How to talk to your family about the NBA on Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is an American holiday, a day where we can celebrate the bounty that we enjoy in this country in a tradition founded hundreds of years ago by some of the first European settlers in this land.

It’s a time for family, friends and loved ones to gather together, express gratitude for the blessings we enjoy in life, and share light and love over a nice meal.

The holiday wouldn’t be complete without the joyous conversations that arise with beloved family members. Instead of fearing talking to your uncle that hasn’t removed the Michael Dukakis bumper sticker from his car or dreading having to chit chat with your aunt that gets cuddly after too many glasses of wine, here are some tips on how to talk about something you really care about for Thanksgiving — the National Basketball Association.

Talking to your balding uncle family member

Conversation topic: LeBron James. James may be 32 years old, but while is hair line is receding, his ability to dominate on the basketball court hasn’t slipped at all. James is averaging 28 points a game, his highest mark since the 2009-10 season, his last with Cleveland before he left for Miami.

You know what else is cool about James? He leads the Cavaliers in points, assists, steals and blocks per game — and he’s second on the team in rebounds per game, behind Kevin Love. Speaking of Love, he plays for Cleveland now, he got traded from Minnesota a few years ago and he’s always in trade rumors. Final note on Love, he’s a model for Banana Republic, that place with the ripped and faded jeans, what’s up with that? Crazy, I know.

Back to James. If you combine his total minutes played from the regular season and the playoffs, he’s played more than 50,000 minutes so far in his career. In fact, the only active players with more regular season minutes played for their careers are Joe Johnson, Vince Carter, and Dirk Nowitzki — Vince is 41 years old, and Dirk is 39 years old. LeBron James will turn 33 years old in December!

He also got in really great shape over the offseason, he uses social media to share pictures and videos of him working out, he looks great. Oh, and he’s been to seven straight NBA Finals. Pretty insane stuff, you know? He and Dwyane Wade play together too, yeah, in Cleveland this time.

Check out these highlights of his game this season against the Wizards, some of the Washington players were talking trash before the game, so he scored 57 points against them in a victory.

The teenagers

If you’re a teenager and reading this, please just remember to put your phone away at the table and listen to everyone that’s gathered together. Once the meal is done, help with the dishes and cleanup. If you’re at the kids table, deal with it.

If you’re not a teenager, congratulations on graduating from being the worst. But now you’re going to have to talk to these youths, and about what?

Conversation topic: Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Greek Freak, baby, the most exciting player in the league. He’s one of the top scorers in the league, and he’s only been playing basketball for a few years. He’s developed a little nasty edge on the court, but off the court he’s just a kid that loves smoothies and signs frying pans for fans at the grocery store.

He plays the game with such athleticism, it’s captivating to watch. On offense, he can get to the rim in one dribble, thanks to his prodigious length and wingspan. On defense, it’s impossible to pass the ball if he’s in the way, because he’s got obnoxiously large hands and he’s as quick as the wind.

Just look at what he did a few weeks ago against the Spurs, talk about a bunch of grandpas, right?

It’s lit in Milwaukee.

Back in my day, basketball was better, big men were the stars

Conversation topic: Joel Embiid. Embiid has the size of Shaquille O’Neal, the dominating interior presence of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and the agility of Hakeem Olajuwon. The 23-year-old center from Cameroon has overcome injuries that prevented him from playing consistently in his first few seasons after being drafted from the University of Kansas in 2014. He’s quickly become one of the best big men — nay, one of the best players — in the league.

The 76ers are still exercising caution with Embiid by playing him under 30 minutes a game, but he’s showing skills at his size that the NBA hasn’t seen in many years. He can post up and score, get to the free throw line, pass, dribble, rebound, block shots, and set screens that’ll send guards to the floor.

The NBA won’t ever be the same as it was 30 or 40 years ago. The rules have changed, and teams value different things now. But there are still great big men in the league — Embiid,

Talking to a father figure

Conversation topic: Dirk Nowitzki. Loyalty doesn’t mean what it used to anymore. Players don’t stick with the same team throughout their career, and teams will jettison a player once he’s declined and isn’t worth the money anymore.

Well, except for Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks. The sixth all-time leading scorer in the NBA is in his 20th season in the league, and every season has been in Dallas. He’ll likely start his 1,400th game this year for the Mavericks, and he has become a hero to the people there. Dirk brought them a MVP award in 2006, and fifteen trips to the playoffs. He supports the community through his charity organization, and is one of the most beloved athletes in the state. He has become a true Maverick.

“Obviously being here his whole career, he’s been a model citizen for this franchise and for this city — probably the state, too,” LeBron James said in November in an interview with the Dallas News.

Dirk isn’t able to perform like he used to on the court, with his unique combination of speed, dribbling ability, and most notably, his shooting, but he still puts on his No. 41 jersey day in and day out, going out there and doing what his coaches ask of him in practice and in games. His commitment to excellence and work ethic are traits that everyone should respect and adopt in their lives.

He’s shown a great sense of humor about his waning athleticism, flashing a dry wit and self-deprecating comic ability that only makes him more endearing to the NBA community.

Most importantly, Dirk met his wife, Jessica Olsson, in Dallas. The couple have three children, a girl and two younger boys, and they spend time in Germany to learn of their father’s heritage and Kenya to learn of their mother’s heritage. Jessica’s two brothers are professional soccer players in Europe, so maybe it won’t be too long before another Nowitzki is playing professional sports.

Until then, we’ll enjoy every minute Dirk Nowitzki spends on a NBA court until he retires.

When someone brings up the NFL national anthem protests

Conversation topic: Adam Silver, players, and coaches. While the NFL struggles with how to respond to players kneeling during the national anthem, with much of the confusion stemming from the commissioner Roger Goodell, the NBA has stuck to their policies in the wake of anthem protests.

The NBA sent a memo to teams reinforcing the league policy that players and coaches stand for the national anthem. Many teams have chosen to lock arms and stand together during the anthem, but all have followed that rule during the season. Many teams choose to honor a member of the armed forces during home games, both active and retired, and continue to support the military.

The NBA has also prudently advised players and coaches to speak about the current political environment to reporters, a decision that gives them the freedom to express their beliefs and opinions. Many coaches in the league have voiced their opinion on political matters, including Gregg Popovich with the San Antonio Spurs, Steve Kerr with the Golden State Warriors, and Stan Van Gundy with the Detroit Pistons. Players have voiced their opinions as well, including Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, and LeBron James.

Next: The 20 different emotions of Gregg Popovich

Many of the Warriors players have said they would decline to attend the White House if invited, but it doesn’t seem likely that President Trump would extend an invitation.

The NBA has done an exceptional job in this realm — more people should applaud them for what they’ve done.

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