I loved it.
It was the Warrior’s 7th basketball game of the
semi-finals and not only couldn’t I get it on our antiquated non-cable TV, but
I choose to be in the midst of the maddening crowd to get the full effect of
the spectacle of modern sport. Thanks to the miracle of the human imagination,
all of us vicariously were playing that game and whether or not we wore the number 30 Steph Curry jersey, we were on that court and identifying with
each swish of the net, pained faces when it came from Westbrook or Durant,
jubilation when it came from Thompson or Curry. Music and basketball share with
sex the build-up and release and each basket a collective orgasm. The
three-point variety and the two and the one. But unlike making love, the
opponent’s pleasure was not a cause for celebration. By New Age standards, this
is the downfall of sports, but if there is to be some ancient survival
hardwiring that requires winners and losers, better basketball than war or
report cards.
At halftime, I needed to escape the din and went outside to
get some fresh air with the smokers. Then decided to stroll down to the local
bookstore and stood in the aisle reading poetry. From the heat of the battle to
quiet poems about the songs of sparrows. Quite a contrast and much needed. But
then back into the fray and what was truly a magnificent game, filled with the
tension of the Warriors coming from behind, widening the gap to 11 points ahead
and then watching it narrowed again to 4 in the last two minutes. Three foul
shots by Steph had the place on its feet and his 3-pointer in the last 30
seconds released such a roar that my ears are still ringing.
Had Bosch walked into the scene, I’m sure he would have
revised his painting of Hell, but for me and some 300 others, it was a
modern-day Garden of Earthly Delights (Bosch’s title for his painting of
Heaven), it was the way we lose our self into the roar and feel lifted up off
of this earth, a collective sexual release at its finest, the nerves and
muscles tingling with electric ecstasy and the aftermath of the cigarette in
bed knowing it was good for us all. Well, not exactly all. Not the Oklahoma
Thunder team and their fans.
But a good time to re-invoke the etymology of competition.
Com= with, petition= a prayer to a particular god. The two teams are playing
against each other to bring out together their prayer to the same god, the one
of the body’s intelligence in a particular set of skills trained to the highest
degree. Both teams played magnificently and at the end, amidst the jubilation
and disappointment, you could feel Curry and Durant hug each other with great
love and respect. That’s the game at it’s finest.
On to the finals!