This is a beautiful study of Giannis's words. Awesome reflection on his sentiments. But I don't believe him. Maybe I'm heart-hardened but even a meager basketball player like me is still tortured by the two free throws I missed 39 years ago with 2 seconds left in a big high school game. We would've beaten the best team in the state after coming back from 16 down in the fourth quarter. Was that a failure? Absolutely! And look at me, four decades later, STILL WRITING ABOUT IT. I still dream about it. But maybe I should amend. Based on his words, Giannis is far more of a basketball poet than basketball maniac. But are these the kind of sentiments that would be expressed by Jordan, LeBron, or any of the other maniacs? I don't think so. And I'd bet that Giannis spends plenty of time thinking about certain missed shots, turnovers, and too-slow defensive rotations.
I believe him! And I don't think he meant he'll never think about losses in the grand scheme. I also think there's what we say in forums like that, versus what we tell our closest friends, and finally what we keep to ourselves. Basketball maniac is very good.
To echo this: To be a Bucks fan in the Giannis era (which is to say, is to be me) is to both be consistently inspired and intimidated by how much more precious and beautiful your favorite basketball player's approach to life is compared to the miasma of petty grievances and insecurities that populate your own day-to-day. It's a very cool gift, all things considered!
Excellent piece. The NBA is sort of like a small town with the number of residents posted on a sign at the border and where everyone knows each other. Teams are literally passed from parent to child, players are coached by their fathers. This continuity is easy to forget but I think is one reason it is so easy to hold on to certain grudges and keep fandom going in many of the ways you so beautifully captured. Regardless of what happens between now and the first match-up against the Heat next season, and despite Giannis’s post-loss take, that game is going to be worth watching.
This is a beautiful study of Giannis's words. Awesome reflection on his sentiments. But I don't believe him. Maybe I'm heart-hardened but even a meager basketball player like me is still tortured by the two free throws I missed 39 years ago with 2 seconds left in a big high school game. We would've beaten the best team in the state after coming back from 16 down in the fourth quarter. Was that a failure? Absolutely! And look at me, four decades later, STILL WRITING ABOUT IT. I still dream about it. But maybe I should amend. Based on his words, Giannis is far more of a basketball poet than basketball maniac. But are these the kind of sentiments that would be expressed by Jordan, LeBron, or any of the other maniacs? I don't think so. And I'd bet that Giannis spends plenty of time thinking about certain missed shots, turnovers, and too-slow defensive rotations.
I believe him! And I don't think he meant he'll never think about losses in the grand scheme. I also think there's what we say in forums like that, versus what we tell our closest friends, and finally what we keep to ourselves. Basketball maniac is very good.
Great points. It very much occurs to me that I'd like to live up to Giannis's ethos.
To echo this: To be a Bucks fan in the Giannis era (which is to say, is to be me) is to both be consistently inspired and intimidated by how much more precious and beautiful your favorite basketball player's approach to life is compared to the miasma of petty grievances and insecurities that populate your own day-to-day. It's a very cool gift, all things considered!
Lovely!
Thanks as always Katie. Keep it up!
Thank you!
Excellent piece. The NBA is sort of like a small town with the number of residents posted on a sign at the border and where everyone knows each other. Teams are literally passed from parent to child, players are coached by their fathers. This continuity is easy to forget but I think is one reason it is so easy to hold on to certain grudges and keep fandom going in many of the ways you so beautifully captured. Regardless of what happens between now and the first match-up against the Heat next season, and despite Giannis’s post-loss take, that game is going to be worth watching.
Thanks so much! And I like the analogy of a small town, with its benefits and drawbacks.
Just when I think people were done writing how great this moment was, here comes Katie.