Basketball kickoff
Well, it is basketball season again and I have been glued to my screen every night trying to catch as many games as I can. It is a transformed landscape this year sparked by one of the highest movement in free agency in NBA history and a roster of new rookies that is nothing short of phenomenal! Basketball is more than a game, it shapes our culture here in the US. I am delighted that Adam Silver (Please run in 2020) has led the NBA to be the most progressive sports franchise in the US from training and nutrition to mental wellness, to technology and progressive issues it leaps all other sports by a decade. The last two weeks did not feel like OCT but rather like the playoffs with an intensity and energy seldom seen this early on. The Clippers and Lakers are on fire….The Clippers dance on the court with the grit and intensity we have come to love here in LA (more Beverley and Shamet please!); The Lakers are still forming but if last night is a shape of things to come I may need to quit my job and watch Ball full time….The Celtics woke up and are giving the Eastern Conf some teeth, Doncic and team at the Mavericks are jaw-dropping (he is 20!)…The Jazz, The rockets and all of our usual favorites (Harden and co) are even more energized than LY and the ROOKIES…Zion What?. Last night was insanity with a back and forth, tick for tat between Dorcic *20 and his idol Lebron *34 going back and forth in the second half leading to that spectacular Danny Green shot and a great win in OT. In a nation divided by extremist views, racist rhetoric and superficial jabs BASKETBALL reminds us of the power of PLAY as a uniting conduit. It reminds us through these interracial, international, multicultural (wait until you see Enis Kanter perform whilst fasting during Ramadan!) teams that THAT is AMERICA and that our power and strength to win games rest certainly in our grit, determination, and hard work but also in our unparalleled diversity as a nation. The NBA is a fantastic reminder of that! Happy Season!
