Lakers, Celtics and Rec Ball

So today I faired better than last week in my  meaningless Sunday night league game in the city of Walnut. It’s a strange chronicle to observe a sport like basketball on myopic levels. I mean, I’m acutely aware of this crazy dichotomy that exists on Sundays as it pertains to basketball. There’s the fan side, watching the Lakers rely on a litany of heroics to beat the Boston Celtics, and then there’s the other side.

The other side is the side that participates in league play against a bunch of guys who get up and go to work everyday. It’s not a league of bumbs either. But it’s a far cry from NBA competition against polished elites who have access to state-of-the-art trainers, rehabilitation centers,  and superfluous amenities like new  shoes every two games. I was confident driving to the gym having prepared well enough to compete. I thought about how, despite all of the itinerant responsibilities of a work week, one has to care for health and still find a way to not have to make excuses come game time even if only recreational.

So I squeezed in a few consecutive days of some level of basketball, a couple of days of knee rehab, hydration (’cause there’s never enough of that) and talked to myself about being the thing you sell. I was ready in theory when 8 p.m. came around on Sunday, January 31 but I forgot to anticipate obstacles. It’s the classic mistake of an incomplete battle plan. I was so fixated on giving a better effort this week than last week that I forgot about the unpredictable personnel issue that plagues the world of “Rec Ball” (Recreation Basketball). What if all my guys don’t show up for the game? Yep, didn’t ask that question when I was juggling the to do list and if that’s not like life I don’t know what is.

Amidst a host of expectations, errands, chores and non-negotiables, we shower up and leave the house in the morning thinking we’ve prepared but man, you’re never totally prepared for what’s on the other side of the alarm clock. Last night we played 5 on 4. We were the four. We lost 102-92 after being down as much as 20 points in the third quarter.  The Lakers play the Memphis Grizzlies tonight to end an 8-game road trip while the labyrinth of my day-to-day hustle laden week begins. Only part of it involves playing basketball. But 100 percent of the day-to-day involves anticipating the opposition and feigning a calm disposition when the guys who go to battle with you decide they’d rather do something else. Lakers vs. Celtics? It’s a fun Sega Genesis game we used to play back in the day (1990). It’s fiction for all intensive purposes no matter how we enjoy the rivalry. Ah, but  “Rec Ball” is a reminder that competition is not nearly as predictable as our favorite teams make it look. The professionals inspire you to keep playing “Rec Ball”.  And I can’t speak for the populace but this weekend warrior needs to be both fan and player to continue learning the lessons that shape the right kind of life.