Basketball's Canadian side

The father of Basketball, Dr. James Naismith

Here's a fun fact that not many people are aware of: basketball is Canadian. Sure, you might tell me that it was first played in Springfield, Massachusetts and not on Canadian soil, which is fair enough, but the fact that the sport was the brainchild of a Canadian born innovator, Dr. James Naismith is reason for me to believe that the sport is Canadian. Naismith was born in Ontario and if my limited knowledge of Canadian geography is correct, he was born in present-day Mississippi Mills, Ontario.

There would be no LeBron James and no Kobe Bryant and definitely no Steve Nash if it wasn't for Naismith's invention on a cold winter day in Springfield in December 1891. And ever since then, the sport has not looked back. At least 10 players in this original game of basketball were university students from Quebec, (according to an nba.com article from March 2002), thus ingraining Canada and Canadians into the sport's earliest days. That very same article cites how quickly the sport spread into Canada; like maple syrup on warm pancakes, if you must. This hockey- obsessed country has participated in Olympic basketball from as early as the 1936 Olympic Games held in Berlin, Germany, three years before Naismith breathed his last breath.

Another great story that I came across while doing my research was the fact that Naismith had just 14 days to invent the game. According to his resume, the game was invented "under orders from Dr. Luther Gulick, head of Springfield YMCA Physical Education, to provide an athletic distraction for students. Gulick demanded that it would not take up much room, could help its track athletes to keep in shape."

Probably a more well-known fact is that the first ever game in the sport's most elite league, the NBA, was played on Canadian soil in Toronto between the New York Knickerbockers (now the NY Knicks) and the defunct Toronto Huskies. Of course, the league was then known as the Basketball Association of America (BAA) and the Huskies were only around for one season, but as I've said before, the sport was already showing its Canadian side.

Modern-day basketball fans in Canada have to contend with the struggling Toronto Raptors. I've often seen lots of vintage Vancouver Grizzlies memorabilia around the halls of Fanshawe College itself, proving the fact that the sport is indeed ingrained in Canadians. Videos of the famous pairing of Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady in the late 1990s still sends shivers down my spine: I guess you could call that the heyday of the Toronto Raptors.

US Patent #1,718,305 will be remembered as the basketball granted to G.L. Pierce in 1929, almost four decades after the game was invented. While Naismith's 'original 13 rules' might have been modified several times over the ages, the joy and excitement that the sport of basketball brings hasn't diminished one bit. It's a Canadian invention, after all.

Originally Written for the Interrobang: http://www.fsu.ca/interrobang_article.php?storyID=8723&sectionID=4&issueID=209
Image Credit: http://www.peoplequiz.com/images/bios/James-Naismith.jpg-5864.jpg

So what's the deal with Jeremy Lin?

Linsanity is sweeping the nation.

'Linsanity' is sweeping the nation. New York Knicks guard Jeremy Lin is something of a surprise package in the NBA so far. He's the first Harvard product to join the NBA since 1953/54 and was signed by the Knicks as an emergency backup at guard after he was cut from the rosters of both the Golden State Warriors and the Houston Rockets.

"He (Jeremy Lin) has been an unheralded prospect, a hometown sensation, a scrutinized ethnic symbol and a basketball curiosity, at once intriguing and underestimated and ultimately discarded," wrote Howard Beck in The New York Times. But what is it that makes Lin the phenomenon that he is turning out to be? His story is a remarkable one, owing to the fact that he is the first American player of Chinese or Taiwanese descent. Lin is a Harvard alumnus, but unlike most superstars who end up in the NBA, he went to university without any athletic scholarship.

Lin has already been given his own nickname: "Linsanity." Coincidentally or not, that word has a lot of similarity with "Vinsanity," the nickname given to Vince Carter. Looking at Lin's stats for the month of February, he's scored more than 20 points on nine occasions, his best being 38 points against the L.A. Lakers on February 10. Lin's sudden outburst of form in the month of February was reason enough to earn him a call up to the 2012 NBA All-Star Rising Stars Challenge held in Orlando. The Knicks are 8-3 since Lin became their starting point guard, a run that includes wins over the Lakers and Dallas. Lin was also the reason why the Knicks beat the Toronto Raptors as he scored a last-second threepointer. He's already appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated for two consecutive weeks and even made the cover of Time. "He's legit," Chicago Bulls Assistant Coach Rick Brunson told the N.Y. Daily News. "That kid can play." Lin, however, had a quiet game during the All-Star Weekend, scoring only two points, but that won't in any way subdue his already growing fame.

"I am definitely surprised that people are still talking about Linsanity or whatever," said Lin during a news conference. "I think, hopefully, as the season progresses it will go from that to New York Knicks. And hopefully the Knicks can win basketball games and we can make a good push after the All-Star break and people will start talking about the Knicks and not necessarily me." Lin is trying his best to avoid the media's attention from distracting him when it comes to playing the game. The New York Knicks are, in my books, still a work in progress, despite featuring the likes of Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire, but with the potential that's on the roster, the team could be major contenders in future seasons.

I came across a hilarious article the other day. Lin is now an ice cream flavour. Don't you find that strange? The ingredients include vanilla frozen yogurt and lychee honey swirls, though the sports blog Deadspin claims that the flavour previously included bits of fortune cookie. It's been confirmed that the fortune cookie bits will be replaced by bits of waffle cones after allegations of racial insensitivity spread amongst critics. What annoys me is the fact that the flavour is reportedly only on sale in Boston because I would love to sample this new 'Linsane' flavour.

Whatever the future of this massive bandwagon, Lin's rapid rise to success will go down as one of sports' 'fairy tale' success stories. It will be interesting to see whether all the media attention he's receiving will affect his game, but one thing is certain (and I know it's clichéd): it's been a "Linsane" season so far.

Originally Written for the Interrobang:http://www.fsu.ca/interrobang_article.asp?storyID=8219&sectionID=4&issueID=198

Image Credit:http://www.thesportsbank.net/core/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Jeremy-Lin-knicks.jpg

Video Credit:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAFLP9ejvDE

NBA Watch: Gunning for Glory

Basketball's Biggest Prize?

The NBA season is just over a month old, and I feel it's about time we take a good look at the teams that are favourites to win the title at the end of the season.

Miami Heat: LeBron James, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade – it doesn't get any bigger than this. The Heat came within inches of winning the title last season but came undone against a resurgent Dallas Mavericks team. James is showing how effective he can be without Wade. The Heat are favourites for another long playoff run and with Mario Chalmers, rookie Norris Cole and Udonis Haslem, chances are high that the Heat will storm their way to an NBA title this time around.

Los Angeles Lakers: Off the court, the Lakers' long-time Head Coach Phil Jackson retired following the end of the last season and he was replaced by former Cleveland Cavaliers Head Coach Mike Brown. The Lakers boast two of the biggest men in the league, Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum, on their roster and they show that they can punish teams inside the paint. Metta World Peace and Matt Barnes have proved that they can shut down any five-star offences. Oh, and a certain Kobe Bryant averaged 43 points per game when the Lakers were up against worthy playoff opposition. After being blanked 4- 0 by Dallas last time around in the conference semi finals, this proud franchise will be out for revenge (and a title) this time around.

Oklahoma City Thunder: Two words: Kevin Durant. Durant had been playing an enormous amount of basketball during the NBA lockout, and it shows. He looks a lot tougher than ever before and has added a lot of moves to his arsenal. In my opinion, he's the best allaround player in the league after James. Also look out for Russell Westbrook, he's lighting up the league and he's a player you'd love to hate.

Chicago Bulls: The Chicago Bulls haven't won an NBA championship since 1998. It seems like a long time ago that Michael Jordan was on the roster of that championship winning team. Fourteen seasons later, the Bulls finally look like they have a title contender. With Luol Deng, Carlos Boozer and Derrick Rose, the Bulls are tough to beat at home; Rose can destroy any defence in the league, and Deng can shut down anyone from James to Bryant on a given night.

Portland Trailblazers: LaMarcus Aldridge is on quite the run. It's hard to catch him, and he makes scoring look easy. Given the fact that the Blazers lost key man Brandon Roy to premature retirement, this team looked beaten before the start of the season. Gerald Wallace will run, jump, punch and claw his way to productive nights and usually does so every time the Blazers play. Nicolas Batum and Raymond Felton are big-name spare parts, but in all, despite the loss of Brandon Roy, the Blazers look built for a long playoff run.

Outside chances: The Dallas Mavericks, defending champions of the NBA, the Boston Celtics and the Memphis Grizzlies will all make the playoffs comfortably, but I don't see them going on a very long run. The Houston Rockets and the San Antonio Spurs too should make the playoffs. The Spurs lost key man Manu Ginobili to injury and his return is still not finalized.

The games are coming in thick and fast, and I, for one, know it's going to get exciting as the season goes on.

Originally Written for the Interrobang: http://www.fsu.ca/interrobang_article.asp?storyID=7997&sectionID=4&issueID=194
Image Credit:http://www.examiner.com/images/blog/replicate/EXID24107/images/Laker-Parade-2010-Celebration-Kobe-82.jpg
Video Credit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UekSQkajhsU