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     Saarang Kurra Bewarse Username: Saarang Post Number: 1397 Registered: 04-2015 Posted From: 66.25.5.81 Rating: N/A |
Greek Freak Elevation..just kummesad One programming note: I caught Giannis in person three weeks ago for a Bucks-Knicks game and found myself delighted, stupefied, and just plain transfixed by how ridiculously good he is. And even better, how unique he is. Last spring in Boston, during the playoffs, as we marveled at his freaky athleticism and watched the talent practically spill out of him, we knew there would be a season — maybe the next year, maybe the year after — when everything would fall into place and it would turn into one of those “LeBron in 2009” or “Shaq in 2000” situations. You know, when Giannis just rips through the league night after night as we say, “••••, how do we stop this?” I say this respectfully: We aren’t there (yet), and it’s only because he still can’t shoot (yet). Not since early LeBron or Peak Julius have opposing fans ever been so happy to see someone settle for a 3 or an 18-footer. And yet … I mean … I’ve been going to NBA games for 45 years … I have never seen anything quite like Giannis in person. His body now looks like if an evil scientist had cloned Russell Westbrook, inserted silicone shoulder pads underneath his skin, elongated his appendages by 8 inches and just fed him red meat and electrolytes five times a day. His strides are twice as long as anyone else’s; he covers so much ground that it seems like he’s traveling on every play. The basketball looks like a golf ball in his hand. It’s almost unfair. In fact, his fingers smother the ball so completely that it probably explains his erratic shot. Defenders play 7 feet off him and it doesn’t matter; he’s getting to the rim anyway. On any fast break, he’s dunking and you don’t have a chance. He can dunk in traffic with either hand. He can dunk on you and around you. Not since Orlando-era Shaq has anyone just dunked and dunked like this. He’s scoring almost 20 points a game around the rim! He’s on pace for 350-plus dunks this season! (News flash: He’s not a center. Calling this “unusual” would be like calling a bilingual golden retriever “unusual.”) And sure, you can enjoy it on television. But in person? It’s honestly like witnessing an alien life form. What is this? Kareem made me feel this way. That sky hook just seemed like it was coming out of the fucking ceiling. Walton made me feel this way because he was so much bigger in person — easily 7-foot-2, and thick, only he passed like a point guard and it just didn’t make sense. Young Barkley was no taller than a 2-guard, and definitely chubbier, only the game started and suddenly he was jumping over everybody for everything. Young Shaq was like Wilt reincarnated; you actually feared for the backboard on his dunks. Young David Robinson looked like a Greek god and ran like a gazelle — like if you created a basketball player from scratch, you’d just pick him. Manute Bol and Muggsy Bogues stood out for obvious reasons. I remember seeing LeBron in 2009, his first MVP year, when he figured everything out and it almost seemed like he’d shrunk the court on fast breaks. He’d jump a pass at midcourt, and three steps later he’d be dunking as everyone was glancing around in disbelief. I could keep going. The beauty of basketball over every other sport is that, sometimes, you just can’t fully feel it until you see it in person. That covers around five to eight players per year. In New York, I realized that Giannis had reached the final level of “If he’s in town, and you love basketball, you kind of HAVE to see him.” When I mentioned that on my podcast with Ryen Russillo three weeks ago, a listener emailed me that I had inadvertently stumbled into a Michelin rating for NBA players. Whoa! Great idea. Michelin ratings work like this: Every restaurant tries like hell to get 1 star (which basically means, “Hey, everyone, if you’re in town, you should eat here”), pines for 2 stars (“You should absolutely go out of your way to eat here”) and dreams of 3 stars (“IF YOU LOVE FOOD YOU HAVE TO EAT HERE AT LEAST ONCE OR ELSE YOU’RE AN ABSOLUTE FRAUD”). A perfect way to describe NBA players, right? Westbrook used to be a 3-star experience; now he’s probably a 2. My Slovenian son Luka Doncic entered the league as a 1 and quickly vaulted to a 2, and by next month, he might be a full-fledged 3. You get the idea. |