As far as pickup games go, the one that featured National Basketball Association (NBA) stars yesterday at the Life Time Athletic in Manhattan proved extremely competitive. Judging by raw footage that went up on Instagram, the likes of Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony, J.R. Smith, Enes Kanter, Marshall Plumlee, and Lance Thomas went all out in a scrimmage that had nothing but pride at stake. And for good measure, even LeBron James showed up, going full steam for close to two hours after flying in straight from Akron, Ohio.
To be sure, suiting up for offseason hoops is nothing new to marquee names. Throughout his career, living legend Michael Jordan had a “for love of the game” clause included in his contracts that allowed him to participate in street ball whenever he felt like it. And, to be fair, the setup at the Life Time Athletic was much more organized, with trainer Chris Brickley among those overseeing the endeavor. No doubt, the players were taped up properly and compelled to undergo the requisite stretching exercises prior to taking to the court. That said, there remains no small measure of risk in lacing it up outside of active competition.
Needless to say, nothing can stop the stars’ juices from flowing. Just last week, James tweeted his desire for the offseason to end. “I have basketball jones,” he declared, and he underscored the sentiment by taking a nearly two-hour trip, albeit by private jet, just to burn rubber alongside a handful of his peers. Meanwhile, Anthony has made the Life Time Athletic his unofficial headquarters, working out even in odd hours, and with or against notables in the college and pro scenes.
Wear and tear? Perhaps. The more significant takeaway is certainly the desire of the NBA’s bright lights to stay in shape. Between Jimmy Butler and Kyrie Irving putting on an impromptu show in Los Angeles and James Harden, DeMar DeRozan, and Nick Young investing effort in the Drew League last month, fans can’t help but purse their lips in anticipation of the 2017-2018 season. If nothing else, they know their favorites will hit the ground running.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is the Senior Vice-President and General Manager of Basic Energy Corp.
