3.0

Average Course Rating

In this First-Year Seminar, we’ll gather high-level hoopheads to study the NBA, the coolest professional sports league in the world. Our key questions will be why and how is the NBA so dope? But also, we’ll use the methods of humanistic, linguistic, and rhetorical analysis to study the culture, language, and iconography of the NBA. No zone defenses here: we’re bringing a full-court press to phenomena and artifacts like dunk contest; the euro-step; why no one likes Rudy Gobert; style from Allen Iverson to Shai-Gilgeous Alexander; uniform, court, and mascot designs; how advanced statistical analytics have changed the game (deep breath), and much, much more. And while my passion is the NBA, students are welcome to bring their expertise and interests in the WNBA, international basketball leagues, and college hoops to the mix. We’ll read texts old and new, traditional and funky (from David Halberstam’s The Breaks of the Game, about the 1978 Portland Trailblazers, to posts from the defunct and very influential FreeDarko blog and Mitchell S. Jackson’s Fly: The Big Book of Basketball Fashion). We’ll watch highlights (of big dunks and, even better, teammates’ sideline reactions) and movies such as Hustle and Hoop Dreams. Oh, and if you’re into experiential learning, we’ll probably check out a Wizards game in D.C. and play a little pick up at the gym. I hope my knees hold up. Meet you at the rim.