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

Squeaky Bum Time

The top two teams in their respective conferences: Oklahoma City Thunder and the Chicago Bulls

It’s been little over four months since the NBA lockout ended, and it’s almost that time when we get a rough idea who’s making the playoffs and who isn’t going to. The league has entered into its fourth quarter and it’s time for the final push that could make or break a season.

One team that has already made the playoffs is the Chicago Bulls. The Bulls have been on fire this season and have crept up to favourites in my book. The Bulls’ key man and reigning MVP Derrick Rose has missed a few games recently due to injury. Having watched the Bulls play Denver, one couldn’t help but notice that Rose was being missed. It seems strange, but it’s true; the Bulls look like they need Rose back as soon as possible. While the playoff spot is secured, the top seed in the East is still a position up for grabs.

The New York Knicks, on the other hand, are still fighting, and with the rise of their go-to man, Jeremy Lin, all eyes are on the Knicks. Milwaukee looks to have pulled a smart trade: Monta Ellis is ensuring that the Knicks have all the pressure on them as the Bucks are closing in on eighth place in the East. New York will have to go without Amar’e Stoudemire, who suffered a back injury that could keep him out of the playoffs, should New York make it. Carmelo Anthony has been awful this season, to put it nicely. I was surprised when he made the All- Star team. It’s clearly his poorest season as a professional.

In my last article, I mentioned that Derek Fisher was traded to Houston, which was true at the time. Since then, he has moved on to the Oklahoma City Thunder, who claimed him off waivers. This is a move that could help the Thunder, as Fisher has a lot of playoff experience. In my reckoning, Fisher would play as the backup point guard, considering that Russell Westbrook is on the roster for OKC. They currently occupy top spot in the West and should clinch their own playoff berth soon.

Let’s be real here, the Toronto Raptors are going nowhere. Canada’s only team lacked the finesse needed to challenge for a playoff spot, constantly relying on Andrea Bargnani to deliver the goods. The Raptors are currently sitting 12th in the East with just 16 wins. They have, however, ‘stunned’ fans by dishing out the odd victory, most notably their win against New York: a 96-79 win that snapped New York’s fivegame winning streak. They also almost upset the Bulls, only to be undone by a somewhat lucky basket for Luol Deng in the dying seconds of overtime. A couple of good performances could maybe see the Raptors sneak into a playoff spot but I wouldn’t count on that happening. In the Raptors’ 117-101 defeat to the Orlando Magic, a loud cheer erupted when Toronto scored 100, not because they were leading with seconds to play, but because free pizza is offered to fans every time the team scores 100.

On a side note, the game that featured Atlanta and Utah was the first game to go to quadruple overtime since 1997 when Phoenix beat Portland. Atlanta beat Utah 139-133 in this game.

With most teams having fewer than 20 games left in the regular season, it’s crunch time. There are still playoff spots, particularly in the West, which could be claimed by a number of teams. If I were to make a prediction, I’d say that Chicago and Oklahoma will top both their conferences while the much-talked-about New York Knicks will only barely scrape into the playoffs this time around.

Originally Written for the Interrobang:http://www.fsu.ca/interrobang_article.asp?storyID=8381&sectionID=4&issueID=202
Image Credit:
Video Credit:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxHy-tkwVEg

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