What I learned at my first NBA game

It’s hard to believe, but there was a time in my childhood when I enjoyed playing basketball with friends. I even remember my mom sending me to this random basketball/sports camp growing up. After a traumatic experience with a basketball drill in junior high PE class, though, I never played basketball again.

I never watched any basketball on TV either, but I also rarely watched sports in general; my brother watched and knew much more about sports than I ever did. A friend was incredulous when she found out I didn’t know who Phil Jackson was, but it’s not surprising given that I didn’t pay attention to NBA (or NCAA) basketball until the Warriors won the NBA championship in 2015.

Being the ultimate bandwagon fan, I started casually following the Warriors in the news. It was during this time that I was offered a Warriors playoff ticket through work, but unfortunately turned down since it was during crunch time at work (ironic, I know). Last week, I was offered a ticket again through work, and decided to go and experience what would be the first NBA game I have ever watched from beginning to end.

Not only was it super fun, it was also quite educational…so I decided to write down some of the things I learned/observed to document the occasion:

1. NBA games consist of four 12-minute periods (also called quarters).
2. There’s a 24-second shot clock, and it’s prominently displayed in multiple places around the court.
3. 50 points in a quarter is a lot.
4. Suite tickets are the only proper way to watch a game live….in addition to the great view you get your own private bathroom. (And it’s best if the tickets are free.)
5. The towel people that slide in from the sidelines (end zones?) to do the quick wax-on, wax-off bit…awesome. Sadly I didn’t get a photo of this…I found this fascinating because it’s not something you’d notice watching on TV.
6. The fouls…seriously? Technical (mostly for unsportsmanlike conduct?) and personal (physical contact…but it looks like they’re doing this all the time). Not sure I’ll ever understand it.
7. The random media timeouts…again, seriously? I love how play just stops, then some random audience contest or performance happens while the game goes to commercial. Also not something you really see on TV.

Would I go again? For sure…but only if they were free suite tickets again. (Courtside would also be acceptable.) Don’t get me wrong – I appreciated and enjoyed the experience, but as I mentioned previously…

8. I’m just a bandwagon fan.

Note: Yeah, suite tickets are awesome.