Almanac Basketball
After reporting on the club’s quest for new World Records (Almanac, Oct 22), Graeme Willingham checks Not Bad Thanks Basketball Club’s progress in the second half of this summer season, the club’s 92nd. While NBT sits third on the ladder with a 8:5:1 win/loss/draw ratio (final is April 2), he learns players are faithfully abiding by the on-and-off court ‘Giving it Heaps’ mantra created by decorated player Instigator* in the early 1980s. Court Captain Czar talked about the mantra in his most recent game report.
Playing by the NBT mantra: Giving it heaps
Winners are grinners and their escapades make for the stories of legend. Losers are generally only narratively interesting if their struggle was profoundly tragic, or their loss contains some moral-of-the-story symbolic value.
This is how NBT’s Court Captain, Czar, opened his report of last week’s 9.50 B Grade game on Court 8 at MSAC.
He wrote on. It goes without saying that win-or-lose, NBT are narratively compelling. After all, there is a book about us! But last night’s loss – as was the case with the loss last week – provided neither a tale of heroic tragedy, nor any particularly compelling moral. We lost. Simple as that. Speaking of simplicity, Flash wrote in the previous game report: ‘NBT dominated the first half. Czar, Scoop, Flash, Skip, Bullitt, Archie and Dok. All BOG. Second half was not as successful.’ Both this week and last we played superb first halves (in last week’s case, superbly superb) then fell away in the second. In both cases – and in ALL cases – we gave it heaps. Game over. ‘Giving it heaps’ is the playing mantra of NBT. While it is the perfect motto to play by, and enacted by everyone who plays, there is nothing else to say about it. It is what it is, wonderfully so.
Last night, there were stories of heroism. Bullitt was a standout (as he was last week, and probably has already won the Golden Elbow at this stage in the season if one was to be speculating on such things). Scoop was a BOG, rebounding and cutting with purpose and strength. The rest of the team (Axe back from the powdered snow of Japan, Plaz back minus a small portion of his toe, Flash, Czar and Skip) played well. Indeed, they all gave it heaps.
Czar wrapped up his report. The giving of heaps on court extended post-game. The Clubrooms (Emerald Hotel) had already closed so the squad slipped over to Bells Hotel. All eight players attend. That’s another Club mantra. Compulsion after-game socialising.
991 games, 2725 fouls, 2654 points, 6 Premierships, 6 Golden Elbows, 28 Bloody Gloves Bowls (most fouls), 2 Squeaker’s Baskets (most points), Member NBT Smacken Spree Brigade (50+ fouls in a season), Most Consecutive 5-Foul Games 7, Member NBT Centurians (100+ points in a season). Current status: Temporarily Unavailable Player.
Giving it heaps. A recent half-time scoreboard, in Not Bad Thanks’ favour. Another NBT World Record?
Read more about this brilliant club and their celebrated book HERE.
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