"Everydayness": Heidegger on Death and Kevin Garnett playing a midseason Game in Charlotte

<< crossposted on 'Let's Get Real podcast' blog

An aging Kevin Garnett VS Charlotte's Cody Zeller.  

What does Champion NBA Power Forward Kevin Garnett have to do with influential thinker Martin Heidegger? Authors Daniel M. Klein and Thomas Cathcart in their humorous book on the Philosophy of death finds a way to explain Heidegger's often complicated ideas via a basketball analogy

Heidegger and a Hippo Walk Through Those Pearly Gates:
Using Philosophy (and Jokes!) to Explore Life, Death, the Afterlife, and Everything in Between

Ch 4. Heideggerty-Dog, Ziggity-Boom, What You Do to Me
Look at it this way: Say you're Kevin Garnett and this is Game 7 of the NBA Finals. You're going to play with way more intensity, way more energy, way more life, than in one of those dreary Thursday night midseason games in Charlotte. Heidegger called the latter "everydayness," and he put it down as the ultimate drag. So let's face it squarely, Daryl, this -- right here, right now -- is Game 7 of the Finals, and what a joy it is to be here!

For Heidegger, the worst possible news would be that our souls are immortal. That would condemn us to a never-ending string of those Thursday night games in Charlotte.

My only quibble is the use of Garnett for the example. He's arguably the most consistent and unfailingly intense player currently in the L.

'30 Home Games' meets 'Taiwan Sometimes': Viral video mission to dance in 100 different countries

I haven't met too many people with missions on the road, when I have they've been light and usually halfhearted. That said there are no shortage of epic travel missions crawling the web and circling the globe.
I met an unassuming man in a Popayán hostel in Colombia, he mentioned being in a parade days earlier with the President in attendance. He showed me his photos amongst locals in traditional costume, nothing out of the ordinary so far.

I generally don't seek indigenous or traditional cultures when I travel. Being a city kid, I'm more interested in modern subcultures and communities. My basketball mission reflects that. That said I'm ultimately interested in humanity, what gives purpose and brings joy. This is common in all people and cultures.

 

'30 Home Games' meets 'Taiwan Sometimes'
(Note: You'll notice Ed rocking this KD35 jersey in his Viral vids)

Through further conversation my dorm-mate Ed explained his plans for South America. He was travelling to film a costumed character from Taiwanese folklore, planning to dance with colourful locals in each place. Colombia was his 63rd Country. The first video was shot in India 2011 and drew inspiration from the popular "Where the hell is Matt" clips.

VIDEO: Where the hell is that Taiwan guy? (South America 2012)

Ed's mission is to promote cultural awareness of Taiwan which he feels doesn't have global exposure because of the long shadow cast by China. I mentioned Taiwan had appeared on my radar because of a visible tourism campaign in Sydney and the meteoric rise of basketball star Jeremy Lin. He replied with a curt "So?" which gave me pause.

Does knowing one famous person from a country mean you know the place? I realised how absurd my logic was. It's something I've pondered when I've tried to connect to people and where they're from through basketball. Interestingly Ed mentioned that Taiwan wasn't able to compete in the London Olympics under its own flag which demonstrates the complicated politics they have to contend with. It also speaks to the reach and symbolism of sport.

When you travel you meet so many people and visit so many places that most of the insight you gleam is superficial. Personally I don't feel it makes it less profound, curiosity and experience are the keys to awareness and we can choose to go deeper once the doors are open. It was a pleasure meeting Ed, we compared notes on the challenges of pursuing a mission but also the great relationships and opportunities that arise from them. Admittedly his aims are far loftier and meaningful than mine.

Ed in 'Desierto De La Tatacoa', Colombia (Facebook)

Check out Ed's pursuits below:
- Like 'Taiwan Sometimes' Facebook page
- View Ed Wu's Youtube Channel
I encourage you to connect with him if he ever comes down your neck of the woods :)

X-rays of my index finger. Dislocated in Caracas, Venezuela

#30HomeGames Souvenir: X-rays of my index finger

4 week and 3 Countries later I finally attended to my finger. Sustained while deflecting a pass playing 3 on 3 in Caracas, Venezuela. My first experience seeing a dislocation of any kind.
Fortunately my amigo's dad in Brazil worked at a Medical Center as an X-ray scanner. I got to sneak in and get some instant scans done. Nothing major though I expect it to be a long recovery till it fully heals.
Finger crossed. Hopefully sooner rather than later.

The price of passion: The killer instincts of Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant

Raging Bull and the Black Mamba. Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant

Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant are famed for their Second to none will to win, a killer instinct that has been known to alienate. Its in contrast with this generation of stars who value fun and camaraderie as they rise through the ranks together and social media bonds them.

Hall of Famer Larry Bird said of Kobe in an interview with Bill Simmons

Larry Bird praises Kobe Bryant
"... he wouldn't have been shooting as much as he does now ... but his desire to win, his dedication, to always get better, uh, and he's just, he's just tough. He's just a tough cat. But, if you want to have fun, like I did with Bill Walton, play with LeBron. It would have probably been more fun to play with LeBron, but if you want to win and win and win, it's Kobe. Not that LeBron's not a winner, just that [Kobe's] mindset is to go into every practice, every game, to get better."

After Kobe Bryant's unprompted ribbing of former teammate Smush Parker, questions resurfaced regarding Kobe's graciousness as a teammate. Smush Parker defended his reputation and shared his side of the story as a guest for 'Hard 2 Guard' radio

Smush Parker: Kobe was a bad teammate, and I stopped passing to him
"Basketball is a team sport. It is team-oriented. It is not an individual sport. It’s not tennis or golf, it is a team sport. When you are the star of the team, you have to make your teammates feel comfortable. You have to make them feel welcome. And he did not do that at all." Though Kobe said Parker didn’t deserve to be in the NBA, Parker says he earned a spot on the Lakers. That didn’t matter to Kobe, who he says completely disrespected him. "I had a workout with the Lakers, beat all the guards out for the starting position, earned a spot on the team. Midway through the first season, I tried to at least have a conversation with Kobe Bryant — he is my teammate, he is a co-worker of mine, I see his face every day I go in to work — and I tried to talk with him about football. He tells me I can’t talk to him. He tells me I need more accolades under my belt before I come talk to him. He was dead serious."

The G.O.A.T Michael Jordan had a similarly fiery reputation but little has surfaced from teammates regarding the harshness of Jordan as a teammate. Personal stories like rapper Chamillionaire's run in with his Airness offer a glimpse of what it might have been like

VIDEO: Michael Jordan's relationship with his teammates (ESPN)

As I've mentioned previously I feel the price of greatness is a stubborn refusal to lose, a skewed mindset that threatens to forsake happiness and harmony with others.

Boston Celtics Antoine Walker and Chris Herren on the dark side of Hoop Dreams

Sometimes we forget that life isn't all Hoop Dreams, its a long road and sometimes people lose their way. Below are two examples of NBA players who've reached the mountain top of the NBA but have battled hardship even after getting there.

Chris Herren's confessional book about battling drug addiction whilst trying to make a name for himself in the NBA

Book Excerpt: B-Ball Junkie
People think that when you’re doing drugs you’re high all the time, out partying. They think you’re having fun. That’s not it at all. You’re not having fun. You’re in hell. Without the dope I would be “dope sick,” so sick that I couldn’t do anything, couldn’t even get up. I’d be in a fetal position. You have the sweats one minute, and you’re freezing cold the next. It’s like having the flu with restless legs, because you can’t control them. They’re kickin’ all over the place. You also can’t sleep more than 15 minutes at a time. You wake up in the morning and there’s no blanket, no sheets, the mattress is sideways. And when it gets bad, you want to ram your head into the headboard.

Antoine Walker clears some misconceptions with Skip Bayless and Stephen A. Smith about how he lost the $110 million fortune he amassed during his 13 year NBA Career.

VIDEO: ESPN 30 for 30 - Antoine Walker, From NBA To Broke

Basketball games watched in Europe

March 24 - Spain
League: EuroLeague Basketball
Teams: Panathinaikos def. Regal FC Barcelona (75 -71)
Arena: Palau Blaugrana. Barcelona, Spain (Att: 7319)
Official Summary: Game Report

------------------------------------

September 2011 - Lithuania
Tournament: EuroBasket 2011, Lithuania

Live EuroBasket results: Lithuania, September 2011 (Pt1: Panevėžys, Šiauliai)
September 1 - Panevėžys
Spain def. Portugal (87-73)
Turkey def. Great Britain (90-61)

September 4 - Šiauliai
Israel def. Latvia (91-88)
France def. Italy (91-84)
Serbia def. Germany (75-64)

September 5 - Šiauliai
France def. Serbia (97-96 OT)

Live EuroBasket results: Lithuania, September 2011 (Pt 2:Vilnius)
September 10 - Vilnius
Serbia def. Turkey (68-67)
Spain def. France (96-69)
Lithuania def. Germany (84-75)

------------------------------------

September 30 - Latvia
League: Baltic Basketball League
Teams: BC Ventspils def. Liepajas Lauvas (85 - 59)
Arena: Olympic Center Ventspils. Ventspils, Latvia (Att: 250)
Official Summary: Third Quarter Rout Gives Ventspils Opening Win

October 15 - Estonia
League: Baltic Basketball League
Teams: Kalev/Cramo def. University of Tartu (89 - 82)
Arena: Tartu University Sports Hall. Tartu, Estonia (Att: 2000)
Official Summary: Kalev/Cramo make ammends for preseason loss

------------------------------------

January 14 - Turkey
League: Turkish Basketball League
Teams: Beşiktaş Milangaz def. Antalya BŞB (85 - 75)
Arena: Dilek Sabancı Sport Hall. Antalya, Turkey (Att: n/a)
Official Summary: Boxscore

Coolspotting: Riga, Streetballers in Latvia

On my fist day in Riga, Latvia's capital, I spotted these three guys Elmis, Mixtyper and Jurtchix shooting a video for a new collective project. They were balling in front of the National Opera House

VIDEO: Freestyle Battle: Mixtyper VS Elmis

VIDEO: Juris Veblovskis - "City" freestyle

Balancing Basketball and Travel in Lithuania - Part II

<< crossposted on 'Loz in Translation' blog

I've met many incredible people in Lithuania, fellow travelers and hoops heads. I've always been interested in hearing and sharing stories. I believe that a man's journey can be measured by who they've met and spent time with.

Below are a collection of "storytellers" I've encountered:

John of England

links: @johnswisshobbs,

UK freelance journalist. I met him at the fans campsite in Panevezys, during my time there the many British Fans were valiantly supporting a hapless team. Upon leaving Great Britain defeated Portugal and stung Poland to salvage some pride and shake up Group A.

We bumped into each other in Vilnius and Kaunas. It was a treat picking his brain and watching him sniff out stories, busting out his trusty recorder when moments called for it.

Syra of France

links: @ladyhoop, ladyhoop.com, Syra4 - YouTube Channel

French journalist I met in my hostel in Vilnius. She is an inspiration, starting out as an independent blogger she now works for French basketball mag 'Reverse'. We shot hoops and talked about the reality of "living the dream". We coincidentally found ourselves in the same hostel in Kaunas. Apart from her passion for the game, what I'll take from her is the discipline and professionalism one needs to maintain a lifestyle of basketball and travel, negotiating the perils of converting a hobby into a job.

Tim of Holland

links: TimToTango

We started chatting on the busride from Klaipeda to coastal Nida. A charming and thoughtful guy in the opening leg of his 1 year of travel. Departing from his home in the Netherlands, he had been traveling through the Baltic states via couchSurfing and hitchhiking, it was his inspiration that made me try the latter for the first time.

We shared a lot of overlapping thoughts and it was pleasure to reunite with him in Vilnius and meet his ragtag crew of friends and new associates. I will be sure to follow his many coming adventures on his blog.

Ramon of Spain

links: Atlas of Wonders

Ramon was one of the many couchsurfers I met through Tim on a memorable night in Vilnius. We reunited a few days later as he was typically snapping the sights, he joined our assortment of newly-made friends for a coffee.

Ramon is my kind of photographer, shameless and prolific. Shooting first, asking for permission later. When I first met him, he fearlessly took a bucketload of photos of every social interaction in sight. Inexplicably his passion project is documenting the gorgeous but overlooked locations of the world.

Ieva and Dominkya of Lithuania

links: Kombajns' - YouTube Channel

Quirky, fun-loving, social and creative. These gals had just returned from a month hitchhiking, couchSurfing and camping around Europe. They have an amazing spirit and thankfully because they document their travels by Video you can live vicariously through their many adventures.

We met after dancing dubstep with them in Kankles bar in Kaunas. A few days later we hung out together with a Spaniard and Frenchman driving to the city's local gems, picking mushrooms for that evening's dinner and movie.

VIDEO: Challenge accepted ;) Eurotrip, done.

Romain of France

links: Romain-Experiment.blogspot (French)

He was a French superfan Couchsurfing with the girls, my preferred supporter having backed them from the start. We actually had a brief encounter the night previous in a nightclub as he was with the Les Bleus fans celebrating with the French stars. In the name of social etiquette, I'd promised an embargo after 3 weeks of non-stop basketball talk, I couldn't resist as he was so knowledgable of the game and had a few French connections that gave him access to the team and even tickets to Game 5 of the NBA Finals.

Nil of Spain

links: CargoLTreuManya.blogspot (Catalan)

Though his nation was victorious, Nil wasn't in Lithuania for the baloncesto. Just a stop as he did a short jaunt around Europe on his motorcycle. He was being hosted by the girls after he was poached from another Lithuanian person he was couchSurfing with, they met on the street a night after I had met them.

Nil was my partner in the mushroom picking challenge. He was the MVP as we bested the girls in mushroom presentation as voted by our French critic.

- Read Balancing Basketball and Travel in Lithuania - Part I

Balancing Basketball and Travel in Lithuania (1 of 2)

>> Crossposted on 'Loz in Translation' blog

There are two types of nightspots, the kind that's down-to-earth, welcoming, a place where you can really get to know someone. The other type is sexier, more glamorous but image-conscious. The former is the type of setting where you can connect with authentic, local people, the latter is the type of place where groupies and fans might gather to rub shoulders with celebrities. Both have their own distinct appeal.**

This sums up the dilemma I've faced in Lithuania for EuroBasket2011 and something I imagine I'll have to contend with for my 30HomeGames ambition. My love for basketball is what brought me to Lithuania but its merely been a pretext, the amazing hospitality is what will remain with me.

Day 231

In an unpretentious bar in Kaunas I met some open-minded girls who were happy to welcome me into their lives. They had a travellers' spirit, very open people and not surprisingly were on the CouchSurfing network. The second time we hung out I was invited to to celebrate the return of their dear friend from the UK, we picked her up from the airport and enjoyed a gathering at the house. This particular night was Lithuania's final match, a battle with Greece to claim 5th place honours. As the night progressed I realised that the dozens in attendance had no interest in watching the game. Surprising in hoops-mad Lithuania, blasphemous even?

I was torn, I didn't want to disrupt this amazing local experience but on the other hand I was interested in the game. I excused myself and quickly ran to the nearest bar to watch the closing minutes. The game went down to the wire but the Lithuanians hung on, the proud fans jubilant but also philosophical, mindful that it was an underwhelming result for the proud host nation. I returned to the party thinking about the balancing act I'd have to negotiate for 30HomeGames. Basketball serves as a pretext but it could also compromise authentic local experiences.

Pleasantly on the walk back, I crossed paths and high-fived my favourite international player along the dark, empty streets. I smiled. Maybe everything just works out.

Day 232

It was the day of the finals, the end of a vibrant 3 weeks for basketball fans and Lithuanians. The upstart Macedonians came up short against the Russians and the French proved no match for the dominant Spanish in the Gold Medal game.

That night, I spent over my budget to attend an image conscious bar that had been tipped to host the players. Players from Macedonia and Russia were in attendance. Tony Parker arrived much later than anticipated, I left the club by the time the rest of my favoured French team joined him. I'm am fascinated by superstar glamour but the experience is limited when you're too detached from it. I spent the night with Serbs from my hostel, interestingly they had a lanky colleague who happily obliged groupies who suspected he was a basketball player. He used the specious line "I play basketball but not for the national team". Genius!

Day 233

I reconnected with my new Lithuanian friends to spend a day picking mushrooms and enjoying Kaunas. We were joined by a Spanish viajero they had collected the other night and a French supporter the girls had been hosting. We were all Couchsurfers, the Frenchman the only one connected the formal way. We'd actually made brief contact the night previous in the bar full of fans and groupies. Closing my EuroBasket experience by spending the day with a Spaniard and French superfan, being hosted by Lithuanians - Could it be any more poetic?

My time in Lithuania has largely been a basketball experience but I've had many unique experiences unique to my time here

• Befriending locals in Panevėžys, I spent the day in a leisure center, went paragliding, enjoyed a game of 1-on-1 whilst waiting for a restaurant dinner. Capping the evening with Wii tennis, a sauna and fine wine in their lavish home
• My first and only time hitching, I was picked up by the service manager of a lavish nightspot in Vilnius. We've reconnected a few times for shisha and chats, spoilt at the club with free entry, complimentary drinks and great company
• Started chatting to a charming Dutchman on the bus to Nida. Enjoyed a day sharing travel adventures and musings. Reconnected with him in Vilnius in the company of fellow CSers and friends at a down-to-earth bar in Vilnius. It was this evening that led to complimentary EuroBasket tickets the following day
• Hitting the night with cool kids met in hostels and basketball courts. Revisiting fun-loving Slovenians in multiple nightspots in cities across Lithuania
• Picking the brains of international journalists, travelling and finding stories involving basketball
• Talking basketball and life with the manager of the English basketball team. We hung out several days in Vilnius and shared a tent in Panevėžys, we met on the flight from London to Lithuania

My love for the game has been connecting me with locals all over Europe. Its simply been heightened in Lithuania, as hosts of an international tournament and krepšinis being their religion. Basketball and travel - balancing something I love with something I enjoy, that's the mission for the 30HomeGames project.

** The down-to-earth bars were 'Play Club' in Vilnius and Kanklės in Kaunas. The "glamour" spots which hosted EuroBasket talent were 'Salento' in Vilnius and BarBar’a in Kaunas. Pramogu Bankas in Vilnius is also worth a look

Paragliding on a Basketball rest day. In Panevėžys

The Mushroom picking presentation. In Kaunas

Concerning the overlook. In Kaunas

An evening with Lithuanian locals
(showing no interest in the basketball)

- Read Balancing Basketball and Travel in Lithuania - Part II