I hate when there’s a really good, honest quote that gives insight into how the person’s thinking and everybody’s dunking on that quote. I’m like, you guys just killed another athlete who’s never going to be honest again.
I met Noa Dalzell at Summer League (if you’re a longtime listener, I’m sure you’ve sensed a trend), she stuck around to the end of the tournament and was just as happy as I was to still be there. Summer League does have a baked in familiarity, but what makes Noa so relatable and gives her work depth and understanding is the sense that she’s already lived several lives.
We talked about her pre-basketball career as a lobbyist, how it prepared her for the work she does now, and the serendipitous push that made her switch jobs.
We talked about the benefits of circuitous paths and the job we wish everyone in basketball media had once.
We also talked about covering the Celtics all the way to the championship in her first season reporting on the team, the shift that comes when covering a team that’s struggling, how to keep a balanced perspective when a team and its people are in a rough patch, and dissecting cryptic coaches.
Plus: The differences covering the WNBA vs. NBA, the no-win conundrum of trying to please a composite of “all fans” who will never be happy, how work routines change, getting sick of social media, establishing relationships with the people who make pro teams work, nerves, and the limits of viewing people as a source.
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