...And it Begins.

So here it is: the first edition of Basketball Banter; the web's new premiere destination for irreverent, highly unqualified roundball-related blogging. So what's gonna be goin on here anyway? You won't find any jaw-dropping highlight mixes here, no exclusive one-on-ones with NBA stars or the latest word on the trade wire (so if you were expecting any of the above..sorry, I guess), just the ranting and raving of a veteran armchair athlete. While I'm (admittedly) partly writing this as a self-indulgent hobby, I'm also hoping to provoke a little thought, maybe an argument or two; some entertaining discussion about the pro and college game. Feel free to post your thoughts; call me out if I'm off-point, if you want to see a topic addressed, whatever goes. My opinion's just one in a web of millions, so let yours be heard.

If you're reading this, you most likely know me personally and all about my borderline obsession with the game, but just in case you've stumbled across the site by other means, here's a little bit of who I am. My name's AJ; I'm a 21-year old marketing student at St. Mary's University in Halifax, Nova Scotia; a city I've been proud to call home for my whole life thus far. My hometown's somewhat of a basketball hotspot; although among the smaller of Canada's major cities we hosted the CIAU Final 8 (Canada's version of the Final Four) for a decade, the Raptors' first ever game and the inaugural Naismith Cup (which lasted even shorter than the Grizzlies in Vancouver), and the FIBA Under-21 Tournament of the Americas. It was hard to grow up in Halifax without getting into basketball; pretty much everyone I knew played at some point or another, but I got swept up more than most.

I first fell in love with basketball watching Olajuwon and the Rockets on their '94 title run, and have been hooked on it like the most potent herion ever since. I was awe-struck by the combination of power and grace these athletes displayed with ease, and being a naive 6-year old, convinced myself I could be just like them. I played competitively through school and city leagues for 12 years, eventually realized I wasn't exactly (or in the realm of) NBA material, and though disability and some questionable lifestyle choices (think 'Sheed) have mostly ended my playing days, I remain an avid fan.

I'll watch any kind of ball, but I'm partial to the NBA (it is the best players on the planet after all), in particular the Cavs and more specifically Lebron James, who I've respected ever since his high school days as a kid who faced unimaginable pressure under the expectations and close scrutiny of millions, and still dominated with an unbreakable swagger. Eight years later, on the game's biggest stage, not a damn thing's changed. As a Canadian, I feel a patriotic responsibility to root for the Raptors, but do so under protest after years of front-office stupidity and passionless basketball. Who do I hate on? Nowitzki, for one. I don't know if it's his marshmallow softness, his stolen MVP award, or years of hearing of some awkward, lanky white dude being drafted in the lottery on the faint promise of being "the next Dirk", but that guy fucking irks me. I'm also a Spurs hater (who doesn't, really?), who has the utmost respect for Tim Duncan's game but is tired of Manu's flopping, Pretty Tony's People appearances and their dominance in general.

So here it goes, I doubt you'll agree with everything you read here, but hopefully it'll at least entertain you and be the slightest bit insightful. I'll be posting somewhat regularly with game notes, awards updates, random rants and rankings of basketballs all-time greats. Enjoy.