Monday, January 30, 2006

self portrait tuesday

This is my fifth entry for the Personal History theme at Self Portrait Tuesday.




I realized I would be remiss if I didn't cover the most basic of my histories, the longest-running aspect of my life to date; the fact that I was a baller. I was a through-n-through gym rat and pick-up game junkie.

After I was introduced to basketball at age eleven, it became all I thought about and all I wanted to do. In junior high I played at lunchtime with the boys. I played if I was wearing pants or if I was wearing a dress. In high school, I had a stern coach named Coach Dick Beedy and if you can judge by his name, he was 150 years old which meant his coaching style was the same as the inventors of basketball: All pass, no flash. This was how women’s basketball was coached back then, and it bored me to tears. I was voted MVP of our less than mediocre team that received no attention from colleges, and my hopes of possibly turning pro fizzled -- Oh, and there were no women's pro teams at the time.

I then discovered street ball; pick-up games on park black tops, at Venice beach and at a legendary gym called Memorial Park. In my senior year in high school, I ditched school at least once a week to play at Memorial. I was the only girl that played there regularly and I would light it up from 15-20 feet if the guys underestimated me, which was often. During the NBA off season, a handful of pro players would come to have some fun with the Memorial legends. I also played a stint over at the Hollywood YMCA where I once guarded Arsenio Hall -- I'm not even shitting you. And Denzel Washington would play there on occasion too. Yes he would!

After Husband moved to California, we started playing at a gym that was becoming the Place to Play. During the NBA lock out, the place swarmed with second string pro's and elite college players. We went to the gym a few times a week, giddily. Both Husband and I can recall separate and perfect days at the gym where we won all day long on chemistry-clicking teams. We played five hours of basketball until our shoes nearly exploded off of our blistered feet in a fireball. It was bliss.

During my adult street-ball career, there was one other time that stands out. This was when Husband, his brother G, his uncle R and I went to a park in Queens, NY. Together, we ran those courts all afternoon. Not only were we significantly older than the young studs we played, but I, a woman, was the go-to guy. Typically, I played a non-starring role compared to the dominant male players of my team. This was fine as long as they weren’t cockheads about it and as long as we won. But that day I was ON FIRE. During my entire basketball career, I had had many shining moments where I scored beautifully on dudes, sending the crowd into an uproarious high-fiving fit (nothing is more infectious than that), but that day in Queens I was calling for the rock repeatedly because the basket was the size of the ocean to me. I was fading and draining and strutting. On the final point of the last game of the day, I was passed the ball again -- they knew to honor a hot player, male or female -- and with my guy guarding me tightly I pulled up beyond the free throw line and before the ball left my fingertips, I said, "Game, motherfucka." Possibly one of the greatest days of my life. Husband's brother & uncle still talk about that day, which puffs my feathers like nothing else.

This is one of the only pictures I have of me with a basketball. It's from my year book. I'm a junior in high school, warming up for a game.

20 comments:

Rebel Girl said...

too cool!

kristen said...

So cool ~ I love this SPT!!

Marigoldie said...

I'm cryin' over here. MAN what I wouldn't give to have been there for any of that.

Anonymous said...

WHAT, BITCHES!?! Do not step to the Madness!

dani said...

wow you rock! never was very good at that game, i was way too wimpy. so huge respect to you!

Bethany said...

Oh, wow! Awesome, in every sense of the word.

Tina said...

You do kick some serious ass.

Anonymous said...

Good One Baby.
Tio G was just talking
about your game to R's youngins this summer
in NY.

Jan Halvarson said...

i love this shot! what a story! you are too cool!

Ibarionex R. Perello said...

Great story, mija. "Game, motherfucker!". You got to love it.

autumnempire said...

okay okay this does it. I knew I liked you - I knew I could imagine your laugh (hearty) - this story settles it - you are a truly bad ass mama. I imagine husband's feathers were puffed up too after that game! bravo.

Kathleen said...

i am having to agree with tina about you kickin' ass! great post!

Michelle said...

You kind of look like Wonder Woman too. You kick ass number 42.

Diz Rivera said...

All of your comments have been so great. Thank you so much. #42, yes, James Worthy's number because I loved him mucho and because he was a rookie on the Lakers my first year on the varsity squad.

andrea said...

in these photos, you are the girl I wanted to be for my dad (although I've always known I didn't have to be that for him to love me). and your superstar skillz on the court would've come in handy growing up around all the bball players like I did. I was always looking to get attention from them.

your stories of running the courts in queens had me rolling (and no one to high five!). my bro played occasionally (in new york) but he's too hotheaded and finally stopped. got into too many fights. I cringe every time he tells me those stories. but your story... I am in love with it.

Diz Rivera said...

uh, HELL YES, Jonathan.

Melinda said...

Oh my god, I LOVE basketball, but I can't play for shit. I was on my 6th grade basketball team. I touched the ball one time the entire season -- someone threw it to me, and I promptly clutched it to my chest and ran all the way down the court without dribbling.

But I can rock a March Madness office pool like no other.

Diz Rivera said...

Ha - yah Melinda. I love when kids clutch the ball in fear. It rips at my heart like nothing else.

Uh, did you say pool? I run the largest MM pool in my industry. I'm just saying, the invitation is SO out there.

Meegan Blue said...

This photo is hot in every possible way. I'm speechless. You are amazing.

Ward Jenkins said...

Damn.

That's all I got to say.

Sweet post. One that makes me say, "Damn." And I don't say that often.

I would've done anything to see the looks on those boys' faces during your infamous shot.