Zion!

[JDNC64]

With all the over the top Zion adoration going around, I'm beginning to think it's a good thing he'll be leaving ASAP. The haters are bound to raise their ugly heads sooner or later. Just let one unfortunate bloody nose with a Hansblahblah wannabe occur and we're off to the races. I for one am keeping my fingers crossed.
Love, Ima

Talk about cutting off your nose to spite your face!

[johnb]

You inspired me to make a meme...

Ha!


Max Weber may have been thinking of Zion when he developed the concept of charisma; Weber identified charisma as the quality that separates the special person from ordinary people so that they are treated as endowed with supernatural, superhuman, or at least specifically exceptional powers or qualities. That was in 1947, and Weber’s name was pronounced with a V not a W, and so he’d be aware that charismatic leadership can be a two edged sword.

So what sort of change might stem from Zion?

One psychoanalyst has written the following:

“Charismatic religious leadership is often infused with political strategy. Moses, apart from getting Divine Law to his people, united quarrelsome slave bands to a promised land and made them a fighting nation. Jesus not only taught the principles of faith, hope and charity; he lethally challenged the imperial status of Rome by declaring God to be the only true monarch and the eternal kingdom of Heaven to reside in the hearts of the faithful. Mohammed did not only start a new religion; as an astute military commander he conquered the Arabic lands and united barbaric tribes and gave at Mecca a center to their nomadic life, preparing the way for Islamic expansion.”
Ajit V Bhide
Indian Journal of Psychiatry
Charisma: The phenomenon and its psychology: A mental health perspective

One might argue that the above might set the bar too high, that Moses, Jesus, and Mohammed had unfair advantages when it comes to vertical leaps. Nevertheless, I’m now thinking that Zion and his Devil equals (1st shall be last and last shall be 1st) can lead Duke out of the wilderness, bring together the distant warring infidels, and foster peace among all fans so that we can rejoice together in the transcendent dominance of Duke. It’s not really asking too much from an 18 year old.

[kAzE]

With all the over the top Zion adoration going around, I'm beginning to think it's a good thing he'll be leaving ASAP. The haters are bound to raise their ugly heads sooner or later. Just let one unfortunate bloody nose with a Hansblahblah wannabe occur and we're off to the races. I for one am keeping my fingers crossed.
Love, Ima

I disagree. 3 more years of this would be beautiful, but he deserves to be a millionaire. There's already haters, and those people will always be haters.

[JasonEvans]

We've seen flashes. And in the ND game we saw a lot of flashes. Imagine watching a tip-to-horn utter domination of, say, UNC where Zion has 30, 10, 5, 3, and 2 on 10-15 shooting. Think about it. Does it feel so far fetched?

So, we are talking about a game where he misses a lot more than usual. Well, I guess I can live with that.

[BandAlum83]

I agree. And the best part is it might continue. I see no reason to believe it won't. Under K, and with improvement and cohesion from his teammates, my own personal nirvana actually has a chance to happen this year: a player on Duke that is so transcendent and masterful at understanding his own talents and game situations that he can control any game and any situation and play them like an orchestral masterpiece.

We've seen flashes. And in the ND game we saw a lot of flashes. Imagine watching a tip-to-horn utter domination of, say, UNC where Zion has 30, 10, 5, 3, and 2 on 10-15 shooting. Think about it. Does it feel so far fetched?

- Chillin

Chillin, you're living in the matrix!

There Was a Glitch in the Matrix During Last Night's Phoenix Suns Game

[BandAlum83]

Ha!


Max Weber may have been thinking of Zion when he developed the concept of charisma; Weber identified charisma as the quality that separates the special person from ordinary people so that they are treated as endowed with supernatural, superhuman, or at least specifically exceptional powers or qualities. That was in 1947, and Weber’s name was pronounced with a V not a W, and so he’d be aware that charismatic leadership can be a two edged sword.

So what sort of change might stem from Zion?

One psychoanalyst has written the following:

“Charismatic religious leadership is often infused with political strategy. Moses, apart from getting Divine Law to his people, united quarrelsome slave bands to a promised land and made them a fighting nation. Jesus not only taught the principles of faith, hope and charity; he lethally challenged the imperial status of Rome by declaring God to be the only true monarch and the eternal kingdom of Heaven to reside in the hearts of the faithful. Mohammed did not only start a new religion; as an astute military commander he conquered the Arabic lands and united barbaric tribes and gave at Mecca a center to their nomadic life, preparing the way for Islamic expansion.”
Ajit V Bhide
Indian Journal of Psychiatry
Charisma: The phenomenon and its psychology: A mental health perspective

One might argue that the above might set the bar too high, that Moses, Jesus, and Mohammed had unfair advantages when it comes to vertical leaps. Nevertheless, I’m now thinking that Zion and his Devil equals (1st shall be last and last shall be 1st) can lead Duke out of the wilderness, bring together the distant warring infidels, and foster peace among all fans so that we can rejoice together in the transcendent dominance of Duke. It’s not really asking too much from an 18 year old.

It's posts like this that make me love DBR! Sporks to you!

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

Chillin, you're living in the matrix!

There Was a Glitch in the Matrix During Last Night's Phoenix Suns Game

That looks like a video game. Weird.

[NSDukeFan]

Chillin, you're living in the matrix!

There Was a Glitch in the Matrix During Last Night's Phoenix Suns Game

Now that’s a fist.

[SupaDave]

Let's turn this around. Since Michael Jordan is generally viewed as the greatest basketball player of all time (sure some say Wilt or Karrem, but go with me here), and since LeBron never played college ball:

Was Michael Jordan the greatest basketball to have ever played at UNC?

Was MJ the greatest basketball player to have ever put on a UNC uniform?

Is there a difference between the two?

MJ wasn't even the best player on the team his first two years...

[SupaDave]

I don't think that I have ever seen anyone who can simultaneously be the most powerful player and the most agile player on the court every game he plays.

I have...

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=...49046863303718

2138-2991576Fr.jpg

[uh_no]

MJ wasn't even the best player on the team his first two years...

This is probably true, but people downplay that he was pretty good, even as a freshman. He put up 13 and 4 and was on the NCAA all tournament team. I think you'd take that from almost any freshman in a non-one-and-done era.

[HereBeforeCoachK]

I have...

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=...49046863303718

2138-2991576Fr.jpg

Link doesn't work, but it appears to be Rodney Rogers. Uh, close, but no....

[SupaDave]

Link doesn't work, but it appears to be Rodney Rogers. Uh, close, but no...

You might want to take a walk down memory lane on youtube. There were VERY few 230 pound SMALL forwards doing 360 in-game dunks during Rogers time. And he was doing that in high school.

MOST people from Durham see the resemblance...

[HereBeforeCoachK]

You might want to take a walk down memory lane on youtube. There were VERY few 230 pound SMALL forwards doing 360 in-game dunks during Rogers time. And he was doing that in high school.

MOST people from Durham see the resemblance...

I do see the resemblance...your post kind of hinted at equality. I agree on resemblance....not on equality. And FTR, I don't think Rogers was a "small" forward in those days.

[Messimorgan17]

I absolutely love Zion for all the reasons posted. However, the hype is out of control. There are many more stories that center on him than the team. He's handling it great. Has anyone noticed that Zion is getting more publicity, if thats possible than poor Grayson did the last few years over trippin. The good part of this is that it totally changed the narrative. Some Duke haters (not associated with Ky and UNC) actually like Zion and this year's team. People are watching and paying attention for positive reasons not negative.

[BandAlum83]

MJ wasn't even the best player on the team his first two years...

Exactly!

So how do we even answer the question initially posed?

[NSDukeFan]

I don't think that I have ever seen anyone who can simultaneously be the most powerful player and the most agile player on the court every game he plays.

I have...

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=...49046863303718

2138-2991576Fr.jpg

I do see the resemblance...your post kind of hinted at equality. I agree on resemblance...not on equality. And FTR, I don't think Rogers was a "small" forward in those days.

I don’t think there was ever any mention about equality.

That is a nice trip down memory lane. Rogers was fun to watch.

[JetpackJesus]

I absolutely love Zion for all the reasons posted. However, the hype is out of control. There are many more stories that center on him than the team. He's handling it great. Has anyone noticed that Zion is getting more publicity, if thats possible than poor Grayson did the last few years over trippin. The good part of this is that it totally changed the narrative. Some Duke haters (not associated with Ky and UNC) actually like Zion and this year's team. People are watching and paying attention for positive reasons not negative.

I recall a similar thing happened with the 2015 squad.

[SupaDave]

I don’t think there was ever any mention about equality.

That is a nice trip down memory lane. Rogers was fun to watch.

Correct! We are talking about a guy literally nicknamed the Durham BULL - and Zion has FIFTY pounds on him!!!!

[BandAlum83]

I don’t think there was ever any mention about equality.

That is a nice trip down memory lane. Rogers was fun to watch.

He wasn't too much fun to watch when he was playing against the Blue Devils. My memory may be faulty, but wasn't he a Duke Killer? (Or was that only Childress?)