Call it a hoop dream. Call it a new year’s resolution if you must, but don’t call it a comeback. This is all about moving forward – and upward. Having declared 2010 to be my “Year of the Dunk,” I’ve challenged myself to develop a new skill: I will dunk an official sized basketball on a regulation height net before the end of 2010.
Like so many ball-addicted dudes, my love for the game comes part and parcel with an unwavering desire to rise above the crowd and bring down the thunder. But I’ve always been a landlubber, which is why the dunk represents a physical benchmark for me unlike any other: you either can dunk or you can’t. It’s this simple distinction that elevates the dunk’s allure amongst all ball players, regardless of their skill level. The fundamental skills required of other sports distinguish players by degree, while dunking is absolute. One can throw the ball faster or farther than another, shoot or kick harder and with more precision, but the ability to leap in the air and hammer home a basketball represents the ultimate individual achievement within the context of team sports. No other meaningful “play” is so pure because there are no other variables to consider – factors which range from the collaborative aspects of team sports (e.g. passing in soccer, football, or hockey) to the idiosyncratic features of pro sports leagues (e.g. the various dimensions of major league ballparks).
Thus, my journey to dunk begins from the perspective of a unique physical challenge, a noble and worthy goal. After all, the only thing that stands between me and a legitimate slam is ten feet of vertical space.
No comments:
Post a Comment