Playing Old Man Basketball

Posted by
Phil Partington
May 2, 2007

I was once a decent basketball player. I swear. I never claimed to be a superstar and I realized my NBA dreams were not going to be fruitive by the fifth grade. However, there was a time when I was a pretty good player. I was good enough to play in high school and at 6-2 I could even dunk a little.

After I quit playing in high school, I didn't really pick up a basketball for about two years. I discovered a lot can happen in that time. I could no longer dunk. Abrupt grunts and awkward rushes of air would spew from my lips when I tried. My cat-quick first step had devolved to a drunken man's stumblings as he tried to stay erect. My silky-smooth outside shot was sometimes lucky to even reach the rim. I had really lost my game.

So, it wasn't all that surprising to me that I was rusty when I tried to play a game of pick-up ball recently after not playing since last summer. Luckily, I know how to play the game pretty well, or I might be a liability on the court.

"Set a high pick," I'd direct to a teammate, while indicating for the other teammate to make a back cut off the screen and bee-line to the hoop. The result was a wide open layin.

"Open yourself up when you're playing weak side defense, so you can track your man in your peripheral vision," I'd direct to another teammate.

When I stopped directing so much and started playing, it meant that I'd caught my breath again for a few more plays. This might result in an impressive basket, or it might result in me throwing the ball three feet above a teammate's grasp. Either way, I know I'm rusty and I'm reminded that playing basketball well is about playing basketball often and against good competition. So, for all you looking to develop your game, choose to guard the opposition's best player, choose to work hard and choose to play often.

I love the game of basketball, and it can be frustrating when you lose skills to rust, but I realized that as long as I have the passion for the game at some level I'll always be able to help my team in some way. In other words, I'm happy to have evolved into a basketball geek. From the x's and o's to roster management and player development, hopefully I can continue to express that love of basketball.

Feb 13, 2009 7:35 PM

Guest :

Mr. Partington: I have to chuckle as I just discovered this article and how relevant it is to an experience just today (Feb. 13, 2009)! My nearly 45 year old body (read 3x operated on right knee, arthritis, fat, sucking air like a drowning man) played full-court with a middle school basketball team (they were down a man and needed someone to run). If this was not bad enough, afterward I played 3 on 3 with some teenaged youngsters and one's 25 year old, former b-ball star brother. Rather, I played against and guarded the 25 year old.
I do not know what hurts most: Knees, lungs, or ego! My knees do not just ache, they throb. I find myself almost weezing when I try to raise my voice. My ego? I have made more money than those young whippersnappers and drive a nicer car than the 25-year-old. The others cannot even drive yet - hah!
Okay, truth be told, I am sitting here online at 10:30 PM EST and the 25 year old probably has a hot date. I am downing Advil and my son is arranging pick-up hoops and football for Saturday. I am licking my emotional wounds as my kid promptly told my wife how Dad got schooled - this after telling me how his buddy who was on my team was frustrated with my play. His buddy is 13.
Still, tomorrow I will get up - slowly I anticipate - and get back into the game of life, where I still love the game of basketball and watching these young kids develop. I will point out the good plays and harp on the bad - perhaps harping an extra time or two to make sure it sticks! And, I will recall hitting a game winning shot with no time left... 30 years ago (actually twice, mind you). Hey, even though I will be back at it tomorrow, I can still go to bed depressed. At least it gets my mind off the economy!
(Phil, I enjoyed our article. While this will likely never be read, I truly appreciated your words - and had some fun writing my thoughts as they are - painfully - fresh. I wish you continued success.)
a kindred soul,
Ron Mentzer
(rmentzer@the-dcg.com)