Play More Basketball

In the summer of 1990, Pizza Hut gave away mini basketballs with NBA team logos on them for every large pizza you ordered. Naturally, as a food-driven, fired-up 6-year-old Italian kid, I pushed hard for two large pizzas one summer Friday night. One was a pineapple and ham Hawaiian pizza. Because I wasn't a weirdo, I wouldn't go near that nightmare of a taste test. Instead, I stuffed my Charles Barkley frame with pepperoni and black olive. This Friday was special, as it was the moment I fell in love with basketball.

Around 7 p.m., there was a knock on the front door. My dad, my mom, my brother Andy, Sasha our dog, and I all stood up, as if it was our job to enthusiastically greet this magical gift. My dad won that battle. I saw two mini basketballs and my head nearly exploded. One was a Chicago Bulls basketball and the other was none other than the Seattle SuperSonics. "Holy Santa Claus shit, I feel unstoppable," I thought.

My parents fired up the TV, and guess what was on? The Seattle SuperSonics vs. the Los Angeles Lakers. Keep in mind, I had no clue what was happening. My six-year-old brain was flooded with delicious pizza and two free mini basketballs. The fact that Dale Ellis was dropping 28 points on this Magic Johnson guy, whom I'd never heard of because I was just a baby, marked the turning point for me. From that day forward, I developed a deep passion and respect for the game of basketball.

I remember the next day I woke up to a Scottie Pippen poster that my mom left on the foot of my bed and a nerf hoop my dad put up; it was go time. I later fell asleep that night watching Are You Afraid of the Dark and listening to Feels Good, by Tony! Toni! Toné!…life was good.

Now onto the super important stuff ;)

Who do I believe are the top 5 best players of all time?
Oscar Robertson | Michael Jordan | Kobe Bryant | LeBron James | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

If I was building a team of my favorite 10 + Coach (injuries excluded), who would I pick?
Derrick Rose | Penny Hardaway | Tracy McGrady | Shawn Kemp | Shaq | Coach, Phil Jackson

On the bench: Allen Iverson | Mahmoud Adul Rauf | Scottie Pippen | | Larry Johnson | Hakeem Olajuwon

Who is the Goat?
Michael Jordan

Favorite NBA team?
Seattle Supersonics

Favorite player of all time?
Penny Hardaway

Favorite NBA moment? Tracy McGrady's 13 Points in 33 Seconds (2004) and Malice at the Palace (2004)

Least favorite NBA moment? Watching Dikembe Mutombo lay under The Sonics basket after beating Seattle in the first round of the 1994 playoffs. The Sonics had just posted a franchise-record 63 victories, while the Nuggets had slipped into the playoffs with a trash 42-40 record. Besides, no No. 8 seed had ever beaten a No. 1 seed since the NBA adopted its current playoff format in 1984.

I am sure I will add more later on, like basketball movies, magazines, soundtracks, and shoes…okay TTYL.