On Thursday, Dallas cut Jorge Diaz Graham. Five hours later, Dallas signed Guillermo Diaz Graham, his twin. Eurohoops calls it a formal roster move. I call it an introduction that’s already written.
Because I’ve done it, in my head, on the Saturday mic. The dark, well, half the dark: the caretaker only switches off three strip lights out of six. The two school fête spotlights. [jingle] “Mesdames et messieurs, dames en heren, at power forward, number unchanged, Diaz Graham…” And then, the two-second pause. For once it earns its keep. The whole suspense of the evening sits in it. “…Guillermo!”
Make some noise. The jingle is the same. The surname is the same. I just re-cut the file before the first name.
Wednesday against New Orleans, Jorge played twelve minutes: five points, three rebounds. I’d have introduced him the same way, same pause, same music. I introduce everybody.
And they’re used to sharing a stage: three years at Pittsburgh, the Summer League together in Dallas, first and third picks of the Texas Legends in the international draft. At the Legends, if they play together as planned, the announcer will have to say both first names on the same night. I’ll lend him my two-second pause. He’ll need two of them.
Eurohoops says Guillermo should be released soon as well. On Friday it’s Atlanta, to finish the preseason. Our sound system, at our place, would surely have an opinion. Me, I’m keeping the file open. Just saying.
It’s true, we checked: Eurohoops.
