There’s a whole subculture to the high-five in sports, particularly when we’re talking about — we’re gonna anthropomorphize it for a second here — high-fives hip step-brother, the “pound.” “The pound,” hasn’t exactly replaced the high-five, but it’s as integral a part of fan – athlete, fan – fan, and athlete – athlete interactions.
That’s what makes the fake pound a Thunder fan offered Jose Calderone on Friday night so interesting. It totally tricks Jose, so much so he stops and calls the fan out. It almost seems like the fan had previously gotten him, turning their little DAP-pirouette into something akin to Lucy proffering the football to Charlie Brown. Jose needs to remember the the adage, “Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice–” you know the rest.
Jose got the last laugh though. His Knicks won 93-90, and he was 4-of-7 from the field for 10 points, seven assists and three steals in 30 minutes. But it got us to thinking about the power of high-fives.
High-fives are no laughing matter sometimes. Remember when Jeremy Lamb failed to DAP Russ? Yeah, Lamb is in Charlotte now. Coincidence? Maybe not.
Or how about that time an opposing fan in Memphis high-fived Steph during last year’s playoffs?
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Yeah, the Warriors came back from a 2-1 deficit to clinch the series. (True, this happened during that series comeback, but the example still applies.)
Wizards fans should trumpet Russell’s — somewhat hypocritical — ignorance of KD’s own offered DAP last season when they’re trying to woo Kevin Durant to the District of Columbia in free agency this coming summer.
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At least Calderon didn’t whiff on a butt slap, still the preferred on-court way of showing gratitude, at least for an older generation.
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