the ATL hip hop BLOG
That's Yoooo People!
“I don't have an answer for you. That's Yo People!” - Carvel Bennett, my Mentor from Morris Brown College
Introduction
You know how we do.
There’s no reason to look around and point fingers.
That’s how we do.
No matter where you are, you’re going to experience this.
And I mean no matter.
This is a Global Problem.
So Gwell, let’s address this right now Shawdy!
Basketball
I walk into a L.A. Fitness yesterday, and I mean literally yesterday (April 6 2023).
I walk to the Smoothie Bar and ask the guy behind the counter, “do you have the Soursop today?”
He responds, “no,” so I promptly walk over to the small refrigerator in the corner and pick up two bottles of Hydrogen Water.
We get into small talk and I ask him about Steph Curry.
Like all Youth (anyone below 35), his face lights up and this has been an obsession of mine.
So I ask him, “do you think Steph Curry can shoot a 3 Pointer with a 20 pound medicine ball?”
He responds, “Of Course,” and I sigh in frustration.
Let’s call this guy New York, but people, don’t get it twisted.
This is a Problem.
The Owner Arrives
After a few minutes, it goes from a discussion to a heated argument.
New York motions to the Owner and the Owner listens in and responds, “I am a professional shooting coach. You know the reason I have a job doing this - because people can’t shoot!”
He eyes me and asks me the same question again, “let me get this straight, you’re telling me that you can shoot 94 feet?”
And I responded, “I don’t shoot jump shots man, I am a set shooter!”
Both of them erupt into laughter and, for several minutes, they can’t stop.
I ask the Owner about this and he responds, “I’m not laughing at you, I’m laughing at what you said.”
So I shake my head and respond, “I’ll take a pre-workout smoothie, something with strawberry.”
He continues laughing and begins making my Smoothie.
The New Guy
So New York continues shaking his head and eyes me, “Man, come on. There’s no way you can do this, this is IMPOSSIBLE!”
The new guy eyes them and New York daps the guy up and giggles, “this guy is telling me he can shoot a basketball from 94 feet?
The New guy smiles and responds, “that’s possible.”
Then New York sighs and responds, “but he can do it without jumping and using his legs!”
The New guy starts laughing and responds, “Are you serious? Come on man, you are breaking the laws of physics now.”
So I eye the new guy and ask him a simple question, “If I have been practicing shooting a 20 pound Medicine Ball for 20 years, how far should I be able to shoot from?”
His eyes widen and he responds, “that’s impressive, but man, come on, I don’t see it.”
And I respond, “Y’all are laughing and tripping about shooting from 94 feet, but since I have done both, I can tell you that shooting a 20 pound medicine ball from the 3 Point Line is a higher level of achievement.”
The Owner leans over the counter and responds, “Bruh, look here. I am a Professional Shooting Coach, I have been doing this for years and I work with all levels, even NBA Players.”
I sigh and respond, “Then you should know at least 30 players who have done this?”
He responds, “But why, why would anyone want to do this?”
Then I sigh and huff and puff and respond, “I don’t get it, if you are a Shooting Coach, you should be the one to push the boundaries. You mean to tell me, you never asked the question, how far can a man shoot a basketball?”
He responds, “Bruh, I have held shooting sessions with several NBA Players, I used to shoot with Allan Houston. This doesn’t make any sense, what’s the purpose of shooting from back there?”
I respond, “Are you serious, why would a guy dunk a ball from the Free Three Line when he can dunk closer? I thought the purpose of anything was to push the envelope and see how far you can go?”
He doesn’t respond and checks on my smoothie.
Collateral Damage
While deep in this discussion, an older woman (67 years old) hijacks the discussion and goes on and on about several topics.
I ask New York about dancing in Charlotte and he responds, “ask her, she goes dancing all the time.”
So I ask the older woman and she responds, “Just go on Evite and they have all the dancing events around the city.”
I tell New York, “I have a Youtube Video.”
He hands me his phone and I do a search.
I can’t find my video.
He eyes me, “So now you can’t find the video?”
They continue laughing.
The owner responds, “You can’t find it today, but you can find it tomorrow. Check this out, I knew this older man up in New York and he used to come to me and tell me there was this jet that could fly across the world in a few seconds. I asked him about a few weeks later and he would say, I’m still looking for it. After that, he would come to me and say, it’s around the corner!”
And they all erupt in laughter.
New York eyes me, “Still can’t find the video?”
So I leave and walk out to my car and return.
I scroll through my phone and I find the video and hand him the phone.
He takes the phone and eyes the video.
The owner steps over, peers over his shoulder, and they finish the video.
They laugh again and the owner responds, “Bruh, you went two from thirty-five!”
They erupt in laughter again.
In the video, I was challenged by Corey (in Tampa Florida) to make a three-pointer from the 3 Point Line in LA Fitness and I made it three times!
Disrespect to Yeeking
As the Owner leaves to go upstairs and train, I ask him, “how would you train someone to do Yeeking?”
He is baffled and thinks it over.
I respond, “that’s what I thought. I never knew of any, so I just grab 20 pound dumb bells and practice my yeeking moves.”
He starts laughing and responds, “what kind of training is that?”
I respond, “there is no formal training for Yeeking, so I had to improvise?”
Then he laughs again and responds, “hold on, let me get this straight - you’re saying that you can do yeek dance moves with 20 pound weights?”
I respond, “back in the 80s, we didn’t have any formal training, so that’s what I came up with.”
He eyes me, continues laughing, and peers over at New York.
Then, they both eye the new guy.
All of them break out in harder laughing.
The older woman responds, “what the hell is Yeeking?”
He responds, “it’s a type of dancing,” and then he leaves.
She responds, “I can do any kind of dancing.”
I respond, “I don’t think so.”
I look up the Trailer for the Yeek Documentary and hand her the phone.
She watches the video for a few minutes and responds, “Ha ha ha, y’all are copying, all of these people have on MC Hammer Pants!”
She breaks out in hard laughter and eyes New York.
I turn towards her and she responds, “So you got a problem with me now?
I respond, “MC Hammer came out in the early 90s. Don’t you realize this video is from the early 80s?”
She responds, “So when did Yeeking start?”
I respond, “I would say around 1983 or 1984.”
She responds, “It don’t matter, y’all are still copying MC Hammer.”
New York giggles and I peer at him and respond, “You do realize this dancing is from 1983, so MC Hammer comes ten years later. Doesn’t that mean that MC Hammer copied our ATL Style and used it?”
He responds, “Bruh, why do you care? He’s the one that brought that type of dancing to the world?”
How it all turned out
New York invited me to go to the local gym, Morrison Family YMCA, and he promised me that he would show up.
I drove over to the Y and guess what, New York DID NOT SHOW.
I warmed up a bit and went in and here’s my stats:
Fifteen free throws in a row
Ten 3 Pointers in a row (shooting on one goal and then shooting on the other goal)
I beat the gym (made 3 pointers from the other 3 point line and the other free throw line)
Conclusion
As you can tell, yesterday was a bit heated, but it’s simply an everyday thing with “OUR PEOPLE.”
I am still baffled that they think it’s “IMPOSSIBLE” to shoot from 94 feet when I did this all the time back in the 90s (at Run N Shoot).
So what are my options?
Is there a Lesson in today’s Story?
Key Takeaways
MB doesn't understand why there aren't more NBA Player shooting like Steph?
MB is disturbed because when he took Steph Shots back at Run N Shoot, his friends discouraged him from "showing out" or "being a Hot Dog." But now, those same people, revere and worship The Golden State Warriors, how should MB take their behavior?
Homework Questions
Do you think the best players in the world ONLY PLAY in the NBA?
Do you think a human being can shoot a 3 Pointer from 94 feet (without jumping)?
Do you think a human being can shoot a 3 pointer with a 20 pound medicine ball?
Do you think a human being can throw a home run in a baseball stadium?
Do you think a human being can throw a football over 100 yards?
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