In recent times, the event of greatest hype in the basketball world has undoubtedly been Caitlin Clark's landing in the WNBA. As predicted by many observers, the facts are proving that we are not dealing with a mere sports event, but with something that deeply penetrates the political sphere too. Just type "Caitlin Clark WNBA" … Continue reading “Fascist” basketball
The long and winding road to “professional amateurism”
Part 2 of this series is here. I know, the expression "professional amateurism" is an oxymoron. However, I think it is effective in describing one of the goals I would like to pursue in the second and final part of my professional life—the one I am currently entering as I approach fifty years old. From … Continue reading The long and winding road to “professional amateurism”
Basketball Is Like Engineering
Basketball is like engineering: any theoretical lesson is useless unless you put into practice what you have been taught immediately. Featured images sources: https://www.pexels.com/photo/black-basketball-hoop-1331750/https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Expedition_36_flight_engineer_Chris_Cassidy.jpg
Equalized on a Basketball Court
Basketball fans who are old enough still remember the dramatic death of the player Reggie Lewis, which occurred literally on a basketball court. I was a teenager when it happened. Of course, I was impressed, but, although I already fell in love with basketball, I felt it as detached event. Luckily, when we are young, … Continue reading Equalized on a Basketball Court
No Space for Emotions in Sports Any More?
June 14th, 1998. Around 4:00am. I'm glued to the TV and I'm going to witness history in the making, but I am not yet aware of this. He steals the ball from Malone. He slowly and patiently crosses the mid-court line. The game is down the stretch, in the clutch, but he's not in a … Continue reading No Space for Emotions in Sports Any More?
There’s a New Kid in Town
Maybe all is not lost for true basketball lovers. A 19 year-old kid from Slovenia is showing the world that old school basketball is still alive. And it can be successful, too. Drafted in June 2018, Luka Dončić is proving to everyone that you can play the old way and yet be effective. This is … Continue reading There’s a New Kid in Town
AI Don’t Lie
Most basketball fans remember the famous sentence that Rasheed Wallace often repeated during the games: "ball don't lie." This post's title should be a reminder of that sentence. As a matter of fact, this article talks about the role Artificial Intelligence (AI) can play in basketball. Even though I never wrote an article on AI … Continue reading AI Don’t Lie
Apathy
A couple of months ago, my teammates and I organized a friendly basketball game between my amateur team and a team composed of players who were born around the year 2000 (technically speaking, they compete in the U20 local tournament). As usual, I was excited about the idea of playing against players that young. Although I … Continue reading Apathy
Please, Don’t Call It Basketball Anymore
On several occasions, I stated what I think about current basketball (for instance, see the following posts: Basketball 1.0, True basketball, and Pristine basketball). After watching some games of the 2018 NCAA tournament, I have to admit that my beloved college basketball has been corrupted as well. It is not as unwatchable as the NBA … Continue reading Please, Don’t Call It Basketball Anymore
Pristine basketball
Thanks to some days off work, last November I had the chance to read the book "Coach Wooden and me", written by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. As stated in the title, the book primarily talks about how the friendship between coach John Wooden and the author developed throughout the decades, despite the fact that he played for … Continue reading Pristine basketball
Teamwork and communication
In 2016 I attended a course about the communication strategies in politics. Although it dealt with some specific techniques used in this context, the basic mechanisms it illustrated are valid for the communication in general. The course was held by a mental coach who has specialized to work with politicians and work/sports teams. Therefore, I took … Continue reading Teamwork and communication
True basketball
L'anno scorso ho scritto un post su come sia cambiata la pallacanestro negli utlmi anni. Recentemente, la FIBA ha ufficializzato una serie di modifiche regolamentari che rafforzeranno ulteriormente questo trend, snaturando ancora di più lo sport che tanto amo. Per questo motivo, io e l'amico Davide stiamo cercando di organizzare un torneo (denominato True Basketball … Continue reading True basketball
How to measure the greatness?
Occasionally, I write comments on a blog that talks mainly about basketball and sports in general. With some of the frequent readers the same old debate arises again and again: who are the greatest basketball players of all time? Of course, every time this question is raised, it is followed by endless discussions. In general, … Continue reading How to measure the greatness?
Information society, youth, and sports
Introduction Last month I attended a public talk where the main guest was a former professional soccer [1] player, Fabio Rossitto. Currently, he works as a coach [2] of pro and youth teams. Even though I never played soccer seriously, I used to be a fan and I watched tons of games throughout my life. … Continue reading Information society, youth, and sports
Basketball 1.0
I have been playing basketball for 30+ years. I started to play when I was about eight. I still play on the playgrounds, but I hardly feel the same enjoyment I used to. Of course I can't do anymore what I could do on a basketball court, but there is more: the style of playing … Continue reading Basketball 1.0
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