NBA Games of the week: Thanksgiving edition
By Chazz Scogna
Monday, Nov. 20: Washington at Milwaukee, 7:00 p.m. ET
Thankfulness —
Let’s get it out of the way now: Forgive me for my corniness.
Over the years, Thanksgiving has become my favorite holiday. It’s the one calendar day meant for us to see the people we care about, without the pressure of giving gifts or the distractions they cause. Christmas is for kids. Thanksgiving is for families, whether blood-related or not. It’s the day where you reconnect with the people you feel most comfortable around — I’m talking before you get to the in-laws’ place — and the people who’ve known you the longest. It’s the only holiday where all you have to carry you is good food and good conversation.
That’s why I made this Wizards-Bucks game for this section, not just because I’m thankful the future of NBA superstardom is in Giannis Antetokounmpo’s great hands, and not just because he’s on an MVP tear going up against a good Wizards team who has John Wall, one of the most exciting point guards in the league. It’s because of the type of person Giannis is.
Introversion and NBA superstardom has always fascinated me because I’m an introvert. Guys like Tim Duncan who dominate the sport, but are never about everything else.
ESPN’s Kevin Arnovitz wrote an article detailing Antetokounmpo’s aversion to the superstar life. He didn’t want to work out with LeBron James over the summer because it wasn’t what he thought he needed. His life revolves around playing basketball, eating dinner with his family at his mom’s apartment every night and understanding he won’t reach his spiritual actualization until after his career ends. His self-awareness at only 22-years-old is admirable.