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The NBA offseason is long, let's make it shorterer.
I am a casual basketball fan.
I read the ESPN game breakdowns and watch choice day-after highlights. I don’t watch games during the regular season, or even most of the playoffs. Pretty much just the conference finals and the finals themselves. I’ve always gone with the adage of, if it’s not the NFL, teams in general are not playing hard during their regular season. I know this does not make me unique and I’m sure real fans hate hearing this type of shit.
Going into next season I’m going to give watching the NBA consistently a shot primarily for the three reasons below that are in no particular order.
I enjoyed watching Denver's playoff run and Jokić dominating with unselfish ball.
The "I Think You Should League Pass" Twitter (X?) handle @nbaleave.
Last but not least, the Reddit community r/nbacirclejerk.
To the first point, I ended up watching many more playoff games than normal as a result of the Denver Nuggets. Not original at this point to mention how addicting that unselfish play of basketball was to watch but it’s the truth. Doesn’t seem like the team has much if any star player drama that most likely directly contributes to the overall style. Again, no secret it’s a star driven league but I honestly feel bored hearing the same hot takes day in day out during the season. To me it seemed like watching them you could just enjoy the sport more, not the exhaustingly generated media storylines that typically follow players like LeBron, KD, Kyrie, etc. Usually those end up bleeding over into the actual game due to the announcers attempting to fill dead air.
In the sense that the team played so complimentary to each other it felt like watching the vintage Spurs under Pop or the early 2000’s Detroit Pistons team that just did the work (loved Rasheed Wallace).
Watching more basketball also may honestly be a sign of me getting older and losing interest in some of my other hobbies. Now sitting on my couch watching a game with some late night beers and not having to actively do anything seems more appealing than anything.
The second and third points above are closely linked.
If you’re reading this you’re probably already aware of the show but I Think You Should Leave With Tim Robinson is a top-tier show on Netflix. Weird, wild, and utterly enjoyable I have never failed to bust out laughing watching an episode. Each episode revolves around a handful of skits primarily with characters who refuse to back down from their unhinged yet relatable stances.
Here’s an assorted sampling:
The comedic genius of the show was only enhanced when I stumbled upon the Twitter (X? Whatever the fuck??) handle of "I Think You Should League Pass" (play on words combining show with NBA subscription). The account is @nbaleave and is run by Ryan Perry. The description on the account is self explanatory.
I Think You Should Leave and the NBA are both very good. Let’s put them together.
I started following along a couple years ago and by doing so became aware of an undercurrent of NBA culture I was not aware of. This has invariably increased my interest in the NBA as the parallels are now so clear I feel like Neo seeing the Matrix.
On Jokić's hilarious attitude towards the sport and theatrics:
On KD’s discontent when he was with the Nets:
On Ja Morant set to receive a suspension from the commish after the season wrapped:
The account's humor definitely has those twinges of toxicity that get the blood flowing and definitely increase my enjoyment of the game.
r/nbacirclejerk on Reddit takes that toxicity to an entirely different level. After gaining more interest in the NBA, getting introduced to this community felt like a van pulling up next to me with "Free Candy" written on the side of it. I would be lying to you if I also said I disliked the taste of said candy, god help me, I do.
r/nbacirclejerk is not as limited as "I Think You Should League Pass" given that certain scenarios have to play out to be applicable to a skit from ITYSL. With that in mind, ‘jerkers’ are free to target any and all current, past, or potential future scenarios with all of their skills. No one is spared.
Here’s a light sampling:
I will say I did not go hard on which ones to select to give you a taste as they are not for the faint of heart. I guess that makes me a punk bitch and I know the /r jerkers out there would be first to point that out. What am I, an idiot?
I guess I really feel that social media is a shithole by and large but there are glimmers in there that I do enjoy. My enjoyment of the game is probably enhanced about 150% by the two sources above. Combined with the great play I saw in the playoffs this past year it feels like the perfect time for me to be able to give more of a crap.
My goal this coming season is to put out a weekly recap chronicling my new commitment to basketball, highlighting great games I’ve watched, shitty ones, players and news around the league. And guess what, like my life, it’ll probably be all over the god damn place but it sure as shit will be entertaining. And if it isn’t, well shit, I’ll just be yelling into the void like usual.