The Lakers play the Trailblazers tonight, and while I know there’s a lot to discuss — Frank Vogel is back! Trevor Ariza is on the verge of returning! Austin Reaves is available! — I’m not going to discuss any of that.
You see, we’re on the verge of 2022 and basketball just isn’t on my mind right this moment. It’s been a very hard year for so many people (including at times myself, my family, and many of my closest friends) and it’d be weird if, as we transition to a new year when there’s still so much going on in the world, I just sat here and wrote about an NBA game as if that, too, isn’t impacted by all the craziness that is happening right now.
So, I’m not going to. Instead, I just want to say that I’m happy we’ve persevered and made it to this point and that I’m supremely thankful to all of you who have supported me, the site, the podcast, and my work in general. By doing that, you have supported more than just me and there’s not enough words to capture my appreciation for all of that. So, in the most simplest terms, thank you.
But, yes, there is a basketball game tonight. And I hope the Lakers win it. The Blazers still have Dame, but are down a bunch of other guys. The Lakers still have Bron and Russ, and seem to be making strides towards getting more of their team back. I’m hoping for a great result tonight, but even if that doesn’t happen, I still think this team has some juice and has a run in them.
That’s a post for another day, though. For now, then, happy new year. Wherever you are out there, have fun tonight and, most importantly, stay safe.
Where you can watch: 7:30pm start time on Spectrum SportsNet.