117) I Am An NBA Fan

I enjoyed watching and playing the game of basketball, since I was 9 years old. (It all began in 1996.)

​When I was growing up, I was a weird kid. In the late 1990s, I surprisingly rooted for the Utah Jazz over Michael Jordan and his Chicago Bulls. I did not go for the popular team neither the best player in the planet. (After my high school years, I began to understand the game more than before. Then, I finally realized Michael Jordan was an electrifying, amazing basketball player.) 

I became a bandwagon. In the early 2000s, I rooted for whichever team was winning, such as the Los Angeles Lakers. 

Yes, I was born and raised in the Bay Area most of my life. I still root for the Golden State Warriors.

​Most importantly, I love the "game" more than the Golden State Warriors.

​(If the Warriors lose, I do not stress out about it anymore. May the best team win. Referees might miss calls, or officiate bad calls. Then again, it is the name of the game. It happens.)

​Also, I do watch that much television anymore, except basketball, and some tennis.

I am an NBA super fan, like the known architect man, James Goldstein. He usually wears outlandish outfits with his cowboy hat. (You will see James Goldstein on national televised games on the sideline, while I only watch the games on my iPad on Reddit or TV.)

I used to hate on NBA players, such as Giannis Antetokounmpo and Draymond Green. When they were rookies, they were out of control. Now, they have proven me wrong. I must give a player time to grow and evolve, like anybody in life as well. 

​If they are not able to develop their game, they still have successfully made it in the NBA.

​Obviously, it is tough to make it in the NBA.

​I will crunch down the numbers.

We have a world population of about 7 billion people. Currently, the NBA consists of 30 total teams. Each NBA team has a maximum of 15 total players. Thus, the NBA has only a total of 450 players.

Congratulations to the NBA players.

​Any NBA player will dominate at any pickup basketball game anywhere. 

​My 10 favorite NBA players when I was growing up:
​(Michael Jordan is the only GOAT, but I did not get to see most of his games when I was growing up. Same goes to John Stockton.) 
1. Kobe Bryant (The great footwork and the wonderful turnaround fadeway jumper. Also, he can dunk.)

2. Steve Nash (His eyes were everywhere. He will find you anywhere.) ​

3. Allen Iverson (The killer crossover. He made defenders look silly.)

4. Tony Parker (He usually drives towards the basket, and kicks it out to the open 3 point shooter in the corner. He possesses a tear drop shot and a spin move drive. Still playing in the NBA right now.)

5. Rod Strickland (He was in the 1988 NBA draft class, while I was only one year old. When I started watching basketball, he was already in his prime. He was a flashy, first-pass point guard.)

6. Muggsy Bogues (Shortest NBA player to ever play the game at only 5'3. Most importantly, he played in the NBA for 14 years. Size does not matter. He stole everybody's pocket. Be aware of your surroundings, or else you got it picked from him.)

​​​7. Earl Boykins (Stands only at 5'5. Also, he played for 14 years in the NBA. A great scoring guard at that size. Also, he can block shots.)

8. Jamal Crawford (An automatic scorer with the fancy ball handling skills. Currently, he leads the NBA in 4-point plays. At 37, he is still playing right now as well.) 

9. Manu Ginobili (Before James Harden, there is Manu. He is the master of the Eurostep. Still playing at 40 years old.)

10. Dirk Nowitzki (He continues on with his 1-legged fadeway jumpshot. His signature. You cannot block it, like Kareem's skyhook. Still playing at 39 years old.)

My 11 favorite current NBA players:
​(No need to explain each player's strengths. Just watch them play. From 2nd to 11th, in no particular order whatsoever.)
1. LeBron James
2. James Harden
3. Kevin Durant
​4. Russell Westbrook
​5. Stephen Curry
6. Damian Lillard
​7. Kyrie Irving
8. Kawhi Leonard
9. Isaiah Thomas
​10. Giannis Antetokounmpo
11. Mike Conley Jr. (People say I play similar to him, even though he is one year younger than me. I gotta add him on this list.)