New Freelance Work - A Kung Fu/NBA crossover

Animated tiles by my man Steve Duck, I think they look sick.

Damn I have been writing a lot lately. My brain is actually kinda sore. Anyway, I wrote this piece for Homecourt about the time Kareem starred in a Bruce Lee flick. It was actually super interesting to research. Might have to buy Lee’s autobiography next. Read on…

Bruce Lee stepping to Kareem is an event which belongs in your imagination. A basketball martial-arts crossover featuring a seven-foot centre playing a light-sensitive demon is so ridiculous it has no right to exist. I’ve refreshed Wikipedia and taken a cold shower just to double-check I didn’t make it up. And yet, here we are. 

The world’s standalone Kung-Fu fighter duked it out with Jabbar in 1972’s Game of Death. Bruce Lee’s final outing has the storyline of a Nintendo side-scroller. A retired champion pummels his way through a five-story tower looking for his sister. After defeating a dozen black belts, masters of Korean and Filipino traditions, a kicking adept and a praying-mantis style warrior, Bruce’s final boss is… an NBA champion. Stupid, right? Maybe. But it’s also amazing.   

For those unaware, Bruce’s fusion of swag and fury cannot be replicated. His tenacious smirk pierces the soul. Lee’s shadowboxing is spiritual communion with God. Watch as he two-steps enemies into submission.  

Tomes have been written about Bruce’s influence. He was the archetype for Goku. Neo mimics his beckoning hand in The Matrix. Lee’s melding of martial art disciplines inspired the UFC. There’s a striking resemblance to *Michael Jackson’s choreography. Even his octave shattering pitch sounds like a Jacko ad-lib. 

Before Lee’s untimely 1973 death, he spent years training Kareem. They were introduced while the latter was still in college. Abdul-Jabbar was an aikido disciple. A friend suggested he meet Bruce and try his Jeet Kune Do mechanic. 

Read more here.

A Brave Saga: The First Iranian in the NBA Draft

I love this story. Arsalan Kazemi flew from Iran to America at age 17. He was scared, alone, could barely speak English and was interrogated at customs for six hours where security asked him outright if he was terrorist.

Arsalan spent every day wanting to come home, but he persevered.

For many Americans, he was their first encounter with an Iranian. The teenager shouldered the responsibility of being a national exemplar and grew into a college star. Kazemi was the first of his nation to receive a US sponsorship, play NCAA basketball and become an NBA draftee.

Inspirational, and a cool dude too. Read the piece below.

“Arsalan Kazemi didn’t set out to be a diplomat – he just wanted to ball. Unfortunately, his heritage fixed the rules. Being an Iranian on the global stage ain’t easy. Arsalan’s career is a perpetual mosaic of triumph and resilience. Luckily, he’s forged for the challenge. Maybe that’s why his name means ‘lion.’

Kazemi’s homeland is a nation of diverse culture, rich art heritage and palatial architecture. Iran has luxuriant forests, sweeping mountains and a tradition of warm-hearted hospitality. Sadly, these qualities are veiled by conflict. Political upheaval and decades of intercontinental head-butting have been the country’s 50-year headline. 

After an inspirational college run, Arsalan returned home from the States in 2015. He’s currently plotting his next venture as Iran is ravaged by Covid-19. The infections are endless, fatalities are soaring and the basketball season has been sidelined. U.S sanctions have also shackled the economy. Any opportunity to earn a livable player salary is on a cliff-edge. Times are truly uncertain. 

As a kid, Arsalan had no clue about domestic affairs, but he did know basketball. Day and night, night and day, it didn’t matter – he would spend every second putting up shots.” Read more at Homecourt.

Latest Basketball Article - An Interview with a Jordanian MVP

This piece is the first in an ongoing series I pitched to tell the story of the NBA’s global influence. With help from FIBA Asia, I spoke to Jordanian basketballer Mahmoud Abdeen.

Just like every other kid in the world, Abdeen practiced Allen Iverson’s famous crossover in his backyard and stayed awake far past his bedtime so he could catch NBA games in a Middle Eastern timezone. Mahmoud is a perfect example of the globalization of a formerly American sport and he’s now using his own unique career to change the face of sports locally.

“The bustling metropolis of Amman sits within Jordan’s sun-scorched hillside. Pharaoh Ptolemy II dubbed the region “Philadelphus” after his own alias. A millennium and multiple dynasties later; a stateside settler recycled the title for a Pennsylvanian colony. He christened the future home of The 76ers; “Philadelphia,” due to its translated meaning “brotherly love.” 

Amman’s basketball ruler Mahmoud Abdeen continues the historic exchange. The MVP of Jordan’s premier league, Abdeen forged his gameplay on Philadelphia royalty. His signature crossover into step-back three was defined by hours of mimicking durag don A.I.

“[As a kid] I remember I was watching Allen Iverson,” Abdeen recalls. “I [would] go to my garden and I was trying to make his move. I had a video of him crossing over, stepping back, like repeating the shot again and again.”  

Trained via NBA highlight reel, Mahmoud’s heat-seeking jumper is a crack-shot. A hardwood sniper, the 32-year-old Jordanian meditates to the sound of swishes. He repped Jordan in the FIBA world cup twice and proudly carries the nation on his back.”

Full piece published here.