I can say without hesitation that basketball is my favorite sport. Beyond that, I can also say that basketball is the best sport. I've invested much of my life into the sport that I love to watch, to play, and to talk about. In fact, I'm such a dork that I pay money every year so I can pretend to be a General Manager (thanks Yahoo).
We are nothing without them.
However, despite all of the energy I have put into the sport, I have been perpetually shunned by the basketball deities since Money retired. How have I been shunned? I have been without a team that can win an NBA Championship. I suppose many of you would assume that I'm a Knicks fan. Actually, most of you who read this already know me. Therefore, you probably know I really don't like the Knicks.
I'm from New York and never was a fan of the Knicks.
Before I run off a list of NBA teams that have shattered my heart into so many pieces on so many occasions (which is coming in the second post), I feel like I should explain my fandom.
Professional Basketball
Obviously the sport I have the most connection to. My fandom in professional basketball has two basic criteria:
- Do I like the player?
- Do I like the style of play?
If criterion 1 is fulfilled, I will, in turn, root for the team that the player plays for. The same logic applies to criterion 2. Therefore, when I rooted for the Bulls, it was simply because I liked Michael, Scottie and Craig (Bonus points if you know know who Craig is). However, as I got older, my focus shifted further away from the first criterion and into the second. More on this in Part II.
College Basketball
I have softened my stance on college basketball over the years. I used to be a die hard North Caroline fan because of its affiliation to Michael Jordan. However, as the wise Bo Chen once elucidated, "Division I College Basketball is slave labor." Since then, I have watched college basketball to:
- Casually root for the Tar Heels.
- Scout potential NBA talent.
Professional (American) Football
What an overrated sport. Yeah, I'm a heathen, treasonist and Anti-American. I can't help it. Football just doesn't cut it for me. However, my fandom in football is consistent with my fandom in basketball. That is, I root for players I like. My three favorite players? Randy Moss, Ray Lewis and Ed Reed. For the time being, I root for the Baltimore Ravens and whoever "I play when I wanna play" plays for.
Football is probably tied for 3rd as my favorite sport along with this sport....
Tennis
I like Serena. *Kanye shrug*
Baseball
Baseball is the only sport that I irrationally root for one team. Of course, we all know that I'm a fan of the New York "It's-Not-A-World-Series-If-It's-Always-Played-In-The-Bronx" Yankees. This deserves a post in itself. When the time comes, I will explain why I live and die with the Yankees.
And with that...we now move on to Part II....the heartache known as the NBA.
