I am a child of the golden era of basketball. I grew up watching Larry Legend (Larry Bird) and Earvin "Magic" Johnson duel through the 1980s. I was in ecstasy when my beloved Detroit Bad Boys dethroned both Goliaths, and for all my disdain of Michael Jordan (I am a rabid Isaiah Thomas fan), I think Jordan is the greatest player ever. Watching "The Last Dance" documentary about the dominant Chicago Bulls teams helped me make it through the heaviest days of the pandemic.
The National Basketball Association (NBA) has not been as enthralling for me in the last three decades, even with the likes of Kobe Bryant, Stephen Curry, and the King (LeBron James) himself roaming the courts. That all changed in the past few weeks as I watched a brand of basketball unlike what I'd ever seen before.
The reigning champions Oklahoma City Thunder and upstart San Antonio Spurs put on a marvelous display of skill and competitiveness that I haven't enjoyed since I was 8 years old watching the weirdly shaped Kevin McHale post-up Kurt Rambis in the '80s. Victor Wembanyama is an updated combo of Dirk Nowitzki and Bill Russell, and the two-time MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is an equally unique combination of Jordan, Magic, and Larry Bird. Watching the two teams duel felt like experiencing Michelangelo and Da Vinci compete during the Renaissance. Art and sport came together.
