Why not whimsy

In defense of one-off joys and spontaneity in the NBA.

I regret to inform you that the war is over. Sadly, the nerds have won.

Which battle, you ask? The battle for whimsy. The battle against the suffocating weight of stakes in everything. Welcome to a world where nothing is allowed to simply exist, where fun is outlawed, and where every moment must be justified as canon.

The obsession with canon haunts sci-fi to this day. Consumers of Marvel Comics, Star Wars, and Star Trek waged war over whether a story “counted.” Prior to the internet, people had to rely on newspapers and other popular media to form opinions. And, tellingly, the fiercest disputes often erupted around tales that strayed from the norm: stories centering Black heroes, women, or LGBTQ+ characters. Canon became a gatekeeping tool, a way to decide which stories were worth lionizing and those that weren’t.

What’s truly unsettling is how this culture has metastasized into sports. Don’t believe me? Watch LeBron James, Kevin Durant, or Shai Gilgeous-Alexander take a single step on the court. Instantly, the discourse shifts to that most nebulous, overused word in sports media: legacy.

The biggest threat to Gilgeous-Alexander’s legacy in OKC’s last season title run, if you spent any time online, were accusations of foul-baiting — never mind the fact that foul baiting and intentionally getting to the free throw line has been around for at least 20 years (look at Jerry Stackhouse’s 2000-01 season). If James crop dusts the wrong passerby, it becomes the B block on First Take and becomes the latest example of why Michael Jordan will always remain better than him. These are the stories that count for legacy, no matter how ridiculous it sounds.

Photo credit Alonzo Adams

Legacy has become the cudgel wielded by hacks, fans, and trolls alike to hammer every play, every win, every misstep into some grand narrative. It’s no longer enough to appreciate the artistry of a crossover or the drama of a buzzer-beater. Every moment must be tallied, ranked, and weaponized in the endless debate over who belongs in the pantheon.