The Basketball Bible.
By TIM DAVID HARVEY
"In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth". Genesis 1:1.
August 23rd, 1978. Kobe Bryant is born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and the rest is hallowed, hardwood, hoops history. January 26, 2020. He tragically dies along with his daughter Gianna and several other friends and their family, and the rest of this year is just misery. December 30th, 1984. LeBron James is born in The Land. Monday the 5th October. Today. Tonight. Right now as we speak. Up 2-1 in the NBA Finals. Now let's see if they can be all about the 4-1 like Glen Rice, or every other series in their Western Conference reign. The kid from Akron has the chance to win the Lakers 17th championship in his 17th year all for Kobe. 23 for 24.
"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour." Peter 5:8.
"Lakers sweep Heat". The headlines of the Los Angeles Times won't read that no more, but that doesn't mean it's over. "You're in trouble", LeBron told Jimmy Butler in the first quarter. Buckets told the King the same thing in the fourth once the Heat cooled off the talents of a man who used to take it to South Beach. Just like when playground GOAT, Earl Manigualt responded to Wilt Chamberlain's, "welcome to the big leagues schoolboy" dunk taunt at the Rucker (as played by NBA legend and 'Uncut Gems' star Kevin Garnett in 'Rebound' starring Don Cheadle as 'Gault) by saying after hitting the big shot that iced the game in New York, "welcome to Harlem...motherf#####!" Now we have a series! Now we have a Finals. But still, I wouldn't bet against the LeBron James, like I said I wouldn't bet against Kobe Bryant. Especially when the King is doing it for the Black Mamba in the snakeskin he designed for the city with GiGi's number 2. All in for L.A. Doing it for what the graffiti reads on the highway like all those magnificent murals.
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16.
"Chosen One" carried on his back in everlasting ink. "What we do in life" and "echoes in eternity" bared on each arm where he carries the word he throws up to the heavens like chalk. Chosen like the Sports Illustrated cover (the first of libraries worth) back in high school where he was given the biblical nickname by royal appointment. 17 years and change ago. When this 35 year old like me was just a kid. When he had a 'fro like Kobe, before he started to lose it all like yours truly. But look at what he's kept. The will and skill of the greatest of all-time. Not even M.J. had it like this at 35. His 'Last Dance' was already swan sung years ago. And as we read his and Kobe's former coach Phil Jackson's 'Sacred Hoops' memoir for the NBA Finals like 'The Last Season' autobiography from the man who won 'Eleven Rings' searching for a soul. During the finals, LeBron (who constantly reads 'The Godfather' to stay motivated as The Don) continues to "chop wood and carry water" like an ancient Indian proverb as he dances with wolves (or former ones) like Kevin Costner in his hardwood field of dreams. Its all about the work. If you build it they will come. And if you work it will be done.
"Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding." Proverbs 3:5.
Bulldozer bullying his way to the rim like a sledgehammer. He won't be denied like a wrecking ball or someone taking your lunch money. Running through defenders like it was open season on the floor of a fast break. Twisting the night away like Sam Cooke. Bobbing, weaving and duking it out before dunking like an Ali pugilist in turning out the light and getting in bed before the bulb goes off. All before pumping and flexing under the basket like an Air Canada chopper. Goodnight! Now how's that for a flashbulb moment? Appreciate it whilst the divine light is still upon you. It won't be here forever as we are caught up in his hoops rapture, as basketball beautiful as a halo he enters like heaven. Spin cycle rinsing you and repeating until the uniforms are washed in the blood. Jesus is King and he walks with LeBron like Kanye. The red hat just reads different on the players entrance in Florida's Bubble like the tunnel. Make America...arrest the cops that killed Breonna Taylor. Say her name. Say her name. SAY HER NAME!
"But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves." James 1:22.
So why all the God damned hate?! No wonder he treats his press conferences with the Mamba Mentality mood Kobe did. Like Kevin Durant once said, "Erykah Badu is thicker than a Kindergarten Cray..." ah wait, wrong quote. "I don't trust none of y'all." What's with all these Twitter takes from sofa athletes who only share a hairline with LeBron...and not like the real GOAT, Alex Caruso? We are witnessing like it was all written in scripture one of the greatest this game or world has ever seen and we're throwing stones at something so divine? Is that really are intervention or intention? Is that really inspiration? What about his influence? Building schools and hopefully learning from his Hong Kong error. But we want to throw rocks at the throne like a Witness billboard because after losing one game we say he's done and coming down even after all he's won? You seen the amount of Finals he's been in since the last decade? And now you want to talk about the number he's won? This man has been making milestones every night like a Miles Davis album in this game that went from jazz to the boom bap of hip-hop in all its free flow. Just like this young King went from the Statue of Liberty dunks he held like the book of Basketball, to the castle building downtown shots he puts up like a quarterback. Throwing the big pass to his big man as LeBron James and Anthony Davis become the next Wilt and West, Magic and Kareem, Shaq and Kobe. The new Big Game James worthy of a cigar and clap. Banner and retired jersey. Put 'em up!
"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you." Matthew 7:7.
The time is now. To do what's right and to do what under the light seems like destiny. It's been a truly terrible calendar like LeBron tells us when we lose the Black Mamba and the Black Panther in the same year. And it aint over yet. COVID-19 is still infecting 2020 when we were supposed to roar back like a DiCaprio Gatsby, once upon a time in Hollywood. But still we shout Black Lives Matter through the streets through masks, because there's something that matters more than our lives...the lives of others being persecuted by police brutality with the only finality being there mortality. No sentence for the ones who pulled the trigger or dug a knee. Just death for their victims. And they had a problem with Kap taking a knee?! Well this captain linking arms with his team is about to take it all back and win it all for his friend. Like a Hollywood ending, but one down south against his former Miami Heat in the Florida he took his talents to. Homecourt advantage to South Beach? Nah this is Kings court now. And Disney couldn't come up with a better avenger, star wars story in their world (word to the Warner Brothers 'Space Jam' too like Mike. That's all folks like an AD tee), even if they hold all the superheroes and iconic characters to marvel at. Not this one. Not 23. All for 24, infinite like 8. Wrapped around the ball and Spalding spinning world watching like a coiled snake. It's all meant to be and you're all about to see. Witness. Chapter and verse. Because right now we can't get closer to God than this.
"I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." Philippians 4:13.
