In honor of ESPN’s Dick Vitale, we decided to put together our NBA’s All-Windex Team, profiling the league’s biggest and best rebounders
What’s your why?
It may seem paradoxical to end a question with a question word, but the question isn’t as confusing as you think. To put the question into simpler terms, it essentially asks: why do you do what you do? Why does anyone do anything? Because it’s what everyone else is doing/does? Please. Spare me.
No, what I’m here to do is answer that question – what’s your why? Why am I writing this piece? What the heck is an “All-Windex Team?” Why aren’t the Pacers a better team? (Okay, maybe that last one just came up while I was paused in thought looking at the image I selected, but it’s a valid question!)
So what’s my why?
I could say that I write because I enjoy it.
I could say that I write because I was almost always taller than everyone growing up, so naturally I played basketball.
I could say that I write because it’s my job.
While all of those factors are true to some degree, they’re not my why. No, my why is people.
It may seem obvious, but you can’t have sports without people – without spectators, who would athletes have for fans? Without athletes, who would there to be fans of?
You can’t have sports without people – their personalities (yes, that includes polarizing guys like LaVar Ball, Skip Bayless, and Stephen A. Smith, no matter what you think about them), their play styles, their habits (good and bad), and most importantly, their stories.
It’s that last one that inspired this piece.
Dickie V. The man, the myth, the legend.
Even if you’re a casual fan of college basketball, you could probably identify his voice by just listening to a few seconds of his colorful commentary.
I mean, how can you not? The man is iconic. While I could go on and on about Dick Vitale, I will let Bryan Curtis from The Ringer do it for me:
Now, be warned reader – it’s a lengthy read, but well worth the read. It gives you great insight into why Mr. Vitale is the way he is, and how he got to where he is.
At one point in the article, it was mentioned that Vitale will reveal his :”All-Windex Team” – those guys that “clean up the boards” – which inspired me to make my own picks from the NBA’s big men this season.
This is merely an opinion, and I will inevitably snub someone you think is more deserving, but don’t worry – this is just my why. Would love to hear yours in the comments section afterwards!