Witness
Last night was the greatest individual athletic performance I’ve ever seen in person.
My buddy Brendan got seats, last-minute, on the floor at the Garden (thanks again, Hermes). Knicks vs. Cavs. Not being much of an NBA fan, this is probably the only game I would want to see, because of the Cavs’ star player. I’ve been following him, passively, for a while now.
He was probably the most hyped athlete ever to enter the pro ranks. I remember reading an article once about him and his potential in the NBA. Danny Ainge, a former player and coach and a current General Manager, said at the time “There are only about 5 or 6 players in the league that I wouldn’t trade right now” to get him. In and of itself, that’s a bold statement about someone who hasn’t stepped on the court with the world’s best players yet. It is even more impressive when you take into account that the person in question was a sophomore in high school.
LeBron James. The King. The Chosen One.
Last night I got to see whether all the hype was well-deserved.
From the minute he stepped on the court, you could tell he was better than everyone else. He saw things no one else did. He would throw a pass in the only place it could be thrown in order to reach its target. He wouldn’t bother to make some pass-or-shoot decisions until after he had jumped—he had enough time in the air to consider several options. The expression on his face (one of the considerable perks of being on the floor – you can actually see their faces) never changed.
I remember wondering why he chose to pass on a play, when I thought he could’ve easily scored. Then I realized… it’s because he could. The situation wasn’t dictating anything to him. He was in complete control of what happened.
He had at least four passes that made the crowd gasp. He had a seemingly implausible, rib-shaking dunk that made the crowd roar. He had a half court shot before halftime that made the thousands in attendance howl. And in the fourth quarter, when the outcome of the game was in doubt, he hit four three-pointers in the final two-plus minutes to put the game away. It was like an orca tossing a seal around before he mercilessly tears it in two. He was playing, just having fun… with giants who are supposed to be his peers.
In the end, the box score said it all: 50 points, 10 assists, 8 rebounds, 4 steals. It was the first time a player has had at least 50 points, 10 assists and 8 rebounds in a game since 1975 (a fella named Kareem did that). And the crowd got more than they had expected—which was a lot.
Look, basketball is just a game. These guys are playing a game, and getting paid handsomely for it. But when you get a chance to see someone—anyone—who is the best at what they do, it is impressive. Whether that person is a musician, a painter, a precocious math-lete… to see someone who is so clearly at the top of their game, so shrug-and-sigh great at what they do—it’s a treat. And it doesn’t hurt that this guy is just turned 23 years old in December*—so the treats will probably keep on comin’.
Last night I saw complete dominance. I saw a master. And as much as I hate to regurgitate corporate taglines, in this case it seems appropriate:
Last night, I was a witness.
*incidentally, I found out Lebron’s b-day—December 30th—is shared by another famous person: Tiger Woods. Future parents – keep that in mind when you’re planning your brood. Apparently, the cosmos has deemed that day ‘Absurd Athlete Birthing Day’.
My buddy Brendan got seats, last-minute, on the floor at the Garden (thanks again, Hermes). Knicks vs. Cavs. Not being much of an NBA fan, this is probably the only game I would want to see, because of the Cavs’ star player. I’ve been following him, passively, for a while now.
He was probably the most hyped athlete ever to enter the pro ranks. I remember reading an article once about him and his potential in the NBA. Danny Ainge, a former player and coach and a current General Manager, said at the time “There are only about 5 or 6 players in the league that I wouldn’t trade right now” to get him. In and of itself, that’s a bold statement about someone who hasn’t stepped on the court with the world’s best players yet. It is even more impressive when you take into account that the person in question was a sophomore in high school.
LeBron James. The King. The Chosen One.
Last night I got to see whether all the hype was well-deserved.
From the minute he stepped on the court, you could tell he was better than everyone else. He saw things no one else did. He would throw a pass in the only place it could be thrown in order to reach its target. He wouldn’t bother to make some pass-or-shoot decisions until after he had jumped—he had enough time in the air to consider several options. The expression on his face (one of the considerable perks of being on the floor – you can actually see their faces) never changed.
I remember wondering why he chose to pass on a play, when I thought he could’ve easily scored. Then I realized… it’s because he could. The situation wasn’t dictating anything to him. He was in complete control of what happened.
He had at least four passes that made the crowd gasp. He had a seemingly implausible, rib-shaking dunk that made the crowd roar. He had a half court shot before halftime that made the thousands in attendance howl. And in the fourth quarter, when the outcome of the game was in doubt, he hit four three-pointers in the final two-plus minutes to put the game away. It was like an orca tossing a seal around before he mercilessly tears it in two. He was playing, just having fun… with giants who are supposed to be his peers.
In the end, the box score said it all: 50 points, 10 assists, 8 rebounds, 4 steals. It was the first time a player has had at least 50 points, 10 assists and 8 rebounds in a game since 1975 (a fella named Kareem did that). And the crowd got more than they had expected—which was a lot.
Look, basketball is just a game. These guys are playing a game, and getting paid handsomely for it. But when you get a chance to see someone—anyone—who is the best at what they do, it is impressive. Whether that person is a musician, a painter, a precocious math-lete… to see someone who is so clearly at the top of their game, so shrug-and-sigh great at what they do—it’s a treat. And it doesn’t hurt that this guy is just turned 23 years old in December*—so the treats will probably keep on comin’.
Last night I saw complete dominance. I saw a master. And as much as I hate to regurgitate corporate taglines, in this case it seems appropriate:
Last night, I was a witness.
*incidentally, I found out Lebron’s b-day—December 30th—is shared by another famous person: Tiger Woods. Future parents – keep that in mind when you’re planning your brood. Apparently, the cosmos has deemed that day ‘Absurd Athlete Birthing Day’.
posted by phil @ 12:23 PM
2 comments
2 Comments:
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What day would you have to conceive in order to have a child born on December 30?
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