By the time this column is published, Game 4 of the NBA finals between the San Antonio Spurs and the New York Knicks will be over.
If the Knicks won that game, they took a huge lead over the Spurs. If the Spurs won, the series is tied 2-2 and the winner will be decided in a best-of-three.
It might seem strange that a woman my age, an uncoordinated failure at every sport, is interested in basketball. However, I’m a long-time fan of watching a game where players seem to fly with the hopes of sinking a basketball in a small hoop 10 feet from the floor.
My interest began with my dad. I remember him going to St. Bonaventure University games when we lived in Olean, N.Y. and bragging that he knew the players, some of which went on to play pro ball.
When we moved to Louisiana, my dad remained a fan, especially as NBA legend Pete Maravich was playing for LSU from 1967-70.
For years, I recall my dad talking about “Pistol Pete,” and the pride in his voice that this NBA star was a former LSU Tiger was quite evident.
It seems there was always a pick-up basketball in my parents’ driveway. Brothers against brothers-in-law, and, if nobody was around, brother against brother. They’d play for hours, and the game was usually friendly.
Until it wasn’t.
Our children watched their uncles playing, and they took up the sport after sore knees and arthritis sidelined the older generation. I think we loved watching them from the sidelines as much as they liked playing.
The sisters and sisters-in-law had a game once. We were more vicious than the boys, and the brothers took back the court.
One of the first dates my future husband and I had was watching the college basketball finals. He was a University of Kentucky graduate, and the Wildcats almost always made it to the finals.
When we had sons, I thought they might be basketball fans, but baseball was their sport of choice. Still, Michael “Air” Jordan was king of the courts back then, so there was always excitement to be found in the NBA.
When the Houston Rockets caught fire in 1994, I found myself glued to the television, watching Hakeem “The Dream” Olajuwon, Clyde “The Glide” Drexler, Robert Horry, Vernon Maxwell and Kenny Smith rule the paint.
That team won back-to-back NBA championships and watching them play was like watching a symphony orchestra.
My whole family watched the 2023 NCAA women’s college basketball games with Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, and we all marveled at the athleticism women show in a game that requires perseverance and talent.
Now, my grandsons are NBA fans, and we’ve enjoyed watching the NBA finals this year together. We text each other after the game, and we’ve had long conversations about the games so far.
Basketball is not only a fast-moving sport but also a fun way to bridge generations. It doesn’t matter if we’re spectators or the ones on the court, the game gives us an opportunity to connect.
I still don’t know a lot about the intricacies and details of the game. I do understand the terms “in the paint,” “fast break” and the difference between a “man-to-man” defense and a zone defense.
What I do know is it’s mesmerizing to watch these players as they sink a basketball with six arms trying to stop them. Some of them seem to fly as they jump up to make a shot, and how anybody can sink a three-pointer is beyond believable.
Cheers to the two top teams in the NBA this year and their path to the championship title. May the fouls be few and the sportsmanship be genuine.
This column was originally published in The Fort Bend Herald.