YOUR Basketball Story

[bledredwine]

I just think it's kind of sad when I see people claiming they love the game but don't watch a single games because the modern game is so "bad" and "unwatchable". I can't imagine not watching the game I love, the game I grew up watching with my grandfather. It would take something drastic like the Bulls moving cities or something. The Bulls are a fun team right now and there is SO much absurd talent in the league like Wemby. The players are more skilled than ever.

And I truly think the opinion that the game is horribly unwatchable is ill-founded. I think it revolves around extreme nostalgia and an unreleastic expectation of what people nostalgically "remember" how the game used to be. All the people that hate the game also seem to share an unhealthy hate for a certain modern player as well.

I hope you can learn to love the game again. It's not going to change much though, so maybe you'll never watch it again. It's on you to learn to like the modern game. When the Bulls are good, the game and this forum feel like an addiction. I just love it.

You’re going to have to get used to others having opinions.

I love the game when it involves aggression and more defense, not free buckets in the paint. If you don’t like my taste, that’s tough luck, but you should be able to accept that and get on just fine. If you can’t accept that and the fact that I will express it, then it shows a real lack of emotional awareness and maturity. Just as bad is that despite all of our exchanges, you still haven’t learned that provoking only magnifies a situation. That is the only thing that is truly sad in this scenario.

You gotta let go of some of this hate brother. The league is never going back to the illegal defense, post heavy days of the 90s. It just is what it is. The Bulls are playing such exciting basketball. Perfect team play basically. Every game day I'm excited to watch this team play. Talking on the boards about our players developing and who had a great performance. Giddey, Matas, Ayo, Huerter, Vuc, Pat, Tre Jones. Everybody is balling their freaking brains out and it's awesome to watch.

Everybody on this board is loving the current Bulls squad. I hope you can join in on the fun and excitement that is the 2025-26 Bulls. This team is sharing the ball as well as any team I've ever seen. It's been so fun to watch. Give it a shot for a game and see if you can stomach it. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

I've been thoroughly enjoying the Bulls success and I've been a member of this forum for a long, long
time.
It's not hate. It's objective analysis coupled with subjective taste.

You've got to let go of caring about my tastes and accepting that you have significant biases as well.

I've tried to sit down and watch games, but the constant open lane drives me nuts in even all of the highlights. I just don't find open drives fun to watch. Funny thing? My girlfriend says the same exact thing, as a prior athlete.

That's not "hate" but being objective about how the game has changed.

[Jvaughn]

I played through Junior year in college. I had dreams of playing overseas, but I slipped my disc right before my senior year, and never pursued making a comeback. Current wife got pregnant, and my focus became my son. So I've coached his teams since he was 5. He decided this year he didn't want to play anymore, so I'm just a spectator and diehard Bulls fan now.

[samwana]

I played in the Netherlands in my youth. We were a good team but too small. I played center with my 5'8.11'' and even though I played that role, it felt small. I was the major rebounder, the enforcer, the one of the box and one and it was a really fun time. When we were 16 we were 3rd place in the national tourney. After that tourney everyone sort if went their own way, so we lost our team spirit. A few went to the national team, but never made it because of size.

I played a little here and a little there but never at that level again.

[dice]

During my HS years played on the same team as 1 player that made the NBA briefly, and 2 others that Played D1 basketball. Our AAU team had 4 NBA players (none of which still play however). Played through my Sophomore year of junior college before injury set in. Had scholarship to transfer to a small D1 school but couldn't take it after injuries. Later went back to my home town, coached 5 years of Jr. High Basketball, before taking the local HS Varsity coaching job, did that for five more seasons before my JUCO offered me an assistant / recruiting role, been doing that for the last 3 years. Lots of fun being able to go scout, watch games all over the state and region regularly. Coached at numerous levels but would ultimately love to end up at a D1 school in some capacity down the line, it would be a dream come true. Want no part of the NBA though, game is just not nearly as pure nor is any NBA coaching job worth the backlash (besides Money).

is D1 really that pure anymore?

[dice]

I became a bulls fans the day the pistons walked off the court early. my dad was disgusted and I just couldn't root for IT and crew anymore even tho they were my home town team. I remember going up into the little fort we had in the yard and crying over it.

As for hoops was never my primary sport (played low level college baseball) but I played almost every day inside and outside when I was living in NYC in my early and mid 20s. I ruined my knees but it was some of the best times of my live competing with all sorts of players on NYC playgrounds.

My shining moment was going coast to coast against a crew of really good black players and I swear I almost touched the rim on a finger roll as his teammate yelled "damn that was smooth white boy".

Usually it was like 20% white, 50% black, 30% asian or hispanic on the courts we played and of course the black guys wanted to make points from time to time, it was always in good competitive spirit. Those were the days man.

more asians/hispanics than whites? surprising

[ChiTownHero1992]

During my HS years played on the same team as 1 player that made the NBA briefly, and 2 others that Played D1 basketball. Our AAU team had 4 NBA players (none of which still play however). Played through my Sophomore year of junior college before injury set in. Had scholarship to transfer to a small D1 school but couldn't take it after injuries. Later went back to my home town, coached 5 years of Jr. High Basketball, before taking the local HS Varsity coaching job, did that for five more seasons before my JUCO offered me an assistant / recruiting role, been doing that for the last 3 years. Lots of fun being able to go scout, watch games all over the state and region regularly. Coached at numerous levels but would ultimately love to end up at a D1 school in some capacity down the line, it would be a dream come true. Want no part of the NBA though, game is just not nearly as pure nor is any NBA coaching job worth the backlash (besides Money).

is D1 really that pure anymore?

Depends on the schools, your average Power Conference teams not reallly, but mid-majors and smaller schools aboslutely. And my favorite part of my job is scouting and finding skilled players to fit needs and a program. At those smaller schools you really need the most bang for your buck on recruits and its not about finding the "top" athletes like big power conference schools.

[Mr. Tibbs]

Appreciate this thread idea, love hearing everyone's story.

Similar to some, was a kid during the 90s bulls. Always loved MJ and Pippen and would check out "Come Fly with Me" from the library weekly..but got truly hooked when Paxson hit the three. Being 4-5 years old and feeling the unfiltered elation and excitement with my entire family was an all time happy and formative moment.

Played varsity bball myself though I was always the smallest guy on the team at 5'8", so I sorta had to Rudy my way through that and keep skills sharp. Good memories, some regret that I didn't take the weight room and healthy habits more seriously.

Some random favorite bball moments, I apologize for it sounding braggy, but this seems like the appropriate place:
- Winning the Men's Competive Division IM and Coed IM basketball at Loyola in the same year.
- Winning a game of knockout in front of the school during Midnight Madness my senior year. When it got down to the final two, the other guy knocked my ball away with his, so instead of running after mine I immediately stripped him and knocked his ball away before getting mine back and winning. He was SO pissed lmao.
- Serving as a practice player for the Chicago Sky for a handful of sessions. I got switched onto Delle Donne one play, standing literally at like waste level to her. She scored on me, and proceeded to score 45 the next night, so I jokingly like to take credit for that. Was also super cool and instructive to see how Quigley and Sloot practiced their shooting, Quigley just on a different level.
- Hitting a game winner in pickup on Devin Hester (shoutout Libertyville Xsport circa 2010). He had to wait a game to get back at us, and in the rematch he gave me no airspace at all lol. But I cooked that first game, and got a picture with him afterward (appreciate that he did that, doubt he was supposed to be playing random pickup lol).
- Matching up against Varun Ram (former Terrapin) in a tournament. Thought I played well especially offensively, and just glad I didn't get punked even though we couldn't get the win. Intensity and pace was so damn fun.
- Hitting a half court game tying shot in a tournament during college, leading to a win in the 5th overtime. Hit the defender with a double move on the inbounds, caught that joint like a WR over the shoulder, and let it fly. My favorite shot I've ever hit.
- My second favorite shot I've hit: in a random tournament to make the finals. This one was special cuz it was my first after tearing an ACL a year and a half prior, going through an infection soon after surgery (worst pain ever, would not recommend), and thinking my playing days were dunzo. Only moment while playing I've ever gotten emotional.

.
- Worked for the Bulls for a time doing stat work and it was the most fun experience, was also what prompted me to fade back from this forum. I wasn't anybody notable or anything, but I loved the people I worked with, and got to play at the Berto and Advocate Center, which was such a highlight. It does still hurt deeply that it didn't lead to more professionally, but that's what therapy and pickup hoops are for.
- Winning a Bulls Trivia night at State Restaurant back in 2013. Only trivia I've ever won, (absolutely nailed the final lighting round naming as many Bulls post Jordan pre Rose in 60 seconds).

I still play 3-4 times a week, varying skill levels of runs. Coach at a local park district seasonally, and am about to volunteer coach a 4th-5th girls team at my kids school starting this Friday. My goal is to help them find out basketball is fun as hell, and to make it through the season with limited crying.