I had my Bar Mitzvah 14 years ago today. Can a brother get a mazel tov?
The True Meaning of an NBA Feast
Harvey Araton
The New York Times
When Gregg Popovich sent three of his key players home to rest instead of play in a nationally televised game against the Heat, relatively few players or coaches stood firmly alongside the Spurs’ coach. Instead, most NBA-types uttered the same phrase, with varied degrees of conviction: “our job is to play the games”. Indeed, there is a tacit understanding that in the NBA, you often have to work when others are not: during evenings, on holidays, and so on. Christmas Day, of course, is one of those days, and Harvey Araton details the tricky business of doing work when the expectation is to rest and spend time with your family. Araton focuses on the idea that this is indeed a tricky business; though players would rather be spending time with their families, they are getting paid handsomely for their labor, especially on this holiday. In the story, Jerry Stackhouse, who played today, assures us not to worry: “‘At the end of the day, when the licensing checks are rolling in, we’re all in line…everybody should be all in. It helps our brand’”. Well put, Jerry.
- JG
Tyson Chandler: Best Center, Best Minimalist
Ethan Sherwood-Strauss
Hoopspeak
It really shouldn’t sound absurd, but it probably does: Tyson Chandler is the best center in the league, and the most valuable member of the Knicks. Better than Dwight Howard or Marc Gasol, and more valuable then Carmelo Anthony. Hell, Chandler is putting up an all-time performance this year, but you’re probably distracted by the number 12.7: the amount of points he scores per game. Forget all about that, writes Sherwood Strauss, and become a basketball minimalist. Then you will finally learn to appreciate Tyson Chandler for what he is: one of the best ballers in the game today.
- KD
A Rivalry Renewed: Lakers 118 Warriors 115
Adam Lauridsen
Fast Break (San Jose Mercury News)
Though most folks were more focused on this game because of the way the Lakers won, thousands of ravenous Warriors fan were fixated on the way the Warriors lost the game. In many ways, it was similar to a Warriors loss of a bygone era — a blown 14 point lead in the 4th quarter to a more seasoned, focused team — but Adam Lauridsen assures us that what we witnessed, in fact, represented something much different, and far more positive. It is worth quoting Lauridsen at length, as he says it far better than I ever could:
“I’ve witnessed some pretty depressing losses to the Lakers over the years. In those dismal games, nothing felt worse than the feeling that the Warriors belonged in some minor league, outclassed in every aspect of the game as the Lakers ran up the score. This was not one of those losses. The Warriors aren’t a battle-tested team with championship experience — but they also aren’t some intimidated youngsters just happy to stick around for a quarter. They attacked this game expecting to win it, and they were a few mistakes away from accomplishing their goal. That progress doesn’t make this loss to the Lakers any easier to take, but it makes it more likely that we won’t suffer the same indignity next time around.”
Well said, Adam. But shit, that one hurt. A lot.
- JG
2012 NBA Wishes
Ian Levy
Hickory High
Assigning an author to this post is really a misnomer: compiler would be a better title. Ian Levy has compiled a massive catalogue of basketball wishes by practically every NBA blogger on the planet. Seriously, if you read somebody’s basketball blog, they probably contributed to this piece. My favorite wish is from Miles Ma, “I wish the NBA would man up and schedule national television games opposite NFL games. Woody Allen said 80 percent of success is just showing up. Just show up, NBA.” What’s your favorite?
- KD
New York’s Best Basketball Players, As Picked By Insiders
Kevin Quealy and Bedel Saget
The New York Times
As a history buff, I am drawn to archival hotspots where a lot of primary source material is generated and maintained. New York City is one of these archival hotspots: many of the great ballers in basketball history come from New York, and many of the great writers who present various narratives about the sport call New York their professional and personal home. On Tuesday (Christmas), the New York Times polled some of these great basketball minds — both players and writers — to name their All-Time-All-City teams. Two things immediately become apparent: (1) there is an incredible talent pool from New York (Bernard King didn’t even make it on most people’s lists), and (2) if the Vescey Bros. were wizards, George would be the good wizard, and Peter would be the evil one.
- JG