Welcome to The Abode.
Please take off your shoes. We are not freaking savages. It used to boggle my mind when I’d go to a non-Asian home and just prance around with my shoes on, literally wiping shit all over the floor. Made no sense to me. That is…until someone with stank ass feet would take off their shoes and leave a trail like Pepe Le Pew. I got it. I get it. I still prefer the taking off of shoes, but I now have a deeper understanding and respect for why certain households would choose to leave their shoes on.
Which brings me to why The Abode was created.
The Abode is a place where WE can all exchange ideas and perspectives to better understand, not only hoops, but the world around us. The great thing about Razzball is the community and interaction in the comments section.
The Abode will be a place where anyone can talk about anything at anytime.
You wanted to punch your co-worker because he said some stupid shit at the water cooler? The Abode is a place to vent. You knocked down the game-winning shot at your rec league game? Come gloat at The Abode. But bring video evidence or it didn’t happen. Want to get down to business and discuss fantasy strategy? I hear the hoops commentators are very sharp and they don’t call me Sontzu for nothing.
The Abode will also be a place where I can just take a dump with my brain on anything hoops related. Why is the color of the basketball orange? I mean, I know why because I just googled it, but the question remains. Why? Like why not use the red, white, and blue ABA ball?
So tight.
I remember being so engrossed watching old ABA highlights because of the spin of the ball. Like, when a shooter released the ball perfectly, the seams would be aligned so that each “rib” would spin harmoniously to create a visual orgasm of color and symmetry. Words are not sufficient to describe the feeling. Only Whitney Houston will suffice.
Now, when the rotation was not perfect, imagine a bunch of cats having sex in your backyard. Now imagine them scraping their claws on a blackboard at the same time.
Hey, to experience the highs, you gotta experience the lows. I’d gladly endure 10 instances of cats having sex while scraping their claws on a blackboard for one WH (Whitney Houston) moment. Jack Bauer ain’t got nothing on me
Here’s another thing that I’ve been thinking about lately.
The hating on Kevin Durant.
I get why people are hating. He joined forces with a team that just beat him in the playoffs. He should’ve just ran it back, right?
When I wasn’t a fat slob and actually played a ton of hoops, my competitive juices would flow and I’d want to get right back at it. But…..
What if I didn’t like the guys I was playing with? What if I didn’t like the style of ball my team was playing?
Hear me out. I’ve played on plenty of teams where dudes thought they were AND1 heroes. So not fun. That OKC team was basically three guys: Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant, and Serge Ibaka. I’ll include Dion Waiters, so make it 3.5. The offense was basically, Here you go Russ. Go do your thing. Here you go KD. Go do your thing. Here you go Serge. Did you know that a star turned into a black hole before Hubble’s very eyes? As for Waiters, it wasn’t, here you go. It was more like, how the hell did Dion get the ball again?
I love team basketball. I’m not gonna go all Hoosiers on you and say you have to pass the ball four times before shooting. That’s stupid. If the shot is there, shoot it. But…if a better shot is available, then make the correct pass. Move. Screen. Cut. Back pick. In essence, play the team game. If I wanted to observe statues and black holes, I’d go to the museum.
But he went to the team that knocked him out of the playoffs!!! Ok. So what? Seriously. That was the only time the two teams ever matched up in the playoffs, at least while KD was on the Thunder. Now, if the two teams had an extensive history like the Lakers and Celtics in the 80’s or Knicks and Bulls in the 90’s, then I could understand the argument. But there was no history there. And there was no bad blood. Looking back at it, it was probably more reverence. I mean, how could it not be. Watching the Warriors move the ball around must’ve been KD’s WH moment.
What gets lost in the whole situation is that KD was not boys with Russ, for whatever reason. If he was, things would not have gone down the way that they did. Can talent win without chemistry? Sure, the Kobe/Shaq Lakers are a prime example of that. But…over time it becomes an untenable situation. If players do not like each other, the negativity eventually manifests itself then….Kaboom! That’s what seemed to have happened with KD in OKC.
Players leave their teams all the time for better situations. We really going to hate on KD because he went to the Warriors? Seriously, think about it. If you leave a situation in your life, aren’t you going to pursue the best one available? I enjoy playing DFS. Daily Fantasy Sports for you non-degenerates. One of the best mantras out there is: Take the path of least resistance. The object of any game is to win, right?
I hear the argument that KD was being a bitch and that he should’ve man’d up. What does that even mean? He should’ve stayed in a situation that he obviously wasn’t happy in? He should’ve went to a different team that would’ve made his life more difficult? So that he could try and win one by himself when it’s been proven that you can’t win a NBA championship by yourself? Even MJ the GOAT couldn’t do it. You know how pathetic it was when Karl Malone joined the Lakers in 2003 to chase after the elusive ring?
At the end of the day, it’s about winning. If I’m at the park and there’s a five game wait, I want to stay on the court as long as possible. If I lose a game while on a team that I don’t like playing on, and have a chance to run with a squad that plays beautiful team ball, I’m down.
Ok, that’s my brain dump for this week.
I’ll open up The Abode every Monday morning. Remember, this is a place for US. The only thing I ask is for you to not be an a**hole to others. Oh, and take off your freaking shoes.
Sky’s the Limit for US.
