My Dad's Friendship with Charles Barkley
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Re: My Dad's Friendship with Charles Barkley
#2I watch Inside the NBA almost religiously - it's such a perfect show sometimes.
It's not your typical ESPN or Fox Sports commentary show where an anchor talks about a player's "tenacious tenacity". It's a show that presents itself as a place where four friends talk about a shared interest.
To accomplish this, they need to be comfortable talking to each other without being confined to the sports equivalent of political correctness - to have unconstrained degrees of freedom in criticism, humor and general skylarking. This happens oftentimes to the point of controversy, with Charles usually being involved at the center of any such controversy.
This story is beautiful, but to anyone that is a fan of Charles Barkley, it is unsurprising. He's always been a beacon of genuineness through his time as a player, as a commentator and this article simply extends that same light to his personal life.
Re: My Dad's Friendship with Charles Barkley
#3This is a lovely and charming story...but. The whole premise is that the relationship between the suburban dad and the celebrity was somehow weird and unbelievable. I see that, but it's a shame we can't turn the world on its head somehow so that it would be just everyday normality. Celebrity culture has elevated some people to a kind of otherness. But they're just people.
Re: My Dad's Friendship with Charles Barkley
#4This is a lovely and charming story...but. The whole premise is that the relationship between the suburban dad and the celebrity was somehow weird and unbelievable. I see that, but it's a shame we can't turn the world on its head somehow so that it would be just everyday normality. Celebrity culture has elevated some people to a kind of otherness. But they're just people.
In the end it's a story of a dude who ran into another dude and they hit it off over drinks and dinner. Then over the years they'd catch up and share stories of their lives and their children.
But the difference here is one guy is a celebrity and probably had a very very busy day to day schedule. Even then, he'd make time to meet up with Mr. Wang when they were in the same town.
I think the story is interesting because the two men came from very different backgrounds, yet discovered lots of common ground (minority skin color, achieved success despite modest upbringing, pride in their children). It's a story of a good friendship, one where you'd deliver a glowing eulogy at the other's funeral, if it ever came to that. I mean, I'm not sure how many folks I have outside of my own family that I'd have enough to say to deliver a eulogy. Maybe I need to make more friends?
Re: My Dad's Friendship with Charles Barkley
#5This is a lovely and charming story...but. The whole premise is that the relationship between the suburban dad and the celebrity was somehow weird and unbelievable. I see that, but it's a shame we can't turn the world on its head somehow so that it would be just everyday normality. Celebrity culture has elevated some people to a kind of otherness. But they're just people.
Usually human lives are a continuous process of self-selecting our social circle to include those most similar to us in most ways. This is unusual because the two friends were so different, but still found common ground. Celebrities become g friends with non celebrities is also rare because there is always the sense that the ordinary person wants fame or money by association from the friendship, which was even true in this case to some extent (Wang proudly showing a slide show of photos with Barkley).
Re: My Dad's Friendship with Charles Barkley
#6Listen to the narrated version of the article. It’s much more powerful hearing the author and Barkley talk about Lin, especially when Barkley talks about how he and Lin would talk about their kids.
Re: My Dad's Friendship with Charles Barkley
#7Listen to the narrated version of the article. It’s much more powerful hearing the author and Barkley talk about Lin, especially when Barkley talks about how he and Lin would talk about their kids.
Complete opposite experience for me. I found Lin's daughter's voice quite grating and reverted to reading the text. The part that did me in was when she gleefully enunciated "exclamation point exclamation point."
Re: My Dad's Friendship with Charles Barkley
#8This is a lovely and charming story...but. The whole premise is that the relationship between the suburban dad and the celebrity was somehow weird and unbelievable. I see that, but it's a shame we can't turn the world on its head somehow so that it would be just everyday normality. Celebrity culture has elevated some people to a kind of otherness. But they're just people.
Usually human lives are a continuous process of self-selecting our social circle to include those most similar to us in most ways. This is unusual because the two friends were so different, but still found common ground. Celebrities become g friends with non celebrities is also rare because there is always the sense that the ordinary person wants fame or money by association from the friendship, which was even true i…
I think this tells the story of the culture of celebrity in the United States as much as a private story between these two people.
It is also "traditional" celebrity interaction. Where the celebrity achieved status from professional skill building and achievement and largely unknowable through social media. So to know this person or have photos with them is a more scarce and unusual thing.
Wheras new celebrity status can be achieved through social media with no form of measurable achievement based on traditional skill building.
What's interesting about celebrity now is how many more people can be known and what skills can make you be known. Like, being beautiful and able to do finger dances on tiktok.
Re: My Dad's Friendship with Charles Barkley
#9This is a lovely and charming story...but. The whole premise is that the relationship between the suburban dad and the celebrity was somehow weird and unbelievable. I see that, but it's a shame we can't turn the world on its head somehow so that it would be just everyday normality. Celebrity culture has elevated some people to a kind of otherness. But they're just people.
In the end it's a story of a dude who ran into another dude and they hit it off over drinks and dinner. Then over the years they'd catch up and share stories of their lives and their children. But the difference here is one guy is a celebrity and probably had a very very busy day to day schedule. Even then, he'd make time to meet up with Mr. Wang when they were in the same town. I think the story is interesting becau…
I think the "very very very busy schedule" misses the point. Everbody has stuff to do, and things that are hard or (almost) impossible to reschedule. But everybody has a personal life, and can and will take time for it. One thing I sometimes say (not sure if it's from somewhere else, and I certainly failt to live up to it myself, sometimes):
"You don't have time, you take it". Things just need to be more important than what's on your calendar.
Re: My Dad's Friendship with Charles Barkley
#10I watch Inside the NBA almost religiously - it's such a perfect show sometimes. It's not your typical ESPN or Fox Sports commentary show where an anchor talks about a player's "tenacious tenacity". It's a show that presents itself as a place where four friends talk about a shared interest. To accomplish this, they need to be comfortable talking to each other without being confined to the sports equivalent of politica…
Actual chemistry between the folks on screen that produces results that seem like ... actual chemistry seems really undervalued / rare these days.
I love reading / watching sports.... sports shows that aren't the sports them-self are almost always so bad and wonky.
Inside the NBA is a noteworthy example of what it should be.