David Letterman enlightens Andrew Garfield, explains "Sports is a metaphor for life"

Andrew Garfield on The Late Show With David Letterman (June 26, 2012) 

DAVID LETTERMAN: (banter before introducing guest) How about Lebron James, Paul? Now I feel horrible, I feel awful now. Remember night after night I was whining about the guy. Now he comes in here, he shows me what he's made of - a nice, friendly happy fellow - deserves the championship and I'm just a putz
...
ANDREW GARFIELD: (changing topics) Can we talk about Lebron for a bit
DAVID LETTERMAN: well its kinda my show. Of course, you know Lebron?
GARFIELD: I know of Lebron. I was just thinking how odd that life must be. Building up to one point and if you don't win that thing then what happens and how do you feel? And if you do win it you're defined by that. And if you don't win you're defined by that then what happens the rest of the year?
LETTERMAN: As you know sports have always been a metaphor for life itself so its no different in sports than in life period.
GARFIELD: I wasn't aware that it was a metaphor for life, no I'm fascinated by that
LETTERMAN:  Did I just come up with this? (talking offstage) No I just came up with this.

Not quite sure what to make of Andrew Garfield's amazement at Letterman's seemingly obvious statement. Garfield having made name for himself in the competitive world of Hollywood and tasked to shoulder a popular Multi-billion Dollar Franchise in Spiderman could surely see the parallels in Lebron and his own life.

Watch Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker living out his basketball fantasy. Garfield has spoken about his love for the game, growing up admiring Mugsy Bogues and playing pickup games when he was a struggling actor after first migrating to LA

VIDEO: The Amazing Spider-Man "Slam Dunk" 

Dwight Howard to Brooklyn? Is it the Choice

Earth to Dwight Howard #HelloBrooklyn

The 'Indecision' continues on for superstar center Dwight Howard much to the chagrin of everyone. It follows in the footsteps of Lebron's 'Decision' and Carmelo's 'Melodrama'. Its a tough situation and ultimately Dwight Howard will be the one who has to live with his choices. The fatigue is largely a byproduct of the non-stop news coverage by the 24 Sports News networks and the internet.

The Spotlight shines as much as it burns.

The Joker (Heath Ledger) and Kobe Bryant: What they have in common

Dark Knight (2008)
THE JOKER: [speaking to Two-Face] Do I really look like a guy with a plan? You know what I am? I’m a dog chasing cars. I wouldn’t know what to do with one if I caught it! You know, I just, do things.

To commemorate the release of the 'Dark Knight Rises' in Sydney we reflect on The Joker, the psychotic villain from the 'Dark Knight'. The Joker is a cold blooded killer, a person who by his own admission "Just does things". Kobe Bryant is one of the key ambassadors for sportswear brand Nike who's slogan is "Just Do it".

That said there is a large distinction between both statements. Joker's declaration reflects his nihilism and penchant for chaos, he has no driving motive besides upsetting the established order. Nike's Slogan is about being a person of action, proactive and not paralysed by fear or overthinking.

Kobe following in the footsteps of Michael Jordan had a killer instinct that made him take the last shot, the antithesis of Lebron James. He is cold blooded and doesn't care about stepping on people's toes. As Superhero movies have shown, there are many types of heroes each with their own defining characteristics. Lebron James in capturing his first NBA title proves that a champion doesn't need to be created from the same mold, they can establish a new one.

Its only fitting that Nike have released several "Chaos" colorways of Kobe's shoes inspired by The Joker

NIKE ZOOM KOBE V (CHAOS)
With a lurid lime sole, red splatter accents and purple foil upper this is a fresh take on the Kobe IV Chaos colourway from earlier this year, which was apparently inspired by Heath Ledger’s Joker from The Dark Knight.

The Collection: Zoom Kobe VI Chaos
When chaos rears its game-of-chance head, unpredictable behavior is all that remains.
But on the road to yet another three-peat, there’s no room for unorganized confusion at the close of 82 games.

Approaching the closing act of the movie, The Joker encourages the people of Gotham to "Just do it". Using news personality Mike Engel as his puppet he uses a sports analogy to incite the town into anarchy:

MIKE ENGEL: [kidnapped by the Joker, Engel is reading a prepared statement] I'm Mike Engel for Gotham Tonight. What does it take to make you people join in? You failed to kill the lawyer. I've got to get you off the bench... And into the game. Come nightfall, this city is mine... and anyone left here plays by my rules... If you don't want to be in the game... get out now... But the bridge and tunnel crowd are sure in for a surprise. Ha ha ha ha."

Basketball and Esquire's 'Meaning of Life 2012'

I don't read Esquire Magazine as much as I'd like to but I'm always impressed by the thoughtfulness of their articles. The annual 'Meaning of Life' issues, hyperbole aside are always a good read. Most notable are Cal Fussman's profiles which reliably capture the heart of his subjects.

I referenced George Clooney indirectly for my Oceans '12 Team USA poster. Clooney is a big time basketball fan, his court was featured in the cover article for Esquire's 'Meaning of Life 2012'.

George Clooney's Thoughts for Today. What I've Learned (This Year)
The court has a special, slightly padded surface, and it's set up for both tennis and basketball. Clooney's close circle of friends shows up to play regularly. The padding around one of the hoop stanchions says, "The Boys." ...

There are quite a few things that the devil could tempt me with. I would argue youth. But I could argue against it in so many ways. The only reason that being younger would in any way be appealing is that I wish I could play sports at the level I now understand them. I could dunk a ball when I was in high school. But now I know how to play the game really well. I remember getting into varsity basketball games and literally being just lost — just absolutely panicked on what to do. And now I would know exactly what to do.

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Chris Bosh: What I've Learned
When I arrived at training camp, ESPN had set up shop and you'd hear, "Reporting live from training camp." I'm thinking, What are they doing? This is what they do for the Super Bowl, the World Series, the NBA finals. That was the we're-not-in-Kansas-anymore moment. And it was like that for the whole time 

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Scottie Pippen: What I've Learned
Phil got us into yoga. It was tough in the beginning. We hadn't even heard of yoga. But it was something that allowed us to calm down after practice, to relax and stop thinking about going to the mall to buy this or that. It's seldom that you go into a gym and not hear a basketball bouncing or weights dropping. But the lights would dim after practice, and over time it became a sacred place.

30HG - Team USA are the new "Oceans '12"

I like the Oceans '12 tag for Team USA 2012. I'm guessing Kobe would be George Clooney as the elder statesman.

The kids at Grantland have gone with 'The Expendables' - This Needs to Be the Official Team USA Portrait

Team USA - Oceans '12 (Black and White)

Team USA - Oceans '12 (Color)

Update: Red and Black posters featuring Team USA's kicks

Oceans 12' Melo, Chandler, Harden, KD, Westbrook, King James

Black Mamba, AI2, CP3, K-Love, The Brow, D-Will

New York Times explores the city via Basketball pickup games

Brooklyn Basketball slideshow

This is inspirational. I was able to do it around Europe and I can't wait to do the same around the NBA Cities of America. I need to work on my game though, I'm 2% of the way there.

‘I Got Next’: Exploring New York Through Pickup Basketball 

I moved to New York City on a lark. No job, no girlfriend, just a healthy dose of big-city wanderlust and a curiosity about the city’s mythical ownership of pickup basketball. Were its legendary courts just New York hype? Also, as someone who imagines himself a baller, would my skills stand up in the street?
This impromptu adventure did not thrill my parents, but, I figured, what better way to explore the spirit of one of the Western world’s most condensed cities than through sports, the great assimilator? I am convinced that some of the city’s truths, if not all of them, are boiled down on its basketball blacktops.

30 Home Games participates in a Final Four Tournament

Have 32 people from your work ever organised a One-day Basketball tournament? Where you nominated 4 GMs who drafted for teams complete with Mock Drafts? Well we just did.

The 4 teams are as follows. I was drafted late for the Green Team:
Green - Disqo Manyarkez
Black - The Mambas
Blue - Last Breakerz
White - White Out

Below are some mock logos I designed for the event.

4 Team Tourney - Green, Black, Blue and White

Find posts on previous Star Basketball events
- 30HomeGames at the 2nd Star Basketball Tournament
- Star Basketball Tournament II recap
- 30 Home Games participates in a Final Four Tournament
- Star Basketball Tournament III: Kicks on Court Gallery
- Recap of the 3rd Star Basketball Tournament
- #SBC4 Star Basketball Tournament IV: Kicks on Court Gallery

30 Home Games Division Compilation

30HG NBA Division map compilation

1) Northwest Division
Colorado | Minnesota | Oklahoma | Oregon | Utah
2) Pacific Division
Arizona | California
3) Southwest Division
Louisiana | Tennessee | Texas
4) Atlantic Division
Massachusetts | New Jersey | New York | Ontario, Canada | Pennsylvania
5) Central Division
Illinois | Indiana | Michigan | Ohio | Wisconsin
6) Southeast Division
Florida | Georgia | North Carolina | Washington DC

30HG Destination Spotlight
- Wieden + Kennedy, Nike Kitchen (Portland, Oregon)
- Troublemaker Studios (Austin, Texas)
- Pixar Studios (Emeryville, California)
- WrestleMania 29 and Indy Wrestling (MetLife Stadium. East Rutherford, New Jersey)

Quai 54 2012 highlights

Quai 54 2012 - Event Promo (anglais)

The biggest International Streetball event held in Paris France, Quai54 just came and went. Find the webcast highlights here. Slam Online will have someone on the ground to report on the festivities.

You may recall I had placed this event on my to-do list for the 'Go With Oh' competition.

Comedians Pete Holmes and Dov Davidoff get existential with Basketball

Basketball inventor James Naismith with the original peach baskets

I find myself agreeing with Pete Holmes a lot but we diverge when it comes to sports

@30HomeGames Comedian Pete Holmes gets existential "Why don't I watch Basketball? Because the ball doesn't mean anything."

Pete Holmes finds inherent sadness in sports because it speaks to him existentially. He expands on this recurring thought with Dov Davidoff

YOU MADE IT WEIRD #64: Dov Davidoff
PETE HOLMES: (21m 20s) I'll watch a sports game (and I've said this on the show before), I'll go "This makes me sad. There are all these people here and we're all acting like this means something". Then I go "Oh No! That's what we're doing with everything". And then that'll get me in a crisis...

He counters that with

HOLMES: Either everything means nothing and I'm at a sports game and I'm like "Everything means nothing and that makes me feel hollow" or everything is everything. Everything IS Everything! ...

Update: April 2014
As part of my 30HomeGames Comedy wishlist I've been compiling a running list of Pete Holmes' NBA interviews for TBS' Pete Holmes Show:
- Fearing the Beard with James Harden
- Kyrie Irving and his long-time friend Pete Holmes
- Pete hangs with NBA All-Star Anthony Davis
- Pete hangs with Harrison Barnes of The Golden State Warriors
- Talkin' like Talls with Dikembe Mutombo