The Heart of Sports: A Reminder of How Sports Can Bring a Community Together

The awesome spectacle of Jalen’s high-flying dunk was something a community could agree on and celebrate.

Photo Credit: @Jalen.Jamess/IG (Photos taken by Jack Kalsched/@jackkalsched and posted with his permission))

By Michael Kasdan

“The Heart of Sports” is a recurring column that curates the stories, pictures and moments that provide a window into the beating heart of sports:

• The moments in and around the game that are bigger than the game itself.
• The speeches to teammates and fans that are larger even than the game itself.
• The moments when sports is used as a platform for bigger social conversations.
• The thrilling moments from your childhood that you never forget.
• The tender moments among teammates.

It’s why we watch. It’s why we play. It’s the stuff that rises up out of sports and settles down into us.

This week’s Heart of Sports moment comes from the town where I live, Maplewood, New Jersey. During a recent Columbia High School basketball game, 5-foot-9 sophomore guard, Jalen Jamess, went wayyyyyy up and unleashed a ferocious posterizing slam that just about lit the gym on fire.