NBA: More Dramatic Than Anything On Broadway

The National Basketball Association is home to some of the best basketball players in the world. Players come from Alaska to China and everywhere in between to play the game invented by James Naismith in Springfield, MA. While these men are some of the best athletes on the face of the planet, I will need you to disregard that for this argument because it is not of concern. This post will not argue about the athletic skills needed to be a successful basketball player. To the contrary, this post will argue that basketball players, whether they are aware or not, share a kinship with the actors of the theatre.

The primary reason for such a belief is the nature of basketball as a sport on an aesthetic level. Unlike in other team sports, the crowd is positioned at a critical distance from the athletes. In football, this gives the feeling of a coliseum of ravenous fans dressed in ridiculous colors such as bright red and purple (LET'S GO RAVENS!!!!) cheering as their warriors go off into battle. Baseball is the same visual concept. Cricket puts the spectator farther away than these sports. Basketball deviates from the idea of separating the athlete from the spectator. Basketball puts the athlete and the spectator next to each other. Frequently, the athletes fall into the spectators. Spectators, to their pleasure or dismay, can feel the sweat and heat of the athletes as they hustle up and down the court.

Given the proximity of the spectator to the athlete, the sport of basketball takes on a different aspect. Along with it being a display of physical talents and athletic abilities, basketball is a form of performance. This holds true on all levels of the sport. Basketball is not just about putting the ball in the hoop; it is definitely not all about this on the NBA level where 15-20K pay hard-earned money to watch these men perform on the court. The performance given by basketball players in NBA games can be considered akin to that of a Broadway play.

First, let's look at the surface of the game. I do mean the literal surface. Basketball is usually played on hardwood floors installed in gyms. Broadway stages are also constructed of wood. Both surfaces can speak of gracing some of the best in their respective fields. Additionally, both fora are entered through a dark space. The athletes and actors, upon entering the space, are placed under the direct scrutiny of the audience. There is nowhere to run or hide. The naked emotions or sheer nudity is placed in the public arena for full scrutiny. The most obvious way in which these two forms is linked is through the usage of teamwork and performance under pressure.

To address teamwork first, Broadway casts and basketball players must satisfy the needs of the paying audience. Both do this in, essentially, the same manner: by playing their roles to their fullest extent. Once the lights go up on stage and the ball goes up in the air, the actors are in full effect on the stage and on the hardwood. In both situations, the players must satisfy their roles and present an engaging show to the audience. In basketball, this involves dunks and fancy movements. In theatre, presentations of raw emotion is more than satisfactory. Additionally, both actors have to work off of each other. The best teams are those that use each other to their fullest extent and add to the overall brilliance of the experience. The best teams make the best performances and go into history as the best.

Additionally, both forms require the actor to be calm under pressure. If a basketball player loses his cool, he makes mistakes like turning the ball over and missing free throws. This can lead to the loss of a game. If an actor cracks, they forget lines and are forced to think on their feet, something that very well may be uncomfortable to a less comedically inclined actor. This can lead to the closing of a promisingly good play due to bad reviews of the actors.

And like in a good play, the flow of a basketball game can rise and fall with the dynamics shifting between all of the actors on the court. Teams will go on streaks, raising the emotions of the audience to a fever pitch like the conflict rising in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? or Buried Child. Additionally, like in a good basketball game, quality scenes from a play can leave the art world abuzz for days in conversation about the decision.

Art and sports are not dissimilar by any stretch of the imagination. On the contrary, drama and basketball are quite similar. Both require a mastery of craft and a willingness to please and create a close intimacy with the paying audience. Both have similar dynamics as well as the ability to create memorable pieces of history during their runs of course. As well, both put their performers on center stage with nowhere to run or hide. All of this helps to show that, while both attract different audiences, basketball and theatre are really not very different at all on an aesthetic level.

If You Would Like To Learn How To Play Basketball

I know how to play basketball. I went to Stu Vetter's Basketball Camp when I was in elementary school. But, my dreams of being an athlete were stopped dead in their tracks when I attempted to try out for middle school basketball and realized that I lacked all semblances of athletic talent. I didn't think when I was 12 that I was going to blog, but I digress. Because of that time at Stu's camp, I do know and appreciate high quality basketball.

If you know nothing about basketball, its strategies and intricacies, I highly suggest you start watching right now. The NBA Finals are going on right now. It is the upstart Cleveland Cavaliers with the heir apparent to Michael Jordan's throne LeBron James. I personally have problems with this classification, but, if you want to talk about that, send me an email. The Cavaliers are playing the San Antonio Spurs. Some of you might not have known that there is a team in San Antonio. Well, there is and it is the team that all other teams and fans should watch to understand how to play basketball. The Spurs are one of the most fundamentally sound teams in the league.

For these MTV-addled kids, The Spurs are what you would call a "boring team." They aren't high flying like the Phoenix Suns or the Golden State (CA) Warriors. None of their players are particularly charismatic like Stephon Marbury or Vince Carter. This last aspect highlighted by the fact that their star player Tim Duncan, who will go down in history as the best power forward ever to set foot on a professional basketball court, has the nickname of the "Big Fundamental" (Are you serious?). The only reason they even get attention from people outside of the basketball world is because their point guard Tony Parker (Balance-toi!) is marrying Eva Longoria. If you don't know what show she's from, click on her name and find out yourself. Also, smite yourself for being out of touch with popular culture. Eva aside, the Spurs play the basketball that all teams should aspire to play. It's team-oriented, without ego, modular with sound fundamentals. Just from watching, you will learn how to play, watch, and critique basketball.

Ladies, are you having problems pulling men? Men, are you having problems connecting with other men because you know nothing about sports while it seems like everyone else you know does? This series is for you. Now, stop reading this and go watch.

p.s. I see basketball as a sort of performance art due to the nature and presentation of the sport. If I remember, I will go into this at another time, maybe between Game 3 and 4, i.e. Tuesday and Thursday. And, I'm serious about basketball as art. This isn't some bullshit theorizing about the nature of sport and its relationship to the cultural sphere.

I already hate college ball

Men's College Basketball is a sham as it stands. The first thing that it needs to do is shorten its shot clock to 30 seconds. 35 seconds encourages shitty play and overpassing instead of driving the lane to open up the game. But, this won't change since it took until the 80's to put in both a shot clock and eliminate Four Corners. Anyway, the NCAA has made some new rule changes in the hope to change the game. My favorite line in this article is this one about the charge-block line:

But the committee rejected adding the arch underneath the basket for charge-block calls, a line the NBA uses, in part because it believed there would be too many lines on the court.

Are you serious? There would be too many lines on the court? There aren't that many lines on a basketball court now. They should try watching a rugby. That pitch is covered in lines and is way more confusing to understand than basketball. Additionally, this is two lines. TWO! And they are arcs. How is this confusing?

This is one of the poorest pieces of reasoning I've ever heard. These are people running major centers of higher learning in America, and they couldn't make a better rationale than that it looks bad? This is why I don't like college basketball: people who have no idea of what's actually good for the game are making changes for the game.