By Ronald N. Guy Jr.
Basketball makes a simple first impression – shoot
ball through hoop, prevent opponent from doing the same – but possesses
complex, ever-evolving intricacies that can captivate participants for a
lifetime. It can be played in various
formats, from traditional five-on-five to one-on-none. Young and old, male and female are welcome –
separately or together. Entry costs are minimal;
no special (expensive) equipment is required, just a ball and access to a hoop. Full or half court is fine. The location can be as glorious as an NBA
arena or as quaint as a high school gym, a well-worn public playground or a
modest pallet and rim mounted to an oak tree.
Few sports have transcended borders and bridged
differences like basketball. Dr.
Naismith’s game, started humbly with a peach basketball in Springfield, Massachusetts,
first grew into America’s game and is now, with players like Rui Hachimura from
Japan, Luka Doncic from Slovenia and LeBron James from Akron, Ohio, a global
treasure. Michael Jordan was ahead of
his time when he referred to the sport as not just “basketball” or “the game”
but as “The Game of Basketball.” The
phrase acknowledged basketball as, in the simplest of judgments, “just” a game,
but the formality of Jordan’s phrase, and the proud inflection he used speaking
it, hinted at much more.
With that said, January was a difficult month for the
basketball community. On January 1,
former NBA Commissioner David Stern, a catalyst for the NBA’s growth in the
1980s and basketball’s global appeal, passed away. He was 77.
Morgan Wootten, the storied DeMatha High School basketball coach, died
on January 21 at the age of 88. And
finally, Kobe Bryant, along with 8 others, tragically perished in a helicopter
crash on January 27. He was just 41
years old.
Collectively, the sport lost the NBA’s most important
executive, perhaps its greatest high school coach and one of its iconic
players. But basketball tells only part
of the story of these three legends.
Stern was complex.
He could be combative and condescending, but he was also intelligent, ambitious
and possessed a grand vision for basketball that few could have imagined, let
alone realized. Without David Stern,
would Hachimura or Doncic be in the NBA?
What about former stars like Yao Ming, Mano Ginobili and Dirk Nowitzki?
For me, Wootten’s impact is personal. I once attended his famous basketball
camp. It was a brutal and fantastic
immersion into basketball’s fundamentals - the triple threat offensive
position, the “reach for the peach” shooting stroke, developing the off-hand
and defensive positioning (get your base…butt…low) – and personal discipline
within a team concept. Here’s what
fascinating about Wootten: he chose to coach high school basketball at DeMatha
for nearly 50 years, shunning more lucrative opportunities at higher
levels. Wootten clearly chose fit, happiness
and the chance to impact young lives over anything money could buy; countless
men from the DMV region are glad he did.
And then there’s Kobe.
Why? He had so much left to
do. Smart. Thoughtful.
Driven. Competitive. Kobe taught us the power of self-confidence
and determination; he was proof of the correlation between hard work and success;
he embodied the importance of continuous growth and curiosity. However, Bryant wasn’t without flaws. In 2003, he was accused of sexual assault. Bryant was acquitted, admitted to the
extramarital affair and apologized to all involved. It was a terrible situation of his doing, and
part of his legacy. But nearly 17 years
later, Bryant’s rededication to his marriage and growth as a father is
commendable and undeniable. An amazing
second act seemed in the offing; it will forever be unfulfilled.
Stern, Wootten and Bryant. Executive, coach and player. Three very different men. Three very different roles. They are linked, though, by profound social
impact through a common profession. They
are linked by “The Game of Basketball” – a grand pursuit, one disguised as
unimportant recreation, that trivializes human differences and binds the globe
through shared passion. So play. Dribble.
Take a few shots. Work up a
sweat. Wherever and whenever you
can. For as long as you can. Stern, Wootten and Bryant would want it no
other way.
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