Why Follow Basketball?

A lot of people choose not to follow sports, which is perfectly understandable, but even if you aren’t interested in the 6’ or 7’ players themselves there is a lot to be interested in. The NBA is more about what might happen and the narrative of events than it is any game itself. I’m probably losing you here. The league has restrictions in and outside the game which drive the story and create compelling events! 

Oh no my favorite player is getting traded all the way across the league!

What team is going to lose to put themselves in a position to find the next Wembamyama ( Lebron James)?

How is it that some guy from UPenn is coaching the Memphis Grizzlies?

Basketball is a game about decision making, leadership, and teamwork. Even when you don’t know what the hell is happening on the court, you can always bring it back to something relevant to yourself. You can cheer that the rookie you have liked has been getting more playing time or that you trust your general manager enough to know they will buy low and sell high on talent and maybe, just maybe, you’ll bring home the trophy and have a parade!

I like watching chess quite a bit, but what makes basketball interesting to me is that it is more than a game itself. It’s watching teams band together and establish a culture, the leadership and sacrifice that it takes to be a contender. Basketball is a business, and it’s fun to see how the NBA decides to walk through geopolitical events or the next media rights deal.

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Austin Church