David Samson

And I think there's this belief that if we just see them on social media, we get to know the real them, which I didn't really get to know the real versions of a lot of these dudes. What I saw was these cool package Nike ads or Reebok ads or slam covers. and this way that cool was, like, disseminated to us.

And I think there's this belief that if we just see them on social media, we get to know the real them, which I didn't really get to know the real versions of a lot of these dudes. What I saw was these cool package Nike ads or Reebok ads or slam covers. and this way that cool was, like, disseminated to us.

And I think there's this belief that if we just see them on social media, we get to know the real them, which I didn't really get to know the real versions of a lot of these dudes. What I saw was these cool package Nike ads or Reebok ads or slam covers. and this way that cool was, like, disseminated to us.

Like, think about somebody like Reggie Miller, who you got the choke, and he was, like, this kind of, like, kind of annoying dude, but, like, he had this quote-unquote aura, and then he gets, like, unfettered mic time for three hours on TV as a color commentator, and everybody's like, shut up, Reggie Miller, we hate you. You know what I'm saying?

Like, think about somebody like Reggie Miller, who you got the choke, and he was, like, this kind of, like, kind of annoying dude, but, like, he had this quote-unquote aura, and then he gets, like, unfettered mic time for three hours on TV as a color commentator, and everybody's like, shut up, Reggie Miller, we hate you. You know what I'm saying?

Like, think about somebody like Reggie Miller, who you got the choke, and he was, like, this kind of, like, kind of annoying dude, but, like, he had this quote-unquote aura, and then he gets, like, unfettered mic time for three hours on TV as a color commentator, and everybody's like, shut up, Reggie Miller, we hate you. You know what I'm saying?

Like, that's, you know, Reggie Miller's great and all that stuff, but, like, that's kind of what it became, because, like, he had this, like, barrier of, And this packaging that created cool in a way that a lot of these athletes do not have right now. We just get their social media personalities and they're mic'd up. And we like see Jalen Brown being like, we're not wizards. We're Harry Potter.

Like, that's, you know, Reggie Miller's great and all that stuff, but, like, that's kind of what it became, because, like, he had this, like, barrier of, And this packaging that created cool in a way that a lot of these athletes do not have right now. We just get their social media personalities and they're mic'd up. And we like see Jalen Brown being like, we're not wizards. We're Harry Potter.

Like, that's, you know, Reggie Miller's great and all that stuff, but, like, that's kind of what it became, because, like, he had this, like, barrier of, And this packaging that created cool in a way that a lot of these athletes do not have right now. We just get their social media personalities and they're mic'd up. And we like see Jalen Brown being like, we're not wizards. We're Harry Potter.

You know, like we get a lot of that where we didn't get before.

You know, like we get a lot of that where we didn't get before.

You know, like we get a lot of that where we didn't get before.

So that brings up the question. I have a question for both of you, for all of us to ask, which is sort of a central part of this piece. Like, when you guys think of coolest athletes that you've ever experienced, who comes to mind?

So that brings up the question. I have a question for both of you, for all of us to ask, which is sort of a central part of this piece. Like, when you guys think of coolest athletes that you've ever experienced, who comes to mind?

So that brings up the question. I have a question for both of you, for all of us to ask, which is sort of a central part of this piece. Like, when you guys think of coolest athletes that you've ever experienced, who comes to mind?

This reminds me... This article and this whole idea reminds me kind of like when I was coming up in the hip-hop blogs. And I was reading, like, The New Yorker. And there were, like, older dudes writing about, like, telling me what was cool. And, like, Lil Wayne rhymed, like, Nigerian hair with whatever. And, like, you should like him. And it's like, well, you know. And so...

This reminds me... This article and this whole idea reminds me kind of like when I was coming up in the hip-hop blogs. And I was reading, like, The New Yorker. And there were, like, older dudes writing about, like, telling me what was cool. And, like, Lil Wayne rhymed, like, Nigerian hair with whatever. And, like, you should like him. And it's like, well, you know. And so...

This reminds me... This article and this whole idea reminds me kind of like when I was coming up in the hip-hop blogs. And I was reading, like, The New Yorker. And there were, like, older dudes writing about, like, telling me what was cool. And, like, Lil Wayne rhymed, like, Nigerian hair with whatever. And, like, you should like him. And it's like, well, you know. And so...

I think what fundamentally as humans you're going to always think is cool are people who are older than you, who grew up like... Yeah. Who you grew up admiring and who you grew up wanting to be like. And I think for us as near 40-year-olds, I don't think we can really determine what's cool. Or like none of these athletes are going to be cool.

I think what fundamentally as humans you're going to always think is cool are people who are older than you, who grew up like... Yeah. Who you grew up admiring and who you grew up wanting to be like. And I think for us as near 40-year-olds, I don't think we can really determine what's cool. Or like none of these athletes are going to be cool.