Ramanujan Redux

The NBA is inhabited by the land of giants. A tall man’s world. The land where seven-footers rule and no one else can match our strength.

Yet who has won the last four Finals MVPs?
2007-Tony Parker
2006-Dwayne Wade
2005-Tim Duncan (although you could make a case for Manu Ginobili)
2004-Chauncey Billups

These are guards moving past big men. They may be taller and stronger. But you are stronger in other areas.

As we see Chris Paul motor his way through the playoffs, forcing the defending champions to give everything they have to stay alive, you realize that you already have what you need. You may be a small man in a big man’s world, in business, in law, in sports. But it means only a little. You were born with your genetics. But you create your own will. You go as far as you choose to go.

With the NBA Playoffs in full gear, roundball fans are always reminded in commercials of the greatness that once graced the NBA every season. Michael Jordan graced the league for fourteen spectacular seasons of dunks, fallaway jumpers, game winning shots, and championships. He exemplified the winning attitude that all human beings hope to adopt.

Yet one reason he was so brilliant was how easy he made it look. We glossed over the physical punishment that a 6′6″ guard took driving to the hole in a tall man’s world and focused on the breakaway slam reels. For over a decade the NBA has suffered from this me-first type of play, with everyone subconsciously believing that by taking the toughest shots possible, they could be like Mike. And of course, they can’t and couldn’t. People forget all the hard work it took for MJ to be MJ.

Arguably there have been more talented individuals out there, before and since. But no one else put the work in as much on the court as he did, for individual and team. And it shows with the six rings.

But it was never just about making the impossible easy. Let’s listen to the words of the man, shall we? (Click on the link to watch the video).

1. It’s Not About the Shoes

Just like in Fight Club, your possessions do not define you. They are rewards for hard work and accomplishment, not a shallow display of your own self-worth. Unmerited rewards lead to emptiness inside. Your actions are what is substantive. Their impact will last far longer than your shoes.

2. Not Meant to Fly

There are those among us who say there are limits to what they can accomplish. These people are a nuisance. Get rid of them, extirpate these undesirable qualities within yourself, and start learning to break limits before the burden of age catches up with you.

3. Challenge

Sweat hard when you’re battling. Make sure you’re dead tired when you walk out of your workplace. Exhaustion shows how far you’ve pushed yourself in pursuit of your passions. Make sure you rest only when your efforts hinder rather than help.

4. Michael vs. Mia

Once you become one of the best, challenge yourself against the best, or those who share your goals and desires. Their attitude towards work and success is infectious. Let it become the only disease that you never want to heal.

5. Nothing but Net

Challenge yourself in every facet of life, even if it means absolutely nothing in the long-run. It makes life more exciting, more thrilling, more exhilarating. Oh, and put a Big Mac on the line for the winner. (more…)

I’m trying to build up a steady resume of my writings and accomplishments online, and I don’t want to seem like I’m embellishing. This is to serve as two things:
1) A set of online accomplishments that can show value to other people.
2) A set of online accomplishments that can show value to me.

As much as I enjoy me, and talking about me, I want other people to know about me. Me is great. Me is the best. So let’s get going spreading the legend of me!

I wrote up three live blogs on The Play in CA (New Orleans at Dallas, Phoenix at San Antonio, Washington at Cleveland). I enjoyed the experience, but one thing I did learn is that it’s not fun talking to yourself on a live blog. It’s enjoyable if the games are great (and thankfully all three lived up to the opening), but I want to figure out a way to blog NBA games and have a captive audience. If I can do that, I’ll be pie-in-the-sky happpppy.

As usual, running Bears Necessity with a deft hand. I’m not exactly tiring out (I come up with decent ideas for posts all the time), I just want more free time to focus on other things. Hence my call for guest posters on Cal football. Hopefully more people will answer the call.

Finally, wrote an article on my slowly developing (and by slowly I mean stagnant) sports site, Get Up Eight Times. How the hell did the Phoenix Suns fall into a 3-0 hole against the San Antonio Spurs? I try my best to explain in the NBA roundball way.

I’m not sure what I’ll do about Squidoo and Metafilter. Squidoo seems to relate more to life experience, and I have very little of that at the moment. Metafilter seems pretty interesting, although it seems to be inhabited by librarians who will pay for gated access and people too snobbish for NPR. I hope this isn’t the case, but those are my preliminary thoughts on the matter.

Tune in for my weekly resume. It should be totally bereft of useful details.

Come and check it out (click here), so I don’t feel like I’m talking to myself all day. Because that’s creepy.

Before Riley didn’t throw the ball away: Diarrhea, constipation, viral infection.
After Riley got knocked down: Viral infection
After Longshore’s pick-six: Exercise intolerance
After the beatdown in the desert: Relapse of viral infection
After a boring, listless victory Wazzu: Hit in the eye by a toy football, and plenty of chills. After a miserable four hours listening to “Fight On”: Cough, wet clothes, breaking down in tears in the shower.
After getting pushed around by the Huskies: Beginning of the flu.
After losing the Axe: Morning migraines.

I’m sure this is all coincidental.