With the Final Four kicking off this weekend, I was in a basketball mood! So, I blew off watching the NCAA historical Duke vs. North Carolina Final Four game to go check out the not so historical, Texas Legends vs. Austin Spurs NBA G League game. Well, it was the last home game of the season, and I hadn’t been to a Legends game in three or four years, so it was kind of historical. What was even more historical was the fact that my wife wanted to go with me, and there was an actual line to get into the Comerica Arena! Wow! Guess I wasn’t the only one who chose to blow off the Final Four to watch some minor league pro basketball. Why sit at home when I could drive down to Frisco, Texas and watch a display of choregraphed action moving in precession rhythm. Oh, I’m not talking about basketball here. I’m referring to the dance routines that took place during the pregame and halftime. Apparently, there was an elementary school version of “America’s Got Talent” going on at the Comerica Arena for the evening. Before a basketball bounced on the court three groups of little girls went through dance routines followed by two different kid choirs serenading us with God Bless America as well as a cappella version of the Turtle song, So Happy Together. There were so many little kids taking the court, I was starting to wonder if I had made a wrong turn and wound up at an elementary school fine arts recital.
Never fear though, because as the Legends and Spurs took the court, the adult action started. That is if you can call a bunch of guys wearing shorts and throwing a ball around, adult action. The Legends were playoff bound for the season, and the Spurs were…well not, and this was proven as the Legends jumped out to a big lead with 6’8” forward Justin Jackson taking control. Maybe he was just stoked because his old team, the North Carolina Tarheels were in the Final Four! Or maybe he’s just trying to get back into a Dallas Mavericks uniform. My wife claimed that Justin looked familiar. Well, he should. After all, he holds both NCAA and NBA championships and has played for six NBA teams, but for the moment he’s playing for the Legends and sharing the court with elementary school dance recitals. Oh well, Justin had still come to play, and even though there were plenty of two-handed slams and lights out three-point shooting, what blew my mind were the spin moves these guys were dancing through as they sliced and diced their way to the basket. Yes, basketball played through interpretive dance! I hope all the little girl dancers were taking notes here! Every time I thought the defensive players had built up a wall, the guards of both teams would magically twist themselves to the basket. They usually didn’t make the shot, but it still looked cool. You can’t have everything. Apparently, you can’t get the officials to blow a whistle either because the entire game was played without ONE TRAVEL violation being called! I swear some of the players looked as though they took a dozen steps to the basket. Back in Jr. High I got called if I even thought about taking an extra step. However, the officials for the game did know who to blow a whistle for technical fouls because three of them were called! Oh well, such didn’t seem to affect the home team, because at the end of the third quarter the Legends were up 84 to 61. Can we say, “Legendary blowout?” Actually, we can’t because the Spurs kicked it into high gear in the fourth quarter, and sliced, diced, slammed and jammed their way back to within three points. Okay, now the place was getting loud! Yea, loud with, “What the heck?” None the less, loud is loud! I just wanted Justin Jackson to get one more point to bring him to 40 for the night. However, he had to settle for 39, but he did get a double double with ten boards. Maybe we’ll see him in a Mavericks jersey next season. But as for this season, the Legends were able to pack away the Spurs with a final score of 106 to 99! As the stars of the game hung around on the court after the game, hundreds of kids darted out onto the court to get a few autographs and photos. Maybe it was kid’s night after all.