This was a great realization. We often overlook the fact that these players are individuals with their own lives and experiences. Regrettably, they are sometimes treated merely as pieces on a virtual roster (like 2K) rather than as human beings. Some may view this comparison as a stretch, but considering that a significant portion of the league's players are Black, the lack of agency they have in their movements echoes the echoes of historical injustices like slavery. They are valued primarily for their physical abilities, which feels a bit troubling.
As soon as I read the subtitle of this essay, I thought of Josh Hart and Larry Nance. The weeks leading to the trade deadline are agony as a fan. Reading about trade rumors, worried that what's best for the front office isn't always best for the team. When Hart and Nance traded houses, it soothed all that worry a bit. Loved the spunk that Josh Hart brought to the Blazers....till he was traded.
Never read you before, but this was a terrific piece! Loved the insight into players off-the-court experiences, especially the Nance/Hart anecdote. Beautifully written.
Your pal Mike shouted you out and did a tribute to this essay on Dalano Banton in his pod today. And it was a really nice piece! https://overcast.fm/+G40Az0VH0
This was lovely! I moved halfway across the country twice last year (and will probably do it one more time this year), so at this year's deadline I naturally found myself thinking about what a pain it must be to have to pick up and go on a day's notice, and then organizing everything else from afar.
This was a great realization. We often overlook the fact that these players are individuals with their own lives and experiences. Regrettably, they are sometimes treated merely as pieces on a virtual roster (like 2K) rather than as human beings. Some may view this comparison as a stretch, but considering that a significant portion of the league's players are Black, the lack of agency they have in their movements echoes the echoes of historical injustices like slavery. They are valued primarily for their physical abilities, which feels a bit troubling.
This is beautiful and sad. Great writing.
As soon as I read the subtitle of this essay, I thought of Josh Hart and Larry Nance. The weeks leading to the trade deadline are agony as a fan. Reading about trade rumors, worried that what's best for the front office isn't always best for the team. When Hart and Nance traded houses, it soothed all that worry a bit. Loved the spunk that Josh Hart brought to the Blazers....till he was traded.
Never read you before, but this was a terrific piece! Loved the insight into players off-the-court experiences, especially the Nance/Hart anecdote. Beautifully written.
Your pal Mike shouted you out and did a tribute to this essay on Dalano Banton in his pod today. And it was a really nice piece! https://overcast.fm/+G40Az0VH0
This was lovely! I moved halfway across the country twice last year (and will probably do it one more time this year), so at this year's deadline I naturally found myself thinking about what a pain it must be to have to pick up and go on a day's notice, and then organizing everything else from afar.
This is a really interesting perspective.