Things I Love: Basketball Edition

If you were paying attention to my last post—and were in between watching things like this in your spare time—you will remember that I stated I would do the, "Things I Love" post after the, "Things I Hate" post. Since the NBA's motto applies to me, it would be easy for me to pick the obvious elements that makes hoops so appealing. This includes: dunks, Kobe, Lebron, game-winners, etc. However, I like to be unconventional, so I'll go a little off the board and select some things that you may like but haven't openly expressed so. To the list...


1. Oracle Arena in Oakland, CA
This venue is the home of the, "We Believe" Golden State Warriors. Last year, the Warriors ended their 14-year playoff drought and won a postseason series against the 67-win Dallas Mavericks.

(Random, unnecessary shot at Dirk Nowitzki)

I also loved how the Oak-Town crowd went absolutely nuts with every made basket. Oracle is the closest thing to a college atmosphere in the NBA, and the team responds accordingly. While waving massive "We Believe" flags after one series win is a bit over the top, Oracle Arena has easily replaced the 2001 version of Arco Arena in Sacramento as the loudest venue in professional basketball. At least they didn't break out "Round 2" hats and t-shirts after their series win like my hometown team did. Bad idea, Abe...


2. Dwight Howard's other Dunks > Superman Dunk
Look, I get the aesthetically impressiveness of seeing a guy jump as high as he can and literally throw the ball through the hoop; but let's be real—most people that can dunk can do that to a degree. Let's see those same world-class athletes try a windmill from behind the backboard. Better yet, try tapping the ball off the glass with one hand; then, in mid-air, dunk it with your other hand. Now I know a high school player kinda duplicated it, but that's still better than the creativity D-12 put into his costume. Even his "Sticker Dunk" from the '07 contest was better than that. With that said, I do have that as my desktop wallpaper (with Jason Kidd's large-craniumed son leaping for joy).


3. DeShawn Stevenson's "You Can't See Me/I Can't Feel My Face" Celebration-Thing...
I hate G-Unit; but Tony Yayo's contribution to basketball cannot go unnoticed. It's terrible as a club dance, but amazing during pick-up games. By waving his hand in front of his face after draining a couple jumpers, Stevenson signals that he's unconscious on the court. Most people that play basketball frequently know of this feeling. It feels as if you shoot without much thought, and you can hit from any distance. I know that most people haven't seen the movie, "Blow," so they don't know that, "I Can't Feel My Face" is a reference to doing a line of cocaine. I wonder how David Stern would react if Stevenson revealed what that really meant. All in favor for a "No Hand-Gestures" rule?


4. Rasheed Wallace's Interviews/Press Conferences/Wired On-Court Statements...
Rasheed Wallace is awesome. Little known fact: Rasheed Wallace cannot be in the same room with Chuck Norris because no building can contain that highly concentrated a level of collective awesomeness. 'Sheed, now in his 13th season, is probably known more his temper than his talent. Few people forget how dominant he was in Portland; or just how different his game is. A seven-footer with range right and/or left-handed; with the desire to dominate the paint...

(Random, unnecessary shot at Dirk Nowitzki)

...But this is about Wallace's soundbytes. From saying, "The ball don't lie," when an opponent misses a free throw resulting from a foul Sheed deems questionable, to this legendary press conference; Rasheed Wallace is always good for a laugh (Verbal Intercourse--yes...NSFW).


5. Dominant Players When They Take Over the Game...
Have you ever seen a game in which the superstar player is scoring at will...and there's nothing the opposing team can do about it? Do you find yourself prophetically proclaiming, "Good," once a shot is released? Do you chuckle at the site of defenders most intense efforts being futile during an elite scorer's barrage? Then this part of the post is for you. I know the NBA's upper-echelon swingmen are the obvious choices for example—with the prime of these being Kobe's 81—but I'll focus on a newcomer to the rarified air of dominance: Stephen Curry. If any good comes out of the MASN network, it's that I got to see most of Davidson's conference games. So I was witness to Mr. Curry's runs as if the basketball became engulfed with trailing flames when he touched it. The nation followed suit in amazement during this year's tournament. What amazes me is that a guy that looks 12 can sink a jumper at will. How's your recruitment, ACC? I'm looking at you, Gary Williams...


6. Bonus
And, as I did with the "Hate" post, I will list some professional players that I like that get little recognition (and provide visual evidence to back up said list). Kevin Martin, Joe Johnson, Jamal Crawford, Danny Granger, Monta Ellis, and Rodney Stuckey. Goodnight and God bless...

(Random, unnecessary shot at Dirk Nowitzki)




Peace.