The “and one”. My shout. The one I push into the mic on Saturday nights, in our Brussels hall, when our winger goes into contact and the ball drops anyway. Jae Crowder pushed it in the Euroleague, against Zalgiris, pointing at the referee. Technical foul. He says he did it countless times in the NBA without a sanction. Thirteen seasons, 812 games, two Finals, and it’s in Europe that they cut his sound.
Let me replay the moment for you. The way it should have gone.
The two school fête spotlights. The caretaker switches off half the neon lights, he won’t do better than that. “Mesdames et messieurs, dames en heren, contact on the basket, the ball is in, and it’s…” Two seconds of silence. “…And ooone!” [jingle] Make some noise.
There. The shout comes from the mic, the finger stays in the pocket, and the referee, sir, does his job in peace.
What actually happened that night: one finger, one shout, one whistle. Then Crowder walked up to the referee to explain politely that he hadn’t said anything foul-mouthed and didn’t know such a reaction could earn a technical in Europe. No jingle. A conversation between two.
The shout, I don’t note. The finger, I do.
After the game in Kaunas, he said the loud atmosphere hadn’t impressed him. “It’s loud, but I’m used to it,” he told BasketNews. So am I. The noise is the same. There are just fewer people to hear it.
The “and one” stays with me at the mic. Just saying.
It’s true, we checked: BasketNews.
