Thursday, January 17, 2013

The Basketball Project

"I love the game of basketball and I try to give everything to the game. And hopefully it continues to give back to me." --LeBron James

This semester, one of my literature courses focuses on basketball and enrolls two students Caleb Butler and Bryan Ryan, both of whom are black studies minors and program contributors. Each week, we'll publish short writings about topics and players in the NBA, while giving attention to concepts associated with black studies.

This course began, by the way, as a conversation, or really as a series of many conversations and emails about basketball. We were sharing and exchanging thoughts about this player and that players as well as those articles and these various histories of the game. At some point in the future, I plan to offer a larger class on basketball. Caleb and Bryan are helping me construct the blueprints for such a course.

Writings:
• May 14: The Case for Kobe Bryant by Bryan Ryan
• May 14: The NBA’s Culture of Technology, Intimacy, and Creativity by Caleb Butler
• April 11: Two SIUE students go for the assist record by Howard Rambsy II
• April 11: Technology and Intimacy, Pt. 1 by Caleb Butler  
• April 11: Kobe Bryant – From A-Hole to Ambassador by Bryan Ryan  
• April 5: 20-plus Entries Later by Caleb Butler
• April 5: 20-plusEntries Later by Bryan Ryan
• April 1: 2003 NBA Draft Class Timeline; also known as ‘Melo and the 2013 Miami Heat Draft by Caleb Butler
April 1: A Rajon Rondo Timeline by Bryan Ryan
 March 21: Kevin Durant, Kinship, and the 2007 Draft by Caleb Butler
March 21: How Kobe can shine as a culture hero despite the stats by Bryan Ryan
• March 14: The draft and kinship in 1997 by Caleb Butler
• March 14: Kobe Bryant, Cultural Capital, and the art of Clutch by Bryan Ryan 
• February 28: Russell Westbrook’s Athleticism and Aestheticism by Caleb Butler 
• February 28: Respect Kyrie by Bryan Ryan
• February 21: NBA’s Future History: Mathematicians, technology, and basketball by Caleb Butler
• February 21: You do the Math: Advanced Statistics meets the NBA by Bryan Ryan 
• February 14: Becoming Kevin Durant: Culture of Video Game by Caleb Butler
• February 14: Lasting Legacy: NBA 2k12 by Bryan Ryan 
• February 7: Kevin Durant's Future History by Caleb Butler 
• February 7: Mind Work: Intellect in Motion by Bryan Ryan 
• January 31: Draft Boom; Financial Bust by Bryan Ryan 
• January 31: Black Nerd Style: Who Started It? by Caleb Butler
• January 24: Evolving Hip Hop Aesthetics by Bryan Ryan 
• January 24: Mr. Nicey-Nice, So They Say by Caleb Butler
• January 17: Do James Harden and Derrick Rose have the strength? by Bryan Ryan
• January 17: Are basketball players more important than teams? by Caleb Butler
• January 17: Trash talk and allusion to physical confrontation by Howard Rambsy II

Related:
Assorted Notebooks

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