last winter, a loved one introduced me to Be Holding, a book length poem by Ross Gay. you may know his work - he attends to joy, to delight, and also offers such a profound regard to what it means to live in this country, to choose care when it’s so easy to choose violence. the man beams, and his work does too. Be Holding is an ode to Julius Irving’s baseline scoop (an epic ‘move’ that happened during the 1980 NBA finals). it also touches on the awe we experience when witnessing athletic excellence, the liberatory politics of pick up basketball, the many meanings of beholding - what it is to hold and behold each other as an antidote or otherwise to the logics of white supremacy and capitalism. if you happen to watch this video and want to gush, please get in touch.
basketball was one of my first loves. for the rhythm and the grace, the sound of shoes squeaking, a ball traveling through a net, for the specific joy of collaborating effectively with other people, the exhilaration of a close game. riding the bench only strengthened the love, i think.
this weekend i saw the new york liberty beat the phoenix mercury at barclay’s, my first wnba experience and i’m now committed. children played classical instruments, there was an elderly dance troupe - the timeless torches, and an oblivious cam (that chose a fan not paying attention and timed how long it took them to get a clue), and Ellie the elephant - the mascot with impeccable dancing. it’s called taste.
during the game, liberty guard sabrina ionescu had a career high of 16 assists! she set the record for the franchise, and is the 4th wnba player to ever achieve this. pass after pass. a birds eye view and setting people up to win. i was so moved by the way that her playing made other people look good. call it leadership, call it finesse, or excellence.
swish.
* Boss by the Carters