Friday, December 11, 2015

Basketball and Breaking the Mold

I've always liked basketball.

My parents are from Indiana, a state obsessed with basketball, so this probably shouldn't be surprising.  My mom likes to tell stories about how she watched March Madness at the hospital right before and shortly after I was born.

As a kid growing up in the Chicago area in the mid 90s, it was impossible to ignore the cultural juggernaut that was the Bulls.  The hype was palpable.  Chicago loves a superstar, and these Bulls were larger than life.  It all culminated in the 1995-1996 season, The Greatest Ever playing on the Greatest Team Ever.



It was a Friday in late December, and the Bulls had started the season something like 20-2.  There was already talk of them playing like the greatest ever, and people were wondering if Phil Jackson and a resurgent Michael Jordan had a 4th title in 5 years in them.  My dad had a friend at work who had two Bulls tickets but couldn't make the game that night, so me and my dad dropped everything and went.

I remember they were playing the raptors.  I remember the Bulls player intro.  I remember that the game wasn't particularly close, but the audience was keenly aware they were witnessing greatness.  I remember the united center being packed, standing room only.  I loved it.

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As of today, Steph Curry's Golden State Warriors are a perfect 23-0 so far this season.  Who knows how they will do down the stretch, but the hype train is rolling in Oakland.  Once again there is talk of them playing like The Greatest Ever, and they have a real shot at breaking the 20 year record set by Jordan's Bulls in that '95-'96 season.

Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors are challenging limits set by decades of NBA history.  Steph Curry is breaking the mold for year-over-year improvement, even among NBA superstars.

Or maybe Steph Curry isn't breaking the mold.  Maybe there was never a mold in the first place.

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