From the bottom of the heart. She’s charming. She’s fascinating. She’s magnificent. Every time you look at her, you get a good spirit. Even the gum, which Becky doesn’t chew only probably when she sleeps, suits her. Though in the court chewing gum helps her. People who play basketball say, it’s easier to breath.
It’s impossible not to notice her on the court. She’s great even when it’s not her day in playing; even in such matches Becky does her best. But when Becky is on fire - you heart jumps to the basket ring. Her three-pointers are a singing guitar in Jimmy Hendrix's hands, a song of Robertino Loretti, Federiko Fellini's "Amarkord".
She makes this world go mad. « She’s married to basketball », - one journalist wrote about Hammon.
But in Hammon’s life basketball occupies only 10 percent of the time. Basketball – only the tenth part of Becky. And what’s the rest? We know that Becky likes to sing, that she loves music, spaghetti and lobsters, loves hunting, her dog, children, American football, fishing. We know that she used to play drums in the church, and spent her childhood playing basketball with the boys. It’s not enough! But in general we could know nothing, if once babe Becky wouldn’t become the greatest basketball player in the world.
She even became bigger than the whole world.
***
She didn’t betray USA. How such a thought even could come to someone’s head? This Soviet thought has come just to Americans. And Becky was on TV, there was a voting all over the country: whether you approve an act of Hammon or not. Americans' opinions were halved.
I don’t know, whether Becky has taken offence at the native land. I will never ask her about it. This question can cause a pain, and to hurt Becky is like to kill a mocker (remember such movie with Greg Pek). Did you see, how in Russian NT’s uniform she sang an anthem of her native land before Russia – USA match? Perhaps it was the heaviest minutes in Hammon’s life, cuz she couldn’t do anything for her country. She didn’t play against the USA. She played an ordinary match where there were yours and rival, which you simply must overpower. But all America were playing against Becky Hammon. And Becky had only three points.
Perhaps it wasn’t necessary to let her out in that duel. Two years ago our girls have beaten Americans without Hammon. But what’s the difference now?
When Russia won the bronze, Becky was the happiest in our team. The dream came true – she took part in the Olympic Games, she won a medal. And also USA became the winners.
But Becky, your "bronze" is more expensive than "gold"! It’s more expensive than all medals, all awards of the world. After all a medal, it’s only a medal. And in 2006 who needed "gold" of Italians in the Soccer World championship? Unless only Italians, that is pardonable. But when offend your close, dear person – your daughter, sister, mother – what football is here, what World championship? The act of Zidan is the other victory. It’s not measured by any medal because no medal will be put on – she is small.
How much I want to explain easier, more clearly … It’s like by Kant, break from the world of necessity in other world, the world of absolutely other values.
In this act – freedom, this is out of any frameworks and definitions. Cuz then it just wouldn’t be a freedom. Becky Hammon’s act is another victory. USA is only USA (forgive me, Becky!) And the dream is …
Becky, if you would just know what you’ve made! How many people live, taking their dreams away, to the corners of the most distant shelves and boxes! They are afraid of the dream. They are compelled to go to school, to do lessons, then – to go for the work; to drive children to school, to buy products in shop, to stand in a queue, to pay for apartment …All life will pass in such way. It all consists from «it is necessary, it is necessary, it is necessary» … And when to live?
We forgot one thing – the person is born to be free. Yeah, Becky?
Of course, we are happy, that Becky is our now. But we are glad not only because she is a great athlete, but also because we, as seems to us, could outdone the USA.
Sorry, but did the USA know about it?
One more thing – if someone from our sportsman decides to play for this country? How he can do it! He doesn’t know what we’ll do with him… Once there were hearings that Nikolay Davydenko wishes to play for Austria. And here, just imagine – USA!
We are with the Soviet consciousness, with a complex on a complex, love fatherland with a very strange love, and for the sake of the proof of this love we are ready to tear a shirt on ourselves. But we don’t think that tearing a shirt in general isn’t a love of the country.
The love for the country which now almost pushes from a school bench is not love to the state, to the power, to the president. Simply because the state and the native land are different things. The native land is more than the state.
And the person is more than the state. It’s the Universe, and the state is only the social institute which has been thought up by people. Thought up by us in order to make our life easier, comfortable. Is it comfortable for you to live?
***
When you look at Becky, you wish to become better. And, when you offend your child, you think – how I will communicate with Becky now? If she sees that, what will she say?
And still … Becky, you are remarkable person, and I want to shake your hands. Becky, you are beautiful woman, and I want to kiss your hand. Becky, I love you, and I hope so much that someday we can become friends.
P.S. I want so much to present to you the whole world, but now I can give you only these words.
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