Amazing athletic ability mixed with imagination gives us a new color to paint onto the basketball court canvas. This new, exciting color, filled with hard work and talent, is the ability to air walk above the rim with style and explosiveness. When all these things are in sync, gravity can be defied. And what a portrait that is to behold. The illusion of prolonged hangtime has captivated the minds and hearts of so many basketball fans. As different-colored jerseys swap offense and defense, my favorite moments between the game clock and the final dribble are when time slows down and a highlight takes place in the air above the rim.
Breaking the laws of physics without breaking the rules of the game is groundbreaking, showcasing mastery of both the fundamentals and the air. It is a frontier reserved only for elite athletes who skywalk, leaving behind the feathers that drop from their wings, and those feathers become an inspiration for the next generation of hoopers. I imagine inner cities all over the country with graffiti muses painted as murals of the people they once saw fly during local pickup games. In the urban environment of New York City, I have seen reality shatter during tournaments and pickup games because of the explosive airborne artistry. I also imagine a wholesome suburb where a group of young friends, boys and girls, excitedly talk about how one of them dunked for the first time at a beautiful, vibrant park. Imagine, all over the world, different languages and dialects sharing stories of the moments they witnessed freedom above the rim.
The inspiring muse of fancy layups and thunderous dunks comes from rare feats of athleticism that do not happen often. Lightning striking twice in the same spot is a rare phenomenon, and so is witnessing someone seemingly float through the air. Whenever I see a basketball player’s head above the clouds, I will always cheer from down below on Earth. As a literary artist and avid basketball fan, I am grateful to share a piece that combines both of my passions. It is the best of both worlds for the basketball fan and hooper who sees the art within this game. Whether it is MJ leaping from the free-throw line and, like an airplane, majestically floating off the painted runway, Vince Carter performing poetic aerial acrobatics with his reverse 360 dunk, or Dwight Howard putting on the red cape before throwing the basketball through the hoop with Superman-like flair, I appreciate all of the high-flying basketball players, professional and non-professional alike, who continue climbing that invisible ladder toward new possibilities on the court.
This sport allows us to watch humanity fly beyond physical and mental limitations. Basketball may be played on the ground with two ten-foot goals elevated above us, but our minds elevate as well through the artistry the sport inspires. Humanity reached the moon, broke the sound barrier with jets, and learned to parachute through the sky while almost appearing to hop and skip on clouds. Yet I place those achievements in the same stratosphere of fascination as the highlight clip that breaks the internet, where a pair of Nikes, Adidas, or Jordans seems to activate rocket boosters beneath the player wearing them. What a spectacle it is to witness real-time special effects unfolding before our eyes.
I suppose this is the beauty of not just aerial artistry, but sports in general, isn’t it? Every highlight that lights up our phones or television screens also lights up our eyes, as one basketball glides over nine other players, leaving everyone else simply watching in amazement alongside us at home. It brings overwhelming feelings of nostalgia and bliss to passionate basketball fans like myself.
I remember dunking for the first time when I was sixteen years old at my local basketball courts by the train tracks in the upper Bronx, New York. It was a humid summer night with only a few stars visible through the glow of the city. I took off from one leg as the apartment windows, softly illuminated around the court, became my pretend audience, replacing the stars hidden in the night sky. I still remember the feeling of that brief moment of prolonged airtime, rising upward, stretching toward the rim, and flushing the basketball through the hoop as my fingers slid off the rim.
It is those forever moments that stay with us. Through letters, prose, and art, I hope this piece reminds you that there is freedom above the rim and within our minds whenever we appreciate the artistry of something that truly touches the soul.
Through some prolonged hangtime.
Written by Michael Colon
