I played basketball today on an indoor court with some advertising executive types. Real nice guys. Real sort of down tempo, fun, old white-guy basketball. People working hard to set their picks, getting hands in faces, dribbling like John Lucas masterminding the '88 Supersonics backcourt. I didn't turn my ankle. I didn't get too many rebounds. I didn't hit too many shots. The lineup went from late 20s to late 60s. Mostly late 30s. A couple guys at 6'3" most around the 5'9-6'0 range. Canny body placement, wild arms, big paternalistic smells. Just the kind of game a washed-up has-been 21 addict can get with. The good guys nearly hogging the ball until their senses take hold and they dish it outside to the old-guy sharp shooters. Everyone in on the game. A fine time. I wore high tops.
I played basketball today on an indoor court with some advertising executive types. Real nice guys. Real sort of down tempo, fun, old white-guy basketball. People working hard to set their picks, getting hands in faces, dribbling like John Lucas masterminding the '88 Supersonics backcourt. I didn't turn my ankle. I didn't get too many rebounds. I didn't hit too many shots. The lineup went from late 20s to late 60s. Mostly late 30s. A couple guys at 6'3" most around the 5'9-6'0 range. Canny body placement, wild arms, big paternalistic smells. Just the kind of game a washed-up has-been 21 addict can get with. The good guys nearly hogging the ball until their senses take hold and they dish it outside to the old-guy sharp shooters. Everyone in on the game. A fine time. I wore high tops.
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Toddy, I used to play 21 almost every day after school in Steve Powell's backyard, but I think we called it something different.
2 points for a bucket from the outside, and then you got like 2 or 3 free throws, each worth 1 point. If you got to 13 you had to go back to 0, and if you put in a rebound on the fly you got extra points or something. Curious what your rules were.
If you put the ball in on a rebound in the air off someone else's shot, the guy who shot goes back to zero (or 13 if they had passed that point.) Free throws are retained only by making them, no put-backs on free throws, got to hit 21 on the money or back to 13 and the tally is twos inside and threes outside the arc.
Super fun. Hours of time spent playing 21. Days perhaps.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/21_(basketball)
Yeah, that sounds like our rules. I'll ask my friend Steve. But I think we had a funny name for the game, which probably came from Steve's dad, who grew up in Jersey too, I think.
That sounds like an all-around good time.
-Sam
awww . . . basketball. I love to hear that you're playing. One day in the next ten years if you ever come to portland we will play with all my basketball buddies and I will build you up as my secret weapon. I just pray to god you're on my team. Roomie bret and I started keeping count of all of our 1 on 1 games. It is 2 games to 2 games now. I think I can beat him most of the time but he bombs the three and I usually lose when he's hitting. But I can take him to the hole almost at will. I love basketball.
Definitely written with Kelvin securely in mind. Knew you'd be into a little bball posting.
Such a difference growing up with a game makes. Yesterday I played Sunday Soccer up at the park and had my usually spotty performance. Granted, I haven't been playing much. But I hadn't played basketball in a year until Thursday and I was fine, nearly back to old self after one warm up game.
A reminder of why the US is so terrible at soccer. It's just not in our blood memory yet.
I have been hankering for ball myself. Funny how a year has slipped away since I put one in the hoop. I think of it probably daily. Encountered a fellow of a certain age the other day that plays regularly and I am ready to catch up with him and get back in. I am ready for the embarrassing first hour of gasping for breath and throwing up air balls. "My bad" is already on the tip of my tongue.
Come to Portland and play Todd!
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