Those Were the Days

In graduate school, before Michael and kids, my little Church on Archer Road and the NBA were my world!  I remember trying to get research papers done early in the Fall term to clear my calendar for the beginning of the season.  This marvelous play is my all-time favorite. The Celtics were about to lose the game, their home -court advantage and probably the Eastern Conference Finals--this was the year when they struggled to win out of the Garden. To lose at home in this game would have ensured loss of the play offs and ended hope for a return to the Finals against the Lakers.

But in the last seconds of the game, the Leprechaun made his appearance. Bird stole the ball from a careless in-bound pass from Isaiah.  He threw the ball to the always-ready DJ who in turn made an impossible reverse lay up.  Now this was a game!

In grad school, I would go home when I could to watch the games with Daddy.  He passed away just about two months after Michael and I were married. I stayed a little while with Moma before returning to Statesboro. When I did get home, Michael had connected the cable for me so I could watch the season begin. We could not afford this luxury but he knew what the NBA had meant to me and to my relationship with my Dad.

In 1994, our oldest son made his appearance during the play-off season. As I awaited his arrival in a great deal of discomfort, I was actually able to watch a game being played on a tv in my room. The nurse came in and sweetly but firmly told Michael that it might be a good idea to turn off the tv; he sweetly but just as firmly wouldn't let her do it, and said, "I'm not the one watching it!"

These were Basketbal'ls greatest days: Larry, Kevin, Michael Jordan, Kareem, Dominique, Dr. J and other Titans- they were physical giants with a professional zeal and love for the game that seemed to outweigh their love for money. Where are they today?

LeBron James abandoned the franchise that supported him, all to avoid state income taxes. Sadly,  he is not alone in his avarice.  Today, the  2011/12 season  has been  put on hold so that players can fuss about the salary cap and owners can insist on greater profits. Why don't those people with so much time on their hands protesting Wall Street pay a visit to the homes of LeBron and others on both side of this ridiculous and incredibly poorly-timed lockout?