An excerpt from the book When the Game Was War.
But great as all of those seasons were, none of it changes my mind about 1987–88. Though I admit each campaign has its merits, that cases can be made, I believe that sports scenes, like scenes, experience the occasional golden age that can be objectively recognized. I’m able to accept the 1950s and 1960s as the golden age of baseball—Willie Mays, Mickey Mantle, Stan Musial—even though I’m too young to have seen any of those icons play.
There was also the style. It’s not just that the best players were great back then. It’s that they had flair. Magic. Michael. Larry. Isiah. There hasn’t been a collection like that since. Plus the physicality, the violence of the game, which told you how much these players would suffer to win, and something important about the world, too: In the clutch, grit matters as much as talent.
To some, the NBA reached its peak only after rules were enacted in the 1990s and aughts that tamed the teams that played like the Bad Boys. Not only did the violent playground style inhibit stars like Magic and Michael, not only did it let the mediocre pummel the superior into acquiescence, it led to career-ending injuries, and pain. The value we placed on toughness, on the ability to “play hurt”, seems wrongheaded to some today. It robbed players of health, livelihood, humanity.
I understand this, but don’t agree. Maybe it’s generational. Members of my cohort grew up during the terrifying last days of the Cold War. We spent much of our time sitting around, waiting to be nuked. Life seemed a brief respite before annihilation, and we admired athletes who offered examples of people who refused to be cautious. Kevin McHale posting up James Worthy with a broken foot. Bird running the floor with a ruined back.
Maybe Isiah could have played longer if he’d taken better care of himself, but I doubt he’d have made that trade. It’s not longevity we remember, the steady accumulation of seasons. It’s the lifetime burning in a single moment. The 1987-88 NBA season was an extended moment that burned like flash-paper.This was an excerpt from the book ‘When the Game Was War’ by Rich Cohen.
Brasil Últimas Notícias, Brasil Manchetes
Similar News:Você também pode ler notícias semelhantes a esta que coletamos de outras fontes de notícias.
'Phil has nothing to lose with book but it could change everything for Holly'With rumours of Phillip Schofield’s bombshell book flying around, we hear how it could hinder Holly Willoughby’s hopes of moving forward as she makes her return to This Morning
Consulte Mais informação »
Shaquille O'Neal drops four stone in weight after mate's 'fat' commentThe former NBA star now says he's almost at '100 per cent ninja mode'
Consulte Mais informação »
NBA 2K24 has a 161GB install and that’s more than StarfieldThe install sizes for new games are getting out of control, with basketball game NBA 2K24 beating the already massive Starfield.
Consulte Mais informação »
'Rarest' Harry Potter book sells for £15k after surviving fireCarina won the book thanks to a competition organised by publisher Bloomsbury in 2012 to find the UK's biggest Harry Potter fan
Consulte Mais informação »
Rare Harry Potter book sells for £15k at auction after surviving horror blazeCarina Haouchin was one of only 15 people in the UK to win a copy of the signed book.
Consulte Mais informação »
Sean Quinn says he was made a 'scapegoat' in new bookThe former tycoon's book In My Own Words is on sale now
Consulte Mais informação »