When someone told me that in UCLA intramural basketball, a
technical foul costs $20 and is charged to the aggressor’s
BAR account, I completely flipped out.
So when I heard that I had the opportunity to sample this
newfangled sport, I just couldn’t pass up the chance. In the
process of watching a great basketball game, I learned a lot about
life.
You could even say I learned a life lesson.
The Phi Kappa Psi basketball team lost a 59-57 heartbreaker to
the Punishers Tuesday night at the Wooden Center in the A-division
quarterfinals of UCLA’s intramural basketball league.
From the start of the game, I could tell that intramural
basketball is the only decent basketball played at UCLA ““ it
displays a breathtaking intensity that makes my heart quiver with
joy.
The Phi Psi team is led by junior Kelly Ross, who was largely
instrumental in keeping his team in the hunt Tuesday, hitting a key
three-pointer in the waning seconds of the first half to put his
team up 34-33, and draining another to pull his team within one
point with only a second remaining in the contest.
More importantly, I did notice that many of the Phi Psi players
had very pretty shoes, and Ross was surely not an
exception. He sported some Nike Air Max CB2 Retros, which were
reissued last Friday.
An owner of upwards of 30 basketball shoes, Ross’ decision
to wear the CB2 Retros was a conscious choice.
“I choose them based on my sense for the game,” he
said, “and in this case I wanted to wear my new
shoes.”
Glancing around the Wooden Center gym, I saw a whole lot of
limited edition headbands, rare sweatbands and many varieties of
Neoprene knee sleeves. Far from ornamental, these functional
accessories point to the competitive nature of IM basketball, and
the high skill level of the sport’s participants.
Ross plays a high-energy brand of basketball and he was an
amazing conversationalist throughout the showdown.
“He’s a very verbose individual,” Phi Psi
brethren Corey Anvaripour said. “He likes to maintain good
relationships with the referees, and converses with them
often.”
Ross actually used his powers of articulation to concoct an
unlikely shot at victory for his team. Down 59-58 with one
second remaining, Ross called a time-out, knowing this would result
in a team technical foul, since Phi Psi had already used its only
time-out.Â
“I hope it doesn’t get charged to anyone,” a
concerned Ross said.
Ross needed to explain the rule to a bewildered referee, who
eventually got it and allowed the Punishers’ free throw
attempts. A Punisher only sunk one, and although a Phi Psi player
stole the ensuing inbound pass, the team couldn’t get a shot
off before time expired.
You positively don’t make excuses in IM basketball, but
Phi Psi was without two of its starters, who were at Mardi Gras.
The team still got strong performances out of Luke Donna, Sean
O’Shea and Josh Peters.
Still, not all of Phi Psi was pleased.
“I was really looking forward to playing with the A team,
and I’m disappointed I didn’t get to display my
skills,” said reserve guard Adam Hirsch, a member of the
fraternity’s B team, who got called up due to vacancies left
by his team members’ Mardi Gras duties.
At that point, Hirsch threw his mouthpiece to the floor and
exclaimed, “This interview is over.”
If you are wondering about the life lesson I said learned, I
didn’t actually learn one.
I just think it’s kinda funny to say things like, “I
learned a life lesson.”
I mean, I could probably come up with something about teamwork,
the value of competition, or the importance of retro basketball
shoes.
Here, how’s this ““ if the basketball game taught me
anything it can be summed up in the immortal words of John Wooden,
which he certainly formulated while watching an IM basketball
game:
“We must be alert, observing constantly, seeing the things
that are going on around us. Otherwise, we are going to miss so
many things from which we can improve ourselves.”
E-mail Miller at dmiller@media.ucla.edu if you want to discuss
John Wooden or limited edition sweatbands.