Thank You for Not Sticking to Sports

Yesterday was a day that will go down in the history books. I talked about Jacob Blake, the systemic racism in the police department in the US, the hate speech being spewed on the internet and that there was talk of a possible boycott in the NBA playoffs.

Well, the boycott happened. The Bucks refused to come out of the locker room prior to the start of their game 5 matchup with the Magic. The Magic were on the floor warming up, but when they realized what was happening, they left the court and joined the boycott. Three O'Clock came and went, and the Bucks decided it was in their best interest to take a stand. The Magic joined them. Then the Rockets and Thunder decided to boycott their game later in the day, with the Trailblazers and Lakers ready to follow. Before the Lakers and Trailblazers could officially boycott their game, the NBA canceled the rest of the night's slate.

This is historic. Something like this hasn't happened since Bill Russell was playing in the league, and that protest was during a preseason game. The fact that these players, these young men, had the fortitude and the wherewithal to do what they did is simply amazing. I was never more proud to be an NBA fan than I was last night when the boycott started. I was so thrilled that the players were taking a stand against racism, I loved that it was the Bucks since Blake was shot in Wisconsin and I am so pleased that every other player stood with them in this historic moment. There were no dissenters. This was an all for one type thing. And to see everyone come together was so moving and so very important. Then to see Kenny Smith walk off set in solidarity, to see all the tweets from stars and role players, to see Jim Jackson and Chris Webber speak so eloquently and passionately, to see Rachel Nichols, Jay Williams, Marc Spears and Kendrick Perkins all touch on why this is so important, I was stunned in the best way possible.

This was exactly what needed to happen. Just like Chris Webber said, "if not now, during a pandemic, then when". It is awesome. To see young millionaires, mostly African Americans, stand up for what they so rightfully deserve is so moving. Everybody should be treated equally. We all should have the same rights. We shouldn't judge people by the color of their skin. Unfortunately though, we still have monstrous people, especially in the police department, who don't see the world that way. They think they are better and more deserving. They think they have some sort of power that they certainly do not. They are emboldened by the monster that currently resides in the White House. This is a problem, and the NBA, and please do not let me forget the WNBA, what they did was truly astounding and powerful, wearing the shirts with Blake's name on it, and seven red dots on the back for the shots, that was amazing. To see them stand up for what they believe in, to stand together, to say screw it, we want equal rights, the rights afforded to everyone else, it was incredible. I told my son about all of this this morning. I explained to him why there was no basketball last night, and why this was a good thing. I told him that when he is older, he will read about this in history books. This story will be told for generations. My wife compared it to our generation learning about the 60's and 70's. This boycott, the BLM movement, the protests, this is all akin to Kent State and Watergate. This is a shift. This is a moment. And after the NBA boycotted, and the WNBA boycotted, the Brewers decided to not play their game, then a young tennis star decided to not play her match, then a bunch of football teams canceled practices yesterday and today to hold meetings about systemic racism.

We need more of this. We need more pro athletes standing up to their owners and to the "government". I can go protest all I want and make petitions to defund the police, but I won't get a sniff. I am a regular suburban dad. But people like LeBron James and Giannis Antentekoumpo, Chris Paul, Christian Yelich, any famous football player, they can get to their owners, who can get to people in charge and get in their ears. And while I know that finishing the season was on the verge last night, even going as far as the Clippers and Lakers voting to end the season then and there, the NBA did decide to finish. I don't fully know how I feel about that yet, but I do think they can still use this platform to continue to get messages out there to people who need to hear it. But this is historic. This is important. This is something that will go down in history. This is going to be remembered and talked about forever.

Again, I have always loved the NBA, and I always will, but last night that went to a whole other level. I am so impressed and so on board with whatever they decide to do, and I will follow them wherever they go. Hopefully this means a change is starting to happen. Hopefully, this starts a real movement. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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I'm All in for a Professional Game of HORSE

We are now over a month without sports, and I know a good amount of people are trying to figure something out right now. I read that baseball is looking into playing, at least the first part of the season, all their games in Arizona, or at minor league parks. The NFL and college football is hoping they can start practices in July or August, which is a big time hope. And the NBA seems to be doing anything and everything they can to try and at least have some kind of playoff or tournament.

Personally, I think all these leagues should be extra, extra cautious, and only play when it’s 100 percent safe. But, and I want to give Adam Silver and the people that work for him a ton of credit, they’re doing everything they can to keep people interested, reading and trying to watch something. They did that thing a week ago where they had NBA players play each other in NBA2K, and it was fun. Hell, I would’ve watched anything at that point, but it definitely scratched an itch. I saw these guys “competing”. I saw them trash talking. I saw them trying their best to win. I saw the competitive nature that I have been really craving and really missing. And now the NBA has this wonderful idea, that is going to happen, where they’re going to have current players, WNBA players and former players play each other in a tournament version of the game HORSE.

For those that may not know, HORSE is a game where one person makes a shot, and the person after them has to make the shot, or they get a letter. The first person to get HORSE loses the game. The winner is the person with less letters. This is a game that I’ve played ever since I picked up a ball. I’ve done it with friends, during practice, at basketball camps, anywhere there’s a hoop, and we want to get some trick shots up, we played HORSE. So, the fact that former and current professional basketball players are going to do this tournament style, and they’re going to air it, you better believe I’m going to watch it, and I’m going to LOVE it. I’m not sure about all the participants, but I know guys like Trae Young, Chris Paul and Zach Lavine are going to do it. Imagine how insane some of these shots are going to be! It’s going to be crazy. These guys have dedicated their lives to basketball, and practice their craft endlessly. I’ve seen a ton of videos, and live at games, NBA players, not well known players, who make ridiculously hard shots. Shots that would take me hundreds of tries to even get close to making. CP3 is going to do some wild mid range stuff. Trae Young may pull up from 3/4 court regularly. Zach Lavine has turned into a solid shooter, but he’s such a phenomenal leaper, I’d love to see him do some wild 360 layups, or jump from the free throw line and do a reverse layup or something. All the other participants are pros as well, so you know they’re going to bring it. I also think, with the lack of games and competition, that the players involved are going to take it very seriously, and I love it. It was great to watch the All Star game ending because it mattered. I feel like this game of HORSE is going to bring out a similar intensity. I’m not sure how it will be done, if the people involved are quarantined together, or if they’re going to do it from their home gyms or something. But, I have to assume the powers that be have that all figured out, and this is going to kick so much ass.

I never thought in a million years I’d be excited to watch a game of HORSE, but that’s the world we live in for the moment. This is so awesome. Thank you NBA for this. This makes me love this league more than I thought possible. I’m so stoked.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing, the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast, and the greatest basketball writer on the internet.

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Ty Reads "Basketball: A Love Story"

This afternoon I just finished the book "Basketball: A Love Story". This book was on my must read list since right before Xmas. I got it as a gift, and it finally found its way into my rotation about a month ago. I am a slow reader, but this book is stuffed with all kinds of wonderful basketball stories. Rafe Bartholomew, Dan Klores, and especially Jackie MacMullan, have done something magical with this book.

For those that may now know, "BALS" is pretty simple when broken down. The book is pretty much a series of interviews in every chapter. They have a topic, they talk to some of the prominent figures from that topic and each writer adds a bit more info in the middle or end of each chapter. There are also some tremendous photos in this book as well. When you break it down a bit more, the book is so much more special.

Some of the things that the writers touch on, and get the interviewees to talk about are simply astounding. The whole chapter that is dedicated to the racism in the early stages of the sport was eye opening. Hearing Oscar Robertson and Bill Russell talk about some of the horrific things they had to deal with was harrowing. I couldn't believe that stars as big as them dealt with the idiocy and maliciousness of racism. It was nuts to hear Russell talk about leaving a hotel because they wouldn't allow his teammates that weren't white to stay there. Also, hearing about the whole "quota system" they had when integrating the league was bizarre and stupid. I cannot believe this sport used to do things like this. It was sickening. The NBA has come a long, long way. I also enjoyed the ABA chapter. What I loved about this chapter so much was, I have read "Loose Balls", which is extraordinary, and I highly recommend that book, it was like an extra chapter from that book. They told new, and different stories that I didn't read about in "Loose Balls". It was the same thing with the Magic Johnson and Larry Bird chapter. I've also read MacMullan's book on the two of them, and this chapter in "BALS" was another great extension.

What separates this book from other basketball books for me was the wide swath of subjects they talked about. I talked about the racism, Magic versus Bird and ABA stuff. There were also chapter dedicated to the Duke-UNC rivalry. They also gave Dean Smith and early UNC an entire chapter, which made me respect the hell out of Smith and that program. Their chapter on the influence to the foreign game was excellent. To hear about young Arvdyas Sabonis was awesome. I forgot how great a player like Sarinlous Marcilonus was. Drazen Petrovic could have been one of the greatest if not for his accident. Yao Ming was an exceptional talent. Toni Kukoc, Peja Stojakavic and Vlade Divac were very open. It might have been my favorite chapter. I also loved the chapters where players simply talked about their love for the game. I adored the chapters about Pat Summit, Geno Auriemma, the Tennessee-UCONN women's rivalry and the beginning of the WNBA. It makes me want to start watching the WNBA again.

"Basketball A Love Story" is a tremendous read. It is a must for hard core NBA fans, and I think even the casual fan would find it illuminating. This book is a work of art, and I know that this will not be the only time I read it. This is a multiple read for me. Check it out. This book rules.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He wishes a book would cover the golden retriever takeover of American sports. Air Bud needs his due.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.