Like and Basketball

As an avid basketball fan, I consider the sport to be more than merely athletic recreation. Like many armchair athletes who moonlight as professional stars at the gym, I definitely feel that running around with a bouncing ball has the ability to teach us more about life and our own personalities than we often care to admit.

You probably don't remember this, but a while back I made an analogy between dating and the NBA Draft. In many ways it was an imperfect metaphor because it applied for women only. The idea that women pick men in the same way NBA GM's scout talent is -- I think -- still a wonderful notion and often times painfully accurate in both theory and practice.

For the fellas however, I more recently have observed that our love lives are far simpler than the nuances of talent evaluation and drafting in terms of long-term potential.

Basically, dating for guys is scoring -- our goal is to put the ball in the bucket. If this seems oversimplified, pause to consider the many ways that this can be done.

The easiest way to score is a layup. You're close to the net, it's a high percentage shot and even if you miss, there's a good chance you'll be able to follow up with a rebound and put back, or at least create an offensive opportunity for your teammate.

Then there is the mid-range jump shot or baby hook, probably the most under appreciated but most difficult to master aspect of the game. Considering the majority of scoring occurs in this area, it is woefully disregarded in conversations about scoring in basketball.

Finally, there is the three-point shot. It is a niche skill, requiring both natural talent and a tireless work ethic to become accomplished from this range. With this one skill however, an athlete can easily be a professional basketball player for many many years, regardless of any other abilities. An excellent and consistent long range shooter is a valuable commodity for all NBA teams.

Now, parallel the above with how you approach women.

Layups are girls you can have easily. They're high percentage, easy to make and a comfortable place to spend the entire game. In the long run however, it can be difficult and unsatisfying to just make layups. I mean, sure, the easy score is always our ultimate goal. But in order to be a fully rounded player, these forays to the net have to be supplemented by a jump shot, otherwise defenders will simply sag off you and stifle your sole offensive option. It's just not feasible to be a basketball player and only know how to make a layup.

In short, chippies are great. But slashers are dime-a-dozen in the league (see: Gerald Green). We all know this. So you got to work on your game.

Three-pointers are girls you have a decent shot at getting, but frankly so much has to go right -- be it the setup from your teammates, the way the defense is playing, or how you're feeling that particular night -- that to consistently take nothing but three-point attempts is both foolhardy and unrewarding. Hitting a game winning three happens to all of us at one time or another, and it always feels great. But veterans know when to take that shot and when not to. They also know that percentages are what they are, so even if you take a good shot and miss from deep, there's nothing to hang your head about. Good shooters always keep shooting. Still, there is inherent danger. Even shooters need to have a sense of movement without the ball. Somebody who can shoot but can't get open or create their own shot will find themselves a liability in a game, easily guarded and ineffective against active teams (see: Jason Kapono).

Coincidentally, young players almost always become over-dependent on these last two skills. They are labelled as shooters, or slashers. So what separates the inexperienced from the real players?

The mid-range game.

There is no glory in this. Which is why it's a perfectly analogy for life.

Ever watch a sports highlight package full of mid-range jumpers? Of course not. They're boring. Everyone wants to talk about the dunks and the contested, fade away three's. This is exactly like women. When dudes get together, they talk about the time they went home with Swedish twins, or the party they got drunk and did three girls they can't remember in one night. Nobody gets up and yells about the chick who emotionally understood you through tough times, then thoughtfully bought you your favourite cold cut to pack for your work lunch the next day.

But where is the game won? Pure area-wise, and as follows, pure shot volume wise, more attempts are made in the mid-range than any other part of the court. Basketball is, ultimately, a midrange game.

So is life. Much like Jordan or Kobe, often guys learn that it's not about the flash, but instead it's about efficiently settling for what the defense gives you. And almost always, settling means pulling up for the 12-foot J.

It's not glamorous. But it's smart. You avoid incurring charging fouls. The defense stays off balance giving you better opportunities to get to the rim. And much like finding a woman, it's the stable, consistent mid-range jumper that's going to eventually butter the bread of the average man.

We live in in a world where everyone practices their threes and fancy circus shot layups. And naturally there are exceptions to every rule. Shaq doesn't need a jump-hook, and Reggie Miller didn't need to dunk on people.

But in the long run, for the other 96 per cent of us who aren't phenomenally gifted in one of those areas, it's the mid-range jumper that's going to keep us loving basketball. Our quickness may go one day, or our legs to shoot from range. But a guy who can make an open mid-range jumper consistently? He's going to be useful in any basketball game for the rest of his active life.

One day, I will learn to settle for that pull-up, as I would hope most men would. In real basketball, it is probably the skill I am working hardest at to improve, so that I can continue playing effectively into my older age. As far as this analogy goes however, I would definitely consider myself too dependent on my outside shot.

I predict maybe two people in the world will truly appreciate this post. But I had to get it out there.

The game is beautiful... what can I say?