I am a sports metaphor guy (e.g., see ‘Lakers-Celts and the Sporting Metaphor’).
With that in mind, let me submit that NBA Basketball is opera; it is operatic in nature.
True performers, and every night is a different performance, fraught with intrigue and high drama.
Individuals, but clearly an orchestration of the team concept.
Small enough team sizes to make one’s personality, fire and drive to readily be on display.
The tug-of-war of different playing styles (offense, defense, rebounding, passing, sharing, winning) creates divergent narratives that ebb and flow over the course of a game.
The final two minutes of a close game, is a game within the game in itself.
Some performers have a sense of the moment, and rise to the occasion.
Many don't, and there is a lot of drama in either case.
Injuries, money and egos provide ample kindling wood for blazes of glory, cop outs and crushing defeat. There is no shortage of theatrics.
The individual goals, the team rivalries, the intense drama that plays out within a series, the terminator-like mindset as a team moves into subsequent rounds, and finally, the unparalleled moment of triumph as the path to the championship is realized.
It's about blood, sweat, baskets and stops.
See also: Pattern Recognition - Winning Blue Prints, Moneyball (NBA-style) and Justin.tv
