Watching replays of old now Hall of Famer Karl Malone and John Stockton games on NBA TV the last few days is a reminder of something that can get lost in the hype of superteams, in the winning and the losing:
Basketball can be a beautiful game. Artistry. Style. Flair.
James Goldstein and this video can be another reminder (made by Crane TV and found by Eric Freeman at the Baseline, a man who will be greatly missed until his next gig).
If you’ve watched much NBA you’ve seen Goldstein at games, dressed rather flamboyantly in cowboy hats and leather suits. He’s a fashion fan. He travels the world -- literally -- going to top fashion shows, admiring the best architecture and going to basketball games.
And he gets it. Basketball is style, it’s artistry. A different form, but when done right it is there. Ray Allen using a pick to free himself for a jumper. Pau Gasol in the high post. Steve Nash coming off the high pick. Kevin Durant in space. This is a special kind of artistry, these are things of beauty. And we need to appreciate them as such.