Dr. J Back in the day it was Dr. J__”poetry in motion,” as the cliché goes. Yes really he was that good, you could even call it amazing. And amazing without any hyperbole in it. One big fluid motion of bodily skill and coordination. And it was all so beautiful and all so effortless. Basketball is like that. Beautiful sometimes. Beauty in basketball? Yes, beauty in basketball. The connoisseurs know. They just keep it to themselves. The casual fan focuses on the score, the noise, the excitement, the occasional good play and the sometime unruly behavior of both fans and players. Don’t get me wrong the connoisseur loves the stats and the excitement and everything else that goes with the game. But he takes it just one step higher. He watches and takes in an absolutely wonderful display of coordinated physical prowess. Not much has been written on it. Not much is said. But you can see it on the faces of some fans. The ones that sit court side, not for a camera shot or for the closeness to fame, but just to get a better look. Thinking, “ I wish I could do that.” You know it’s what all the kids want to be able to do. Just to be able to do it. Just like it's done on the court. But no one mentions this aspect of the game. That’s why I waited with much anticipation for today’s release of, Chris Ballard’s knew book, “The Art Of A Beautiful Game The Thinking Man’s Tour of the NBA.” Deconstruction at last? Well I have only skimmed this book, dipped in here and there. Everywhere I dipped there was something interesting. But I couldn’t get a grasp on a central theme. Is the title misleading? Somewhat, but there’s a ton of interesting stuff in this book, especially if you’re a Kobe or Nash fan or just the hard core aforementioned connoisseur. Whoever he maybe? But it’s good to see some one has acknowledged that this is a beautiful game and that it takes years for players to get to the place where they can make something seem so effortless. My suggestion is: read it. Basketball is interesting anyway.
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