THE POLITICAL ECONOMY OF WINNING THE BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP.

The 1971 tournament Most Valuable Player reflects on the return of the title to Milwaukee.  "The Milwaukee Bucks’ against-all-odds victory in the Finals is an inspirational moment that could be just what we needed to recharge ourselves and recommit to building the country up — even against all odds — as those reactionaries and MAGA-ites tear it down."

The early 1970s were also a time of conflict and raw emotions.

What did it feel like to play basketball during all this civil unrest? It felt like we were helping to keep the lid on, to give people something to cheer for rather than just protest against. This wasn’t to minimize the righteous need for those protests — I had participated in some myself — but to remind everyone that life was a balance of joy and sorrow and that it was our job to bring some of the joy.

Organized sports, still a microcosm of civilizational emergence, for good or for ill.