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Orlando, Florida. • Whenever I write a story I write on Twitter, it is inevitable that some people will respond with their thoughts. Some are thoughtful fans who have actually read the story, others are simply drive-by trolls who react to a title. After tweeting my story on Tuesday about Jazz’s vote to keep pushing social issues, I have to admit, a couple of people in my mentions really impressed me with their answers.
I am neither naive enough nor vain enough to expect everyone to share my worldview, but when I quote Donovan Mitchell who passionately talks about how he, as a black man, could end up being a victim of police brutality, how he wonders how people perceive him when he is not a basketball player on the field, but a black person in the world, and people come back with “If the players kneel during the hymn, I’m done” or, “Why don’t you turn to black – black violence? “or” What about the NBA bending the knee in China? ” it really puts me in a bad headspace.
I am a white man of a middle class education who covers a league largely made up of black men of different backgrounds and experiences to whom I cannot refer personally. Still, it’s not so difficult for me to listen, try to empathize, try to put myself in their shoes. If I had grown up in black and seen a judicial system in which people who shared my skin color were disproportionately jailed, wouldn’t I have distrust with the police? Of the legal system? I can’t see how I wouldn’t be. This is why I can’t understand other people’s inability to try to see the world from someone else’s perspective before blindly shaking some scornful discussion point.
However, enough negativity. I’m kicking myself out.
On a lighter note, Joe Ingles also brought the human element into his media session this week. Before Jazz left for the Orlando bubble, he and Mike Conley discussed their discomfort about leaving their families for so long. So when he was asked on Tuesday what was the most difficult thing to adapt to in the bubble, hearing Jingles talk – even in his predictable unpredictable way – about trying to keep up with all the latest news at his home at SLC was a small reminder of his humanity (although, being the funny and sarcastic person, he would probably hate me to say it).
“When I was at home, I would drop Milla [off] and take it every day at school and that was our little thing we did. My wife would take Jacob to therapy. Missing all that stuff is the hardest, “he said. “Jacob started a trivial workout, not that you guys like it, but he peed at school this morning, which is really cool. Just those things. “
I am sure I will receive some replies informing me that nobody cares, and the only thing you want to hear from Jazz musicians is how they will beat pelicans on Thursday (16:30, TNT). Quick and important reminder: they were people long before they became basketball players, and they will also be people long after. So maybe lighten up a little. If you have thought and discussed your work as much as you apparently expect them to do, I have no doubt that you would be the most boring person on Earth.
A less heartbreaking thing to get used to
Part of the reason I claimed I braved the coronavirus epidemic in Florida and came here to cover the first two games of the NBA reboot Jazz is that being in the building for the games that matter, but that it will be played. before zero fans, it’s an unprecedented opportunity.
In the NBA there is so much advantage in court: what will happen when there is nothing?
That’s why I was so intrigued to listen to various Jazz musicians discussing which adaptation got used to such a strange atmosphere in the three scrimmages played by the team.
“It’s really quiet in the fanless arena. It’s really weird when they put up virtual fans and you’re playing against [Brooklyn’s] Joe Harris and Joe Harris is also a virtual fan on the screen, “noted Ingles. “… I honestly think the biggest difference is playing in that arena like that. It is extremely different from what we have played throughout our entire career. The teams that can adapt and normalize it as much as possible are the teams that will do well. “
Donovan also mentioned the “virtual fans” that appear on the giant video screens in the arena to take some time to get used to, especially since the sound associated with them presented some annoying bugs.
“Fans threw me away a little bit. But in the end, when we play with fans in the arenas, you get used to everything that’s really in the background, “he said. “The noise I wasn’t a fan of. It looks like a great game [NBA]2K. It just didn’t seem real. I don’t know how to explain it, but in reality I wasn’t a big fan of just random noises, especially since many were late. After a bucket, we would have put it in, we would have gone to half field and then we would have heard the screams and the screams. Hopefully it will change. “
Some quick things to recover
I recently wrote a lot of Jazz stuff (obviously) and will continue to do so (obviously). And Andy Larsen has gone ever further back to Jazz / NBA coverage in recent times. Here are some of my favorite recent stories that, if you haven’t read them yet, you should check them out:
Thanks to those who sent me some musical suggestions for traveling by plane. I have given some plays; some more I have yet to arrive. But here’s a tip from me. If you are a fan of Cameron Crowe’s semi-autobiographical film “Almost Famous”, you must listen to the 20th anniversary podcast series put together by James Andrew Miller. Behind the scenes of casting decisions, the writing process, the rock training camp put together by Nancy Wilson and Peter Frampton … everything is insanely exciting. You can thank me later.
