I wrote this the other night, and I put it off because… it’s pretty socially delusional. There’s no coherent logic behind it. But in the wake of my father’s passing, that’s really how my mind has been.
But I owe it to myself to be honest. Sometimes that something real isn’t coherent… or logical. Our minds are imperfect. Our thoughts and emotions aren’t always linear and predictable. That’s what makes us human, and that’s what truly makes us real.
I’m at a moment in my life where I feel lost. I am running on dreams, and I refuse to let my doubts and fears deter me… I’d rather fail than never even try….
From 2 nights ago:
“I’ve wanted to write something real, and I don’t know if I’ll ever truly do this again.
It’s 1:31 am and I got back from the theatres after seeing Marty Supreme. I go to the movies these days for inspiration.
These first two days following the passing of my father are something I never could never comprehend. I feel lost. Nothing feels real. I don’t know what I know. At this moment at 28, I am at a time in my life where I feel I am growing by the hour.
I’m creating this as an application to Spalding. I want to pursue my dreams. I am driven by relentless delusion.
I have an insatiable desire to inspire. To inspire Hope… action. Dreams.
I’m marred by grief, and I feel beaten down. It’s been a blessing to have a conversation with so many people these past few days, weeks, months, and years.
I work in the community, and pour everything in my fiber/soul to it. I get off the clock and I have zero interest in memes or sports. I see a community hurting. Tired, with dimming hope.
I don’t think basketball is about the glory, the highlights, the accolades, or any of that. Basketball is a way of life. If the community is hurting, none of that stuff matters.
My mind has tried to stop writing this about 3-4 times and go back to routine everyday day living and mindset. It’s wholly illogical and delusional. To me, if even one person find inspiration in this it’s worth it, even if it’s non pertinent or outlandish to anyone else.
To write something real, is to tell a story. But it can’t be truly real without sacrifice. I’ve posted my Spalding basketballs over the years because I love the stories told in each. Honestly, it’s for myself. I’m able to document in my life, my memories, my journies. The wear on the leather tells a story of the unseen. The days past midnight waiting for my biopsy results after doctors feared I had a cancerous mass… at the dark at the park with no lights on, shooting in the rain and snow because it was a place I felt alive. Feeling the ball off my fingertips, the trees, the ambient noises, the wind, the air. If I was going to die, I was going to die living. The days during my depression, the games in the driveway with my friends, or at night before school the next morning. Sometimes I’m thinking of everything I love in this world, and none of it basketball. But it helps me capture all of it. It connects me to all of it. It floods back memories, inspiration, ideas, conversations…. Just everything.
To include these panels is to make this real. It wouldn’t be real to me otherwise. It’d be half-hearted. Safe and soulless. Empty. It wouldn’t truly tell the story. I’d wanted to keep these basketballs forever, to cherish them as memories. To remember the stories told with them. But I want to take one last shot with them. It’s not a shot that will go in. But I want to write something real. I want someone out there to keep dreaming big, and pursue it relentlessly. If I can be a glimmer of inspiration to even one person, that’s all I want.”
Shout out to my folks at
@TheDubNationHQ
for taking home a third
@SF_PressClub
award in four years! And thank you to everyone who supports us!
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Recap @TheDubNationHQ on how Steph Curry's will to win and his connection with Dub Nation created another tsunami last night in win over Nuggets
Deep Thoughts on First in 40, The Story of the 2014-15 Warriors: the Finals MVP vote and the structure of scientific revolutions
By Eric Apricot
I was writing live notes on the documentary and then got *really* carried away.
https://t.co/cRiiAZvOFh
Kevon Looney, the pro’s pro, the self made player, iron man, mr. consistent, every players favorite teammate and every coaches favorite player. I can’t remember one time in a high stakes game that Loon underperformed, most of the time he over performed. Whether he started, got benched, and everything in between he never pouted, hung his head or became arrogant. One of the most underrated yet beloved Warriors ever. HANG NO. 5 IN THE RAFTERS 🙌 Salute, @Loon_Rebel5 🫡 #LoonDawgForever
My 6th NBA draft tournament. Learn about possible GSW picks, vote on your faves, and then be bitter when they aren't drafted. So, to make the draft fun basically.
Yes, the 2020 Tourney winner was Haliburton and we're all still salty about it.
https://t.co/Ob37eCubWb
NEW: On the 35th anniversary of the Bad Boy #Pistons title in 1990, I caught up with Isiah Thomas, who reflected on the season and Vinnie Johnson’s iconic shot.
“We approached every series like, 'OK, it is only a matter of time before we beat you.'”
https://t.co/AtTwiTkU22
Just dropped a new feature on @IraAntelis — the man behind the music that made you wanna “Be Like Mike.”
From crafting one of the most iconic Gatorade jingles in sports and advertising history to shaping the sound of an entire generation, Ira's story is deeper than a melody.
We talked about his creative process, his roots in music, how that unforgettable Gatorade ad came to life, and what it means decades later.
This one’s for the culture.
🔗 Read the full piece: https://t.co/S6TxGkjHjL