Basketball is art, and the court is a canvas prepared for expression.
I’ll watch a high school game, a pickup game, March Madness and the NBA’s elite. I love hoops, and I always have.
My allegiance is to the Milwaukee Bucks. As a kid I watched Ray Allen, Glenn Robinson and Sam Cassell carry Milwaukee to the Eastern Conference Finals. The way the Bucks have been playing lately, especially for such a young crew, almost has me feeling like a kid again.
Despite the loss of former first-round pick Jabari Parker to yet another knee injury, Milwaukee is in the thick of the Eastern Conference in 2017. Giannis Antetokounmpo, the 22-year-old stud from Greece, is doing things on the court I’ve never seen and leading the Bucks to big wins down the stretch.
My connection to hoops is also participatory. I'm an artist in that sense, I guess. I'm no Antetokounmpo, but endorphins flow when I get a chance to decorate the court with expression. One of my all-time favorite sounds — swish — delivers a satisfaction unlike any other.
Lately, my canvas has been Newton’s YMCA. I put up jump shot after jump shot, and nothing else matters in the world for a little while. It’s a pure, healthy release. A couple hours on the court can flip a mediocre day and be the cherry on top of a good day.
From an exercise perspective, it’s obvious why I feel great after sweating it out around the 3-point line. Exercise is inherently good. Anyone who has ever grinded through a good workout knows that feeling. It’s basic body chemistry.
In college at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, I would often venture to the Klotsche Center for marathon days on weekends. I would run like a mad man up and down the university courts with little to no break time.
I ran cross country in my youth, and I’m no stranger to physical exhaustion. A full day of running the basketball court is its own monster, though. You can see it in players’ faces — after hours of owning the pickup circuit on any given day — their bodies are depleted.
Full-court basketball is a demanding game. Ballers run and sprint and run some more. In between, they jump, shuffle, block, throw, swat and push for position. Every move is an artistic expression. Some artists are more graceful than others.
NBA playoff basketball will be starting soon. The Bucks, led by the “Greek Freak,” will have a chance to make a splash and paint the canvas to their liking.
There is a little more parity in the Eastern Conference this year compared to recent seasons. The Cavaliers, with future hall of famer LeBron James, still must be considered the team to beat. The Celtics are also imposing opponents.
The Western Conference is top-heavy. The Warriors and the Spurs are great. After that, who knows?
Hoops fans will no doubt be rewarded with flashes of brilliance and plenty of head-scratching moments as the game's best lace 'em up. Meanwhile, I'll be chasing that swish sound at the Y.
Contact Justin Jagler
at jjagler@newtondailynews.com