago Blackhawks asserted their will over the Detroit Red Wings, dominating play on their way to a 4-1 win in the first game of their second round playoff series. While the game was tied through two periods, Chicago outshot Detroit 41-21 overall (broken down 23-12 through the first two periods and 18-9 in the third). Blackhawks LW Patrick Sharp delivered a strong all-around performance adding an empty net goal to a pair of assists, finishing a plus-2, and registering a game-high seven shots on goal. Sharps line, with linemates Patrick Kane and Michal Handzus, also had the best possession numbers for the Blackhawks. Sharp had six goals in 28 games for the Blackhawks during the regular season and now has six goals in six playoff games. The worst possession numbers for Detroit belonged to Henrik Zetterberg, Valtteri Filppula, Niklas Kronwall and Jonathan Ericsson. Blackhawks D Johnny Oduya scored the winning goal and was plus-3. Oduya had three goals in 48 regular season games and now has two in six playoff games. Red Wings C Pavel Datsyuk was held without a shot in 21:20 of ice time. The Blackhawks didnt assign a specific line to defeend Datsyuk, so he saw a lot of the top two units, the defence tandem of Duncan Keith and Niklas Hjalmarsson spent most of the night matched up against Datsyuk.dddddddddddd There was only one game all season through 55 games (48 regular season plus seven playoff games) in which Datsyuk played more yet was still held without a shot on goal. That game was April 12, in a 3-2 loss at Chicago. Blackhawks C David Bolland returned to the lineup and played 11:36 in his first playoff action. He had four shots on goal and picked up slashing and roughing minors during a run-in with Red Wings RW Justin Abdelkader who, incidentally, had a game-high eight hits. Detroit outhit Chicago 43-24 but, in a game in which they were so soundly outshot, that indicates a lack of puck possession more than a decidedly more physical approach. It may not come as a surprise that the Blackhawks won the first game of the series on home ice, but the ease with which they did it against a very good Detroit team was most impressive. Scott Cullen can be reached at Scott.Cullen@bellmedia.ca and followed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/tsnscottcullen. For more, check out TSN Fantasy on Facebook. ' ' '