NBA Finals Game 2

Another perk from my work is the ability to watch NBA games on Sky TV.  I got to watch the 1st 3 quarters of game 2 but unfortunately couldn't watch the last and more important quarter because I had to leave the house for an appointment.  The NBA now is more international in terms of players.  We already have Steven Adams with the Oklahoma City Thunder and Australia is represented by Patty Mills with the San Antonio Spurs.  Tony Parker who is French together with Manu Ginobili who is from Argentina also plays for the Spurs.  There are players from all the continents and they also get to play for their countries (well at least most of them, except Adams who may not play for NZ this World Basketball Championship).  Although height is still might in basketball, we still see excellent plays by players who aren't really tall.  I guess my father was right (he was a varsity player during his time and a great one at that), basketball is a thinking game.  The smaller player who can out think a taller player guarding him can score a point and make a difference.

Steve Adams

Photo courtesy of TVNZ.co.nz

Steven Funaki Adams from Rotorua, New Zealand and playing for the Oklahoma City Thunder is 213 cm (7 ft) tall.  This 21-year-old Kiwi is slowly making his huge presence felt in the NBA. I've been watching Steve on YouTube, and I've noticed that he gets the brunt of elbows, knees, and all other physical contacts thrown his way.  He is a marked man on the court. Maybe it is his height or his being a Kiwi or a combination of both, that he gets tested to the extreme.  What I admire most about him is his coolness and composure under pressure.  I do hope he will be given the opportunity to play for the Tall Blacks at the World Basketball Championship in Barcelona, Spain, this coming August.

This is just my observation, from a small guy like me, who truly loves basketball---playing, watching and coaching.