TYLER BASSETT

NBA lockout is about to REALLY start

Oct 27, 2011, 3:52 PM | Updated: Nov 17, 2011, 4:58 am

Technically the NBA lockout started on July 1 when
free agents were never allowed to talk with teams, let
alone actually sign with them.

It didn’t really do anything for me. Sure, I follow the
off-season acquisitions and all, but as for my grasp of
the league I didn’t really care.

Now it’s real. To me, the NBA lockout starts on Tuesday
when we start missing games that count. [The opening night
included Chicago at Dallas and Oklahoma City at Los
Angeles (Lakers)]

The Phoenix Suns were scheduled to play their last
preseason game this past Tuesday against the Oklahoma City
Thunder. The Suns were scheduled to host the Thunder next
Wednesday in their season opener.

I’m an average NBA fan. I enjoy watching the marquee
match-ups (especially the last 10 minutes, coincidentally
that’s when the players tune in too) and I catch the
highlights of the high flyers.

Next week the World Series will be over. Next week the NBA
will not be tipping off.

I — like many of you — am a creature of habit.

Leaves are changing colors, pumpkins are being carved and
I’m ready for my Steve Nash-LeBron James-Kevin Durant-
Blake Griffin fix.

But — just like you — I’ll find other ways to spend my
time. There are too many things in today’s technological
world to capture my short attention span.

The NFL lockout did nothing but annoy me but it also did
exactly what I was hoping and expecting — ended before I
really missed anything. I had skeptical optimism
for the NBA to do the same. Optimism fail.

I haven’t missed the NBA yet but to me there’s been
nothing to miss.

Next week when it’s hockey or knock-off college football
in the middle of the week I’ll start to get irritated, be
disappointed and tune out completely until Griffin or
James give me a jaw dropping, must-see dunk.

Until those dunks come I’ll be spending my time on some
other habit. The NBA just better hope it’s a habit I’ll
want to eventually kick.

TY’s Outtakes

What I learned this week…

Siri is as awesome as it looks…so I’ve heard from a
friend who recently purchased a new iPhone. I’m jealous.

Tweet of the week…

I thought this was too much … even for the New York
Post
, and that’s tough to do.

@JimmyTraina: Good morning, Alex
Rodriquez

The tweet was in reference to this New York Post cover on October 21,
2011 — the day after Moammar Gadhafi was killed.

Suggestion of the week…

What are those lights in the sky? Also, check out
this
slideshow.

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NBA lockout is about to REALLY start