New York Sign Language Knicks Show That Key To a New Yorker'S Heart Is To Win By BOB YAMPOLSKY	フレームで見る  英文をプリントする  脚注をプリントする
ニックス予想外の躍進で市民も興奮 先月は大リーグが話題でしたが、今回はバスケットボールがテーマ。NBA の地元チーム、ニックスはシーズン前の評判は芳しくありませんでした。しかし決勝プレーオフまで駒を進めると、周りの予想を上回る快進撃で決勝まで進出。これには市民も大喜びでした。

Last month we looked at baseball and we saw the passions it stirs in the hearts of New Yorkers. Truly, baseball is a matter of deep concern to us. But New York's game is basketball. All you need are a hard surface and a hoop. There are basketball courts in parks and playgrounds across the city. But it's more than just places to play the game that makes basketball the New York game. Basketball is the quintessential urban game. Ten players move constantly within a confined and crowded space, either harassing (playing defense) or being harassed (playing offense). The skills that you need to succeed on the streets of the city are the same as those you need to succeed on the court. New York City playgrounds and high school leagues are legendary for the intensity of the competition and the quality of players they produce. You'll occasionally hear of a Major League Baseball player coming from New York City. But the National Basketball Association, which has far fewer players, is full of native New Yorkers. New York's pro team is the Knicks, short for Knickerbockers, which is what the original Dutch settlers of Manhattan and their descendants are called. It is no coincidence that they play right in midtown Manhattan at Madison Square Garden. All of which brings us to the sign for this month, which is a poster on a wall at a Broadway construction site. On the left side, it says, "THE AMERICAN DREAM" above the face of a man identified as SPREWELL. Below that is basketball shoe company's name, AND 1. On the right side we have, below a tiny sketch of a basketball player, "SPREWELL AND 1," and then in smaller letters below, "TAKING IT TO THE HOLE IN 1999." The phrase "and one" is familiar to anyone who follows basketball. It signals that a player has been fouled in the act of making a field goal. He gets two points for the field goal, "and one," meaning one free throw. A player will get chances for this type of three-point play by being aggressive, and by driving to the basket, which is what "taking it to the hole" means. Sprewell is best known for an incident during practice a year and a half ago, when he put his hands around his coach's throat and squeezed hard. He did not stop until he was pulled away by other players. He was suspended for the remainder of the year. His team tried to terminate his contract but was not allowed to. Understandably, when the season ended, they wanted to trade him. The team that took him was the Knicks. The Knicks were widely criticized for the trade and Sprewell became easily the most vilified player in the history of the game. Though he did issue a public apology, he did not appear terribly repentant, as he brought lawsuits against both his team and the league, claiming his suspension was unjustified. This year the start of the NBA season was delayed for several months as the players and owners squabbled over how to divide the league's enormous revenue. Several months passed before the dispute was settled, shortening the season from 82 games to 50. The teams had no time for practice or rest, and the level of play was terrible. The Knicks were particularly bad. Their play the last few seasons has been mediocre and dull, but this season they were even more so. Sprewell was injured for a while and when he came back he played as a reserve, which made him unhappy. The Knicks did not win with any consistency and they were regularly booed by their fans. They made the playoffs by a game, as the eighth and last seed in the Eastern Conference. Surprisingly, they won their opening round series. Then they swept their second round series. Even though Patrick Ewing, their top player, was lost to injury, they won their next series. And suddenly they were Eastern Conference champions, on their way to play in the NBA finals against the San Antonio Spurs. Suddenly, New York loved the Knicks again, and suddenly, the New York fans and the media embraced Latrell Sprewell, who was largely responsible for their success. The Knicks' improbable success ended in the finals. Though they played valiantly, they were overmatched and lost. But New York fans were not disappointed. Everyone had expected another dismal season, but it became magical, and for the month or so of the playoffs, the Knicks had the city enthralled. When the season was finally over, there was much talk of redemption for the team. But it is all hogwash, as far as I am concerned. I will admit that I allowed myself to get excited this year. But there was no deep meaning there at all. In New York you get cheered when you win and booed when you lose. It is as simple as that.

Shukan ST: July 30, 1999

(C) All rights reserved