I have a strange relationship with Basketball
Especially when it comes to its stars
I don’t play or watch much of it
But I do enjoy it whenever it’s on
So I’m very much on the outside
While still appreciating the sport
And so, my limited exposure to it
Let’s me appreciate players for different merits
Like, let’s use these 3 greats as example:
Michael Jordan, LeBron James, and Kobe Bryant
…
I think MJ is a prick
I don’t like him
I haven’t watched him
So I’m not denying his greatness
I’m fully confident he’s as good as the stories
It’s just that the thing about those stories
Is that they’re always all about HIM
HIM because that’s how he views HIMSELF
His EGO is so enormous
I forget he’s a basketball player sometimes
You’d think he was God HIMSELF
With how highly the public rates him alone
Let alone how highly he rates HIMSELF
…
I’m a decent LeBron fan
Though I do have to admit
A lot of that happens to be
Because he happened to be born in Ohio
So it feels like there’s a familiar connection
Regardless of who we are & what we do
We’re both Ohioans, and it’s pretty cool that
Arguably the greatest B-ball player of all time
Comes from my home state – even good enough
To challenge “His Highness” HIMSELF
Regardless of whatever sliver of difference in ability
LeBron making the All-NBA team for 21 consecutive years
Shows an unmatched longevity that is legendary
Though, to step away from the basketball
& get to a more genuine reason why I like the guy
He’s someone who seems to actually care
I’ve read many stories about him
Supporting his hometown, Akron
And providing opportunities for kids
I’m sure MJ has done his fair share to help
I just think MJ matters more to MJ than kids do
…
Kobe Bryant is my favorite
Once again, I don’t watch much basketball
But from what I’ve gathered
About their respective reputations
It would probably be easiest to argue
He comes in third behind MJ & LeBron
But that doesn’t really matter to me
& it might not even be true
Like I said, what do I know?
But what made me fall in love with his character
Is every time he talked about basketball
I fell in love with basketball
The way he described the smell
Of a basketball & new sneakers
& the sounds they make on the floor
Made me understand how much
Someone could really love this sport
He spoke about basketball like I do poetry
& that was how I was able to truly connect
With someone seemingly so different
Yet really just the same kid as me
In love with whatever makes him happy
& I can certainly say that LeBron & MJ
Have never made me feel that way
♡Sugar☆World☮ 