Legendary athletes are few, and far between. The best of these athletes will somehow find
a way to go out on top. I mean, “The
Truth,” Bill Russell walked away from the game he loved, after defeating the
Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA finals, simply because it just didn’t feel right
anymore. Word is bond!
Who could forget that “Air” Jordan precluded his first two
retirements by winning championships against the Phoenix Suns in 1993, and the
Utah Jazz in 1998? I was pulling for
Charles Barkley in that 1993 final too.
SMH
Death row b-ball has been the platform for many memorable
performances. But the hall of famers in
this league stand alone, from all the rest: Lil’ Magic is the only baller to
record multiple triple-doubles.
Heart-N-Soul raised the bar of thievery to new heights when he tallied
10 thefts in a single outing. And the
Human Eraser? Well, he’s tops in this
league in redirecting shots- tallying 234 blocks in his past 5 seasons. Yeah!
B-ball isn’t something we do, it IS what we do. Ya heard?
Now, The Phenom, arguably the most dynamic scorer in the
history of our league (dropped 52 in last season’s championship game), is a
H.O.F. that has gone above and beyond to etch his mark in our Concrete
history. In what appears to be his final
season, The Phenom has entered this year’s postseason as the league M.V.P. The scoring champ (28.6 per), assist leader
(4.7 per), and the league leader in
steals (3.6 per). With such dominant
numbers, I just had to ask, “why??!!”
“Well my heart longs to be in every ball game, but my body
says its time to fall back.” As if on cue, he rubs his right knee. “On a competitive level, the game for me
hasn’t been the same since Lil’ Magic left the court. You know better than anybody that we had some
epic battles. I don’t know…the more I
stay out there, the more I feel that I’m chasing a high.”
Chasing a high?
According to my numbers, The Phenom has been serving that pure uncut
raw. So I asked if there was some type
of statement behind his play this season.
He’s never led the league in 3 separate categories, before now. “There are some guys out there with incredible
talent, so it feels good to show them up, in more ways that one (Laughs).”
His self-confidence exudes a quirky sense of humor that I’ve
grown fond of over the years. Real
talk. “No but seriously,
MannofStat. I just want to do more. Give my teammates more opportunities to score
the ball.”
Anyone that has experienced seasons past (Summer Madness,
The Wet Season and Bringing the Heat) knows that The Phenom’s above the rim
play usually led to some spectacular flushes.
Deprivation of b-ball artistry is upon us, due to the recent
“Anti-Flushing” rule.
“The Anti-flushing rule takes away a strong element of the
game. Nothing pumps a team up like a
player rising to the occasion, and throwing it down with authority.” His eyes grow wide as he takes in the mental
rep of rising above the rim.
“MannofStat, I can’t tell you how much I miss ballin’ with
Trap and E-Boogie (R.I.P.). We always
managed to wow and take the breath away from players and spectators with our
high flying dunks.”
The nostalgia begins to overwhelm my veins. The real talk between a point guard and his
favorite scoring machine has the flow of two brothers getting together for a lunch
at Hooters; there’s never a dull moment.
Na mean?
So, my final assist to lil’ Bro is asking him to define his
game in the fashion of an elevator speech; expeditiously. He rubs his hands together as if a fire is
brewing within his palms, before he speaks the exclamation point of his b-ball
legacy.
“Veni. Vidi. Vici; I came.
I saw. I conquered.” Basket, and
I. Ya heard?
Keep it 100,
MannofStat
Copyright © 2013 by Leroy Elwood Mann
