WHERE JUMP SHOTS MEET JESUS

BY TIM ALLSTON

In the Beginning, . . .

“Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels” Hebrews 13:2

But I never considered it to mean meuntil December 7, 2022.

Previously, I had been scribbling random notes for an upcoming manuscript.

I k new I had a good idea of overlapping the Bible and basketball, . . . . . just needed an alley-oop to jumpstart me.

On that day, my personal Synovus Banker Leteria connected us by speakerphone to Robert Livingston. As an author-publisher, I wanted a Square, the portable device to accept credit/debit card purchases.

After Livingston, the corporate office relationship banker let me down gently, I then told him it was for my upcoming book about jump shots and Jesus.

From a Temporary “No” to a Permanent “Yes”

Even though he didn’t think that the Square was currently justified, he liked the book’s concept, adding, “You do know, Tim, that basketball was started in a YMCA gymnasium!”

Wow! I had forgotten that. Promptly, I declared to him and Leteria, “Livingston: your last seven seconds have outweighed our first three minutes of conversation. That reminder about basketball’s beginning at the Young Men’s Christian Association gymnasium was so much better for me than my not getting a Square!”

According to the Bible text quoted earlier, Livingston’s response made him my unexpected angel! That conversation became my permanent alley-oop and jump-start for this new book.

Where Jump Shots Meet Jesus pairs the last five NBA dynasties and their top servant leaders with best practices from the Bible. More specifically, winning NBA dynasties demonstrate Jesus’ service model through their top servant leaders. I learned that day that not only is every “no” not a permanent “no,” but it can lead to a permanent “yes,” and even deeper thoughts.

The Bank-to-Bible “crossover dribble”

From that Synovus Bank encounter, I began to wonder: are there any parallels between the originators of basketball and Christianity?

James of Naismith

Came to the U.S. from Canada, as a foreigner.

Hired as the Springfield, Mass., YMCA chaplain (who provides spiritual care) and an instructor in physical education.

Ordered by the “Y” to calm its “rowdies,” now restricted to indoor activities due to harsh New England winters; it was then and there that Naismith invented the game of basketball!

From that first basketball game in December 1891, Naismith’s invention has become one of the world’s most popular sports.

Here are a few crossover dribbles: This research on Where Jump Shots

Meet Jesus began quite innocently and unknowingly nearly 57 years ago, . .

“Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin, . .

.” Zecharaiah 4:10.

On November 5, 1966, my uncles took their 12-year-old nephew to the nearby Boston Garden for both my first NBA game and four-point play. Little did I realize what I was witnessing:

1.T he sport’s greatest one-on-one rivalry, pitting defensive genius Bill Russell against offensive phenom Wilt “the Stilt” Chamberlain.

It showed me the difference between the 20th century’s greatest team winner (Bill Russell’s 11 Boston Celtics’ NBA championships in 13 years) against perhaps the greatest collector of individual (72) NBA records (Wilt Chamberlain);

2.The de-throning of one NBA champion (Celtics) and the eventual coronat-

Jesus of Nazareth

Came to earth as a foreigner:the first and only fully divine and fully human being.

Provided spiritual care (chaplaincy), and instructed his disciples as they traveled with him from town to town only by walking = physical + education ing of another (Philadelphia 76ers) . . . demonstrating how to win a championship;

P rayed all night (Luke 6:12) for divine guidance in selecting his 12 disciples, which resulted in Christ choosing “12 rowdies” such as impetuous hothead Simon Peter, tax gouging Levi Matthew, doubting Thomas, betrayer Judas Iscariot, . . .

Jesus’ rowdies-turned-disciples created Christianity, now the world’s largest religion with 2.56 billion followers - one of every three world citizens.

3 .A m ilestone in race relations, as new player-coach Russell began that season as the first Black manager in all American sports - . . . showing Black athletes and activism are not mutually exclusive; and finally, I got to observe firsthand.

4 .T he secret to winning and making NBA dynasties . . this required more than winning a mere one or two championships.

From that November in 1966, I was hooked on NBA basketball and what made winning NBA dynasties - especially from a Biblical perspective.

What qualifies as an NBA dynasty?

I n its 76 years, the NBA has had eight teams that won championships only one time. They are: the St. Louis/Atlanta Hawks; Portland Trailblazers; Rochester Royals/Sacramento Kings; Seattle Supersonics; Oklahoma City Thunder; Washington Bullets/Wizards; Dallas Mavericks, and the Toronto Raptors.

A nd two, like the Houston Rockets and the New York Knicks, have captured just two titles.

But my lifelong study of the Bible has left me focused on the number “three” symbolizing perfection, wholeness, or completion. Therefore to me: An NBA dynasty is a team that wins three championships in the least amount of time -either three in a row or three in fou r consecutive seasons. Only five teams, t herefore, qualify as NBA dynasties and featured their top servant leaders:

1.Bill Russell’s 1950-60s Boston Celtics;

2 .M agic Johnson’s 1980s Los Angeles L akers;

3 .Scottie Pippen’s 1990s Chicago Bulls;

4 .Kobe Bryant’s 2000s LA Lakers; and

5 .Steph Curry’s 2010-20s Golden State Warriors.

But what made these five winning NBA franchises qualify as dynasties from a Biblical perspective?

Introducing my “NBA 2.0”

NBA 2.0 or “New Bible Advocacy 2.0” presents NBA events and newsmakers in the light of Biblical best practices. If the NBA’s first 75 years of crowning threepeat champions and dynasties follow any pattern, those teams featured silver-mettle leaders or “leaders from the middle.”

Silver-mettle leaders are their team’s

“leaders from the middle,” without whom their teams could not thrive or even survive! They are the Robins for the Batmans.

Back to basketball, . . .

I f scoring baskets is the #1 objective, then these leaders from the middle help their scorers score. This occurs through their defensive rebounding, blocking shots, stealing the ball, and assisting or passing the ball to the actual scorers. Many of these leaders from the middle were once top scorers in their high school and collegiate pasts. But in order to create NBA winners or dynasties, they often decreased their scoring prowess and instead increased their rebounding, shot-blocking, ball stealing, and assist making.

Summarily, they served their teammates more often than being served by t heir teammates.

Just like Jesus Christ

Perhaps even unbeknownst to themselves, these NBA dynasty-makers mimicked Jesus Christ. In Matthew 20:28, Coach Jesus successfully served as a role model to his 12 disciples, “Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, . . .” And it worked.

“The Dynasty-making of the Divine” in 11 Steps

Coach Jesus:

1.Scouted and drafted his first-round pick-up ragtag squad (Matthew 4:18-22);

2 .Signed them to a binding 11-word contract, “Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men” (Luke 5:10 NKJV);

3 .Enrolled them for three years in hi s own developmental “G League” ministry (Mark 9:19);

4 .Guided them through preseason scrimmages of wins (Luke 9:1-6) and losses (Matthew 17:14-21);

Described who was the GOAT (Mark 9:33-35);

5 .A nnounced first three members of h is starting five lineup (Matthew 17:1);

6. In preparation for his and thei r w inner-takes-it-all Game 7 (Crucifixion)

-‘T he Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him, and the third day He will be raised up,’ and they were exceedingly sorrowful,” Matthew 17:22,23 ,

7.Hosted the pre-game meal, The Last Supper;

Demonstrated first-hand their all-important life-changing strategy for Game 7 ( John 13:1-17);

8 .A nnounced his scouting report on h is opponent (John 13:21-30);

And after they all fouled out in the first half of Game 7, for Game 7’s second half, he then conducted a 40-day i ntensive halftime locker-room course between his Resurrection and Ascension (John 20:19-31); then

9 .Retired his number (Acts 1:9); and fi nally

10.A nnounced his successor-coach a nd then dismissed their huddle for them to establish and build the dynasty (Acts 1:8).

Again, it worked

Now 2000 years later Team Jesus or “Christianity” is the world’s largest religion. Where Jump Shots Meet Jesus answers questions you NEVER have thought to ask before:

•Compare Jordan’s “The Last Dance” w ith Jesus’ “The Last Supper”?

•W ho’s the controversial Sixth Man on Jesus’ Starting Five?

•Would you pair these NBA Stars wit h t hese Bible Characters (ex: Captain Magic Johnson the Super Laker vs. Captain Naaman the Syrian Leper!)?

•W hat’s the BIG LIE about Bill Russel l vs. Wilt Chamberlain?

•NBA: Why did you retire the wrong # for Bill Russell?

•W here’s the Enigmatic Kyrie Irving vs. the Evangelistic Steph Curry?

•I s Ja Morant this decade’s emerging “Kobe Bryant 2.0?”

The Bottom Line Question: When Jesus and the NBA meet for the opening Jump Ball, WHO wins the tip? The answer is Guaranteed to catch you off guard!

BONUS SECTION: Who are the SDAbred/NBA-blessed “starting five”?

Buy/order Where Jump Shots Meet Jesus right now! t

Tim Allston is a Leadership Coach and three-time Amazon Best-Selling Author, specializing in “leading from the middle” presentations.