The calendar has spun around to its final frame, which means one thing: time to wrap up your holiday shopping. For most, late December creeps up on us every year and puts us in a crunch to buy last-minute gifts. Luckily, The Step Back is here for you, ready to lend a hand in finding just the right present for the hoops head in your life.
The ugly sweater connoisseur
Do you like ugly holiday sweaters? Of course you do! They’re always a crowd favorite at any gathering during the holiday season. They tell everybody at the party you’re fun AND festive. NBA.com now features an entire line dedicated to combining your favorite team with patterned knitted wool. Being ugly has never been so fashionable.
For the inquisitive minds among us
Have you or someone you know ever asked yourself who the best all-time fictional basketball players are? Do you ever wonder who would be more successful in a game, 1997 Karl Malone or a bear? If you just looked off into the distance with a contemplative stare and said “yes,” you are not alone. The FOH Army beckons and so does Shea Serrano’s book, Basketball (And Other Things): A Collection of Questions Asked, Answered, Illustrated. You can have all these questions (and more!) answered for less than $11. Support Shea and his illustrator, Arturo Torres, they make dope stuff.
Someone who needs the constant stimuli of gameplay
Do you have that person on your list who loves pouring over game footage? Is their appetite for action from all over the Association insatiable? It sounds like NBA League Pass is the perfect fill for that void. The package gives access to nearly every game of the season as they’re happening, as well as ensuing condensed versions, highlights, and updated stat pages.
New Yorkers with a passion for both the Knicks and outlandish t-shirts
If nothing else, sports fans in the Big Apple don’t hold back their fervent emotions. It’s what brings them together. Whether it be straight disrespect to the old regime or fighting the powers that be by championing the legends you grew up loving. New Yorkers wear their hearts on their sleeves, and in these cases, on screen-printed shirts. Of course, no fan of the Knickerbockers would be truly complete without adorning themselves in a punny homage to their favorite Baltic mythical creature.
For the historian
If you have someone who loves soaking up knowledge like a sponge and diving into the archives of the NBA, any of these books would be a welcome sight. They span from overall generalist history to very specific times and places in basketball lore. All great for different reasons. If it’s feasible, making the trek to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is another fun option for the hoops scholar.
The Michael Jordan fanatic
Do you have that person in your life who can’t even entertain the thought of anyone aside from MJ being the GOAT? Do they celebrate his entire catalog of greatness, from the six championship rings to his solid acting chops in Space Jam? Do they worship the ground he walks on? Well, for a cool five grand, you can literally worship some of the ground he walked on. It’s even autographed by His Airness to make you feel better about dropping five thousand dollars on a small square of encased hardwood.
Everyone loves a throwback
If you want instant respect or for people to think you’re cooler than you are, step up your throwback game. There are lists out there to guide you in finding the right one. Plenty of websites exist, offering high-end remakes, or peruse eBay to unearth some thrifty gems.
For the Sam Hinkie truthers
Everybody’s got at least one Hinkie truther in their circle. A friend or loved one who will unpromptedly yammer on about “trusting the process” or point to any/all current successes being products of the previously laid groundwork. They may even draw allegorical religious parallels with the former 76ers GM. These people don’t need counseling, just your support and understanding. For something personal and thoughtful, take Hinkie’s 7,000-word resignation letter from when he was unceremoniously forced out of the front office and have it bound as a book. Or you can have this painting commissioned on canvas or on porcelain. For the less extreme truther, any of these t-shirts will do just fine.
Next: That new NBA era we keep hearing about is finally here
Celebrator of the fading greats
Just like with any other circle of life, generations of talent in the NBA cycle in and out. Over the last couple of years, all-timers like Kobe Bryant, Paul Pierce, Tim Duncan, and Kevin Garnett all went by the wayside. It won’t be long before other stanchions of dependability, Dirk Nowitzki, Manu Ginobili…Udonis Haslem, join them. This could be the last chance you’ll ever get to see them play. Their final home games of this season should be glorious tributes to guys who spent their entire careers with the same franchises, a true rarity in any sport. The holidays serve as a reminder to appreciate your time with loved ones. Cherish the happy moments you have. This strongly translates to the NBA as well.