The Los Angeles Lakers basketball club were widely expected to sweep the New Orleans this month, on their way to a possible third consecutive NBA championship, but on Sunday were torched by the smallest player on the court, Chris Paul. Lakers' fans focused blame on the Laker's big man Pau Gasol, who put up aContinue reading “Can nice guys finish first?”
Tag Archives: basketball
The Deep Spirituality of Basketball
It's the weekend; lightness is in order. Here's a spectacular lede to what is essentially a review of a book published by a website, the brainy and pretentious Free Darko. Frankly, the review is better than the product. A lot better. Happens sometimes, especially on the web. Here's Sam Anderson, for New York magazine. IContinue reading “The Deep Spirituality of Basketball”
Fakes Right, Goes Left: Obama’s Favorite Move
Barack Obama became obsessed with basketball at one point in his life, not as a high schooler, surprisingly, but in law school. You can see that love and skill in action if you watch the Bryant Gumbel special below on his game. In the segment, for the first time on television since he was aContinue reading “Fakes Right, Goes Left: Obama’s Favorite Move”
The Beauty of Humiliation (on the court)
Don’t often drop in basketball links, but this poem by Sherman Alexie — on an epochal humiliation — is pretty wonderful. The culprit is now little remembered, but Alexie won’t forget him — James "Jammin" Bailey.
Kit Stolz 