Why I love this game

Basketball has always been my favorite sport. Even though I'm only 5 foot 9 on a good day and can jump about as high as my red headed brother Scal, I just simply love the game. As a kid I spent day and night on the court. It didn't matter if it snowed or rained I was always out there.  No other sport made me feel like basketball did.

There's a certain magic about getting in that rhythm where everything is going right that no other sport can match. The old cliche "the basket is as big as the ocean" really rings true.  

I also love basketball because it is such a simple game at its core.  All you need is a basket and a ball and you can play for hours. It's the one sport that is both team and individual. You have to play as a team to win, but you also get that satisfaction of beating your opponent head to head. That's what makes it such a challenging game to play.

Though my basketball hero is Larry Bird I grew up during the Bulls dynasty of the 90's. I remember first really falling in love with basketball during the 1992 Finals. That is of course when Jordan hit 6 threes in the first half against the Blazers. I'll never forget the awe and amazement I felt that night.  I really wish the kids growing up now could've seen Jordan play live. It was like nothing I've ever seen since.

I'll never stop playing the game. Whether it be Monday nights with my coworkers at a middle school in town, or a random 9 o'clock street ball game under the lights, I can never stop playing hoops. Though I can already see my game decline, I still get an extra hop in my step anytime I hit the basketball court. Similar to the Potomac river, it's like a sanctuary for me. Whatever is going on in my life during that time takes a back seat.

So, while we all count down the days until October 26th, let's remember why we love this game. Why we read blogs, yell at Lakers fans, curse when we miss a shot. It's cause it is a part of us. It's because we love this game.