Stephen Sondheim's papers go to Library of Congress, offering a look into a Broadway genius
The collection includes about 5,000 items, ranging from drafts of songs that were cut from shows or never made it to first rehearsal, as well as a spiral music book titled 'Notes and Ideas' that document some of his musical efforts while a student at Williams College. He died in 2021.
'It's staggering,' said Senior Music Specialist Mark Horowitz in an interview. 'He's constantly refining, changing words or phrases here and there. It's like he never gives up on trying to perfect the things.'
The cache includes drafts of variations on the lyrics to 'I'm Still Here' from 'Follies' and 'Putting It Together' from 'Sunday in the Park with George' that Sondheim wrote for Barbra Streisand at her request. The collection arrived at the Library in March.
There also are lyrics for a reprise of 'Side by Side by Side' that never made it into 'Company' and 40 pages of lyric sketches for 'A Little Priest' — 'Is the politician so oily it's served with a doily?' go one of the final lines — from 'Sweeney Todd,' with lists of more than 150 possible professions and types of people who could have been baked into pies written in the margins.
'It seems like the older he gets, the more sketching there is,' says Horowitz. 'For the early shows, there may be three boxes of materials or four boxes. By the later shows, it eight or nine boxes. I don't know if it's because it became harder for him or because he became more detail-oriented.'
Some surprises in Sondheim's papers
The Library of Congress expects a surge in requests to view the collection when it becomes available this summer. Anyone over 16 with a driver's license or a passport can ask for access to the original pages. It becomes available July 1.
Horowitz, the author of " Sondheim on Music: Minor Details and Major Decisions " and editor for The Sondheim Review, who has taught musical theater history at Georgetown, has been surprised by some of the items.
One of them was a song Sondheim wrote as part of a public TV contest in the early 1970s. The winner wanted the Broadway icon to write a song for his mother's 50th birthday and Horowitz stumbled over their correspondences. 'I had no idea that existed,' he said.
Horowitz convinced Sondheim to donate his papers to the Library of Congress in 1993 and the composer put it in his will. 'I'd seen his manuscripts to some degree in his home before, but nothing like the kind of in-depth page after page after page that I'm doing now.'
Horowitz, who has been processing collections for 34 years, built a friendship with Sondheim and even found his own name a few times in the collection.
'For large collections that I spend a lot of time on, I tend to feel the ghost of that person over my shoulder. But with Sondheim, it's the first time I can think of that I'm processing a collection of someone who I really knew.'
A fire and 'a miracle'
Six of Sondheim's musicals won Tony Awards for best score, and he also received a Pulitzer Prize ('Sunday in the Park'), an Academy Award (for the song 'Sooner or Later' from the film 'Dick Tracy'), five Olivier Awards and the Presidential Medal of Honor. In 2008, he received a Tony Award for lifetime achievement.
The fact that Sondheim had anything to donate to the Library at all is a miracle. He suffered a fire in 1995 that started in his office, just feet from where the collection rested on wooden shelves and in cardboard boxes. But somehow it survived, albeit with some papers suffering scorch marks.
'There's absolutely no reason why the collection should not have gone up in flames. And it is truly the closest I've ever seen to a miracle, the fact that they didn't,' said Horowitz.
The country's oldest federal cultural institution, the Library of Congress was founded in 1800 under legislation by President John Adams and has traditionally enjoyed bipartisan backing.
It contains more than 100 million books, recordings, images and other artifacts and offers a vast online archive, and its contents span three buildings on Capitol Hill. It's not a traditional circulating library but is instead a research library.
In his second term, President Donald Trump fired the Librarian of Congress, Carla Hayden, amid criticism from conservatives that she was advancing a 'woke' agenda.
The Library of Congress is already home to the collections of several Broadway icons, including Neil Simon, Arthur Laurents, Marvin Hamlisch, Bob Fosse and Gwen Verdon.
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Yahoo
9 minutes ago
- Yahoo
44 Of The Wildest, Funniest, And Most Unhinged Excuses For Missing Work You've Probably Ever Heard (And, Allegedly, They're All True)
Reddit user piranhamode recently asked, "What is the most unusual excuse you've ever heard of from somebody calling off work?" People flooded the replies with their own wild (yet true) excuses for missing work, as well as the most absurd excuses their colleagues have ever called in. Here's what they shared: 1."I was once late to work because I was glued in my apartment. They replaced the carpet in the common hallway overnight, and were too enthusiastic with the glue by my door. My door opened inward, so I couldn't get enough leverage to open it. I had to wait until maintenance arrived at 8 a.m., so they could body slam the door from the outside. I was laughing so hard when I left the voicemail for my boss, I had to call back to speak more clearly." —FloatingFreeMe 2."My grandparents had a medical emergency years ago where one got stuck on the toilet, and when the other tried to help, they fell and knocked themselves unconscious. My employer demanded details and didn't believe me because it sounded like an SNL skit." —Sea_Accident_6138 3."Flushed my car key down the toilet. It was me, and I certainly did." —waterbottlejesus 4."It was opening day of the school year, and I was in our home office typing up my Classroom Expectations. Suddenly, I felt something on my head, accompanied by a high-pitched scream. It was a frickin' bat entangled in my hair. My husband somehow got it out of my hair while I collapsed onto the floor, trying to breathe from the sheer panic. After half an hour of trying to compose myself, I called our principal and told him what had happened and that I would be late, as my nerves had to settle down before I could drive the 1.5-hour commute. When I arrived in time for my third-period class of nervous, brand-new first years and told them why I was late, the looks on their faces were memorable." —PerfectIndication792 5."I had to call my boss and tell her I would be late because chipmunks had filled my truck's engine up with black walnuts! She laughed so hard I thought she was going to choke. Went out to leave, started the truck, and heard this awful sound. Opened the hood, and the engine was full of black walnuts. Had to get the little stepladder out and spent half an hour cleaning them all out. Luckily, I was only about half an hour late, and it was the early morning stocking shift, so it was all good." —FairBaker315 6."I used to manage a small team at an IT helpdesk. One morning, my most punctual, reliable employee didn't show up. He calls me two hours into his shift, sounding genuinely panicked. 'I am so sorry. I can't come in today. I'm trapped.' Me: 'Trapped? What do you mean, trapped? Is everything okay?' Him: 'Yes, I'm fine, a moose on my porch, and it's been sleeping in front of my door for three hours. I can't get out.' I was completely silent, trying to process whether this was an elaborate prank. I just told him to keep me updated. An hour later, he emailed me a picture from his upstairs window. There, magnificently and absurdly, was a full-grown moose, curled up and fast asleep on his front steps like a giant, antlered dog." "It's the only time in my career I've had to log 'Act of Moose' as the official reason for an absence." —InnerObligation2676 7."I emailed the office that I wouldn't be in for a few days because my (then) wife had had our the front seat of my car on the side of the turnpike. They knew he was due any day, and we were actually on the way to the hospital, but he just came faster than we expected. I got an email back from a coworker with a link to a local news article saying, 'I thought I recognized your car!'" —throwaway47138 8."I called in late to work once. I got fake nails for the first time for a wedding. When I was in the shower, exfoliating my face, I stuck one of those fake nails up my nose and sliced it open. It was bleeding a ton. My boss started calling me Edward Scissorhands!" —Conchetta1 9."I had a coworker call out because she ran out of toilet paper. She's probably still sitting on the toilet to this day." —mkalias 10."One of my colleagues said that one of his employees could not come to work because she was the getaway car driver when her boyfriend robbed a bank, and they both got arrested." —Zoomulator 11."My wife called me from home while I was at work one day. I asked her why she was home instead of at work, and she said, 'I called in sick.' I asked her what was wrong. She replied, 'There's a big bug by the door.' We lived in a garden apartment with only one entrance. And she couldn't get out because of the bug. I told her to step on it. She was too afraid. I told her to sic our Jack Russell on it. She (the dog) was definitely not afraid of bugs. So that's what she did. She took the dog over to it, pointed it out, and the dog went over to it, sniffed it, and walked away. Upon further examination, it turned out the 'bug' was actually just a ball of loose thread. These are the dangers of not wearing your glasses, I guess." —Adddicus 12."One guy didn't show up for work on February 14th. He showed up the next day and was asked where he was. He thought Valentine's Day was a national holiday! Lol." —Original-Dinner-435 13."A coworker got Kegel exercise balls stuck in her vagina and couldn't get them out. She had to call her husband to come home from work to get them out for her. We weren't shocked that it happened as much as we were shocked she would actually tell everyone why she was late." —ReddyKilowattWife 14."One of my staff members called out one day (back in 2012) because she found a huge human turd on her driver's seat when she opened the car door to drive to work." —gidget2802 15."Got bit on the finger by a squirrel while tossing a coffee cup into a parking garage trashcan." —ImOnPlutoWhereAreYou 16."A guy I worked with in retail 15 years ago called in to say he had a nightmare and didn't think he'd be able to get back to sleep and come in to work five hours later." —dennisbauls6 17."While in retail a long time ago, I was running a shift and had a girl call in sick, saying she was too distraught to work because Zayn had left One Direction." —beamob 18."Back in the day, a fellow Blockbuster employee called in sick after eating a whole log of cookie dough." —lesvegetables 19."I had to call in late once because my stairs were gone. Of course, it was a huge violation by the condo, and I sped up their timeline by calling the Department of Housing and Code Enforcement. We had no way out of our second-story walk-up. Absolutely ridiculous, and fortunately, the photos I sent my boss were enough to excuse my tardiness." —redhuntrez 20."I once had an employee call to say they would be late because a plane hit their car. Turns out they live next to a small private airfield. A drunk pilot was coming in to land and mistook the road for a runway. By the time he started to correct, it was too late. He skimmed off the top of their car. The car had scrapes all along the roof, and the propeller had trimmed the antenna." —Pleaselobotomize 21."A colleague emailed me to tell me he'd be out of town and unable to review the materials I sent him. I was frustrated because I work in print publishing, and deadlines really don't care about your vacation. I checked in with another colleague to see if he agreed that I should follow up with him by phone regardless. It turns out he was not just 'out of town.' He was in ANTARCTICA doing research." —porcelina-g 22."One time, I called into work because my neighbor with Alzheimer's kept accidentally taking my mail, so I didn't know I had jury duty until about two hours before jury duty. My work found it humorous, and saved the email in which I explained everything." —everytownhasanelmst 23."Does leaving early count? My mom closed the eyeglasses store she was working at because a fly was in her drink and got in her mouth." —brunette_mermaid93 24."I recently had to call in because lightning struck my home and caused a fire. Yup." —SLMRN01 25."I had to call in late because an elk cow had given birth right beside my driveway. She was standing in the middle of the drive, staring at me when I came out of the door. I could probably get past her, but I didn't want to risk her abandoning the new calf because she perceived the area as dangerous." —No-Satisfaction5636 26."'I sharted on the bus and had to return home to shower.'" —_prison-spice_ 27."I once heard a coworker called in sunburnt. Weird, but to be fair, she was VERY light-skinned, so I imagine it was pretty bad." —wantahippo4christmas 28."They dropped a frozen turkey on their bare foot." —Less_Instruction_345 29."I sprained my ankle chasing a dog after the dumb dog got us sprayed by a skunk in my yard at 2 a.m. I didn't get any sleep because I'd been washing the dog, and then around 7 a.m., I went to the ER to get checked out." —LAPL620 30."There was a spider in their car, and they were deathly afraid of spiders." —Shadowhawk0000 31."I called out once because there was a scorpion in my bed that stung me 10+ times, and I was in a helicopter being med-evac'd. Called out once because a pack of javelinas were encircling my car. Called out once because a mama cougar was hanging out on my back wall with a baby on the ground. I was called out once because a saguaro fell onto my house, and I had to prove to the feds that I didn't knock it over. Called out on two separate occasions because I got stuck in a hurricane and missed my flight home. I called out once because I was helping rescue a friend's horses from a wildfire moving toward their ranch. I think that's pretty much it for my wild excuses. I don't really get sick, so I don't call out unless I REALLY can't get to work." —hotanduncomfortable 32."I once had to contact my work to tell them I was going to be late because the SWAT team wouldn't let me leave my house. I did shift work and was trying to leave my house around 4:30 a.m. The SWAT team was trying to arrest someone living a few houses down, and they'd cordoned off an area that included a few houses (including mine) and the overflow parking (where my car was)." —CassieBear1 33."Not me, but my mother. One of her employees once called to tell her she would not be coming to work because her car was on fire. This particular employee had been caught lying before (with very obvious stuff too), so my mother didn't quite believe her at first. Lo and behold, this particular story was verified as true because it made it to the local news on TV that night." —a-most-peculiar-girl 34."I wish I could just add the screenshot, but I had to call in late the other day. The message to my boss said: 'Hi bossman. I was on my way, and I saw a squirrel get hit by a car. While I was grabbing my jacket to get him off the street, some other lady ran out and grabbed him barehanded, and got bitten. So I'm having to call animal control.'" —Forsaken_Article_295 35."I once had to call out because my town was having a 5K race and then a parade, and my house happened to be in the epicenter of the route. Literally every street around my own was closed. I offered to walk to the nearby grocery store if somebody wanted to come pick me up." —Wishyouamerry 36."As a kid in Colorado, I had to call in late to a weekend shift because we had a bear in our driveway." —Phyrnosoma 37."I'm the one who had to give the excuse. TL;DR: My bedroom basically turned into an escape room one morning unexpectedly. The handle on my bedroom door broke (as in, the mechanism inside no longer moved when I turned the knob). At the time, I lived alone and didn't know anyone living nearby who could potentially help me. The landlord wasn't replying to my calls/texts. I needed to pee really badly, as I had just woken up. I had no tools with me. It took me three hours of turning my room upside down in the hopes of finding small objects that would help me remove the knob and then manually move the mechanism inside. Good times." —isopode 38."A 17-year-old at a pizza place I used to work for 'ate too much Easter candy before his shift.' Legendary." —Resting_Warface 39."They couldn't come in because their neighbor's dog ate their car keys." —curvynsluttyxo 40."I was late to work one time because I was stuck behind both a tractor and a horse-drawn wagon on their way to participate in a Christmas parade. I had to take a picture to send in to prove my point." —rharper38 41."A plane landed on the expressway, preventing traffic from using the road." —2thecorAY 42."I once called out of work as a bartender from the crawl space under my house, I was rescuing an abandoned kitten and got stuck in the ductwork." —southern_gothicc 43."I once had to call out of work because the cops had blocked my driveway. There was a random cop car across the end of my driveway. There were no cops around and no way to get around it. Turns out they had an incident and the one cop jumped in a different vehicle (ambulance maybe?) and left it behind." —Killer-Barbie "I had to genuinely call in sick because I squirted shampoo in my eye during my morning shower. My vision went out completely in that eye for about three hours, and there was no way I could drive. Fortunately, I worked at a vet office, so there was some degree of compassion at the other end of the phone." —codexonline84 What's the wildest excuse you've ever heard (or had to give) for missing work? Was it true??? Tell us in the comments or share anonymously using this form. Solve the daily Crossword
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Travel + Leisure
14 minutes ago
- Travel + Leisure
Martha's Vineyard Has an Unspoken Dress Code—Here's What a Local Recommends Wearing, From $14
The coastal island of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, has always been an attractive summer retreat. Pastel-colored gingerbread cottages, windswept dunes, and oak-lined streets without traffic make it a whimsical destination. For Erin Goldson, who is now based in New York City but whose family history on the island dates back four generations, the island is much more than just a summer vacation. 'The Vineyard is home. My great-grandmother was the first in my family to buy a home on the island, and my family has been coming ever since,' she says, noting that her parents met on the island, and it is where her late father is buried, as it was his happy place. 'My 98-year-old grandmother still lives there year-round,' she adds. As a lifetime Vineyarder, Goldson is always in the know with social events, community efforts, and simple pleasures like meeting with a friend for a bike ride or brunch. In fact, she recently launched the Vineyard Icon Awards, a celebration of important changemakers, from cultural leaders to public servants and innovators, all of whom have deep ties to the Vineyard and an impact that reaches far beyond it. Quintessential vineyard fashion styles were on full display at this inaugural event and will continue through the rest of the summer and into fall, as the island reaches peak tourism. When it comes to what to wear on Martha's Vineyard, Goldson encourages visitors to forget formal and embrace cozy instead. 'Vineyard style is all about ease. It's comfortable, light, and summery. Think whites, soft blues, pastels, and the occasional pop of color,' she says. 'What I love most is that you can wear a breezy dress during the day and change into a hoodie and jeans at night. It's chic without trying too hard.' 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This Madewell denim jacket is a collarless option with relaxed drop shoulders for a casual fit. Light enough to wear on any summer night, it pairs well with your favorite dress or flowy pants. What's a coastal getaway without a trip to the shoreline? 'I love a full beach day with family and friends. Whether we're at State Beach, the Inkwell, or up island at Great Rock Bite, I always bring a cute beach bag and a cover-up that makes me feel pulled together,' Goldson says. The Versa Rubber Tote Bag is a perfect option for anyone who is looking for a fashionable, spacious bag. The waterproof and washable tote features a scalloped edge and comes in a number of vibrant hues, including colorful options perfect for the Vineyard, like tangerine and coral pink. For any outdoor activity that requires good foot support, New Balance's DynaSoft sneakers will provide plenty of stability for long walks, bike rides, and everything in between. A durable rubber sole and plush cushioning create a sturdy foundation for all-day wear, and the no-sew upper makes this shoe easy to slip on and off. A casual outfit for outdoor activity is also a must on Goldson's Martha's Vineyard packing list. 'One of my favorite things to do on the Vineyard is get up around 5 A.M., ride my bike to the Inkwell in Oak Bluffs for sunrise, then head toward Edgartown and return just in time to watch the Polar Bear swim,' she says. 'Since I'm rolling right out of bed, I need something that's quick, comfortable, and still cute if I bump into someone I know (as that is par for the course on MV!)' Old Navy's CloudComfy Cami Short Bodysuit is ideal for its super soft and stretchy material. It also features adjustable straps and a built-in bra so that you can throw it on with ease. Coastal towns make it easy to get outside and get moving. Activewear should be a staple on any packing list, like this Athleta skort that comes with sewn-in gripping material to keep the undershorts from riding up. Plus, it has four pockets to store essentials so you can head out the door without a purse. 'The best part of the Vineyard is how a long walk or bike ride can lead to a full day of unexpected pit stops. I love workout clothes that work for a long bike ride, but feel polished enough to stop by a friend's house,' Goldson says. Goldson always packs a cute cover-up for beach days. She recommends choosing one that can double as a dress if you want to grab lunch after the beach, like Blooming Jelly's Casual Cover-up. The lightweight V-neck option falls above the knee and features two pockets to store items like your wallet and keys. The loose, swinging style is ideal for days full of activity, too. Vuori's Halo Modern Full Zip Hoodie provides all of the super soft Dream Knit fabric that the brand is known for, with a relaxed fit and length that allows you to layer your favorite shirt under it, perfect for the warm days but cooler evenings on Martha's Vineyard. The moisture-wicking material and four-way stretch are also clutch if you plan to wear it on a more active day to keep you dry even if you get sweaty. A breezy maxi dress is a classic staple for any coastal retreat. J. Crew's Smocked Maxi Dress offers all the comfort of a classic summer dress with a cotton fabric that's ultra lightweight. 'Choose pieces that let you sit comfortably, move easily, and still feel stylish,' says Goldson. 'Some of my favorite Vineyard moments are dinners at family friends' homes. Whether it's ribs at the Murrays or the Fourth of July at the Crews, the vibe is always relaxed but still festive.' This smocked dress is a comfortable option for dressing up or down, so you can wear it to see where the day takes you. $298 at One of the best parts of an island getaway is that you never really need heels. Goldson suggests wearing flats that offer both comfort and flair, like Freda Salvador's Fisherman Sandals. The shoes are embedded with real flowers in each panel, and they have leather sole for increased durability. 'I never pack heels with me, even though I swear by them back in NYC. Think flats with woven textures, a splash of color, or a subtle platform,' she adds. At this month's inaugural Vineyard Icon Awards, Goldson brought the best Vineyard looks to the event. 'The dress code was Vineyard chic—long dress, flowy, but definitely a statement piece,' says Goldson. 'As a fourth-generation Vineyarder, this is more than an event. It is my way of giving back to a place that shaped me. This island is part of my legacy, and this celebration is an extension of that.' Her final look for the event was inspired by soft floral and pastel prints like this Danica Strapless Dress from Bec + Bridge. Made from a delicate mesh material, the dress features chic touches like a cascading side ruffle and a statement keyhole cutout at the bust. Pack something that can take you from day to night, like a cute cropped tank. This OnlyStory tank is made from a stretch round fabric that provides all-day comfort. A backless cut and side slits make it the perfect evening top to pair with your favorite skirt or pants. Goldson recommends pairing a tank with a casual, loose-fitting pair of pants like AGolde's Low Curve Fray jeans, made from supersoft, regenerative cotton. 'August is filled with events on the Vineyard,' says Goldson. There's always something to attend, from panels to parties. Having a small statement bag like this rhinestone clutch from BabeBeyond allows space for your personal items to be stored and doesn't take up too much room in your luggage. It features both a zipper and two circular handles, making it easy to tote around in style. $215 at For a fun Sunday brunch or sunset happy hour with friends, the Mina SLace Shirt from Generation Love checks all the boxes for comfort and style. The popular classic button-down silhouette in sheer topaz lace truly makes a statement without trying too hard. You can dress it up or down and wear it open or closed. No matter how you style it, you're bound to get a compliment or two. Love a great deal? Sign up for our T+L Recommends newsletter and we'll send you our favorite travel products each week.
New York Times
16 minutes ago
- New York Times
The Basketball 100 podcast's ranking of the NBA's 100 greatest players
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In 100 riveting profiles, top basketball writers justify their selections and uncover the history of the NBA in the process. The story of the greatest players in NBA history. From a young age, Jayson Tatum planned not just to reach the NBA, but also to become an All-Star. He mapped out everything he would need, both on and off the court, to reach that level. He trusted his chances until he actually reached the NBA. Then he realized one variable he had overlooked throughout all of his preparation for the rigors of professional basketball. 'Everybody's so much better than you think,' Tatum said. 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The day before, the No. 3–seeded Sixers had defeated the Heat in Miami to take a 3–1 series lead. But Embiid had scored just 14 points. Something seemed off. Lange tapped out a reply. Did he want to pray together? Read the story Rick Weitzman, stuck in the worst type of traffic, heard a knock on his windshield. John Havlicek wanted to grab his attention. Even Boston, usually prepared for a winter storm, was caught off guard by substantial snow in the middle of November. Cars were in gridlock. The two Celtics players, stuck on the Tobin Bridge, needed to make it to Boston Garden in time for a game. The way the roads were configured in 1967, Weitzman said, the drive would have taken about five minutes under normal traffic conditions. 'The clock (to game time) was moving,' Weitzman said. 'And I wasn't.' Havlicek had an idea. He couldn't risk missing the start of a contest with the San Francisco Warriors. His wife, Beth, was in their car a handful of paces behind Weitzman, but Havlicek knew he couldn't afford to stay with her. He would find his way to the arena, which was about two miles away. 'I can't wait,' Havlicek told Weitzman. 'I'm going to run in.' Advertisement Read the story Most of history's great players have come to us with significant early hype and quick, confirmatory coronation events. A few greats have taken a more circuitous path. Perhaps none has snuck up on us quite the way Nikola Jokić did. Forget about his origins as a pudgy second-round pick whose selection was made during a Taco Bell commercial. Even after he'd won two MVPs, much of the world wasn't all that convinced he was a pantheon-level player. It wasn't until after he'd led the Nuggets to a romp to the 2023 NBA title that his overdue recognition as an all-time great began. Read the story Khris Middleton heard Giannis Antetokounmpo's screams. Antetokounmpo, the two-time NBA regular-season MVP — the Milwaukee Bucks' best player and greatest hope to win their first NBA title in half a century — was writhing in pain with 7 minutes, 14 seconds remaining in the third quarter of Game 4 of the 2021 Eastern Conference finals in Atlanta. 'I heard him yell,' Middleton said after the Game 4 loss to the Hawks. 'I was looking up, so I couldn't really see exactly what happened.' What happened could have changed the course of NBA history. But, because of who Antetokounmpo is, he wouldn't let it. Read the story It was one of those perfect summer evenings during a family trip from Minnesota to the northeast in 1995, 65 degrees and sunny as 6-year-old me walked into Fenway Park for the first time. The Red Sox were hosting the Toronto Blue Jays and we settled into our seats near the top of a section above the third-base dugout, ready for a momentous occasion for a sports-crazy kid who begged his parents to sprinkle some games into the history and sightseeing. As I sat down and marveled at the Green Monster in front of me, I couldn't help but pull out a Sony Walkman, put the headphones over my ears, and start listening as intently as I was watching. It wasn't the radio broadcast of the game but coverage of the 1995 NBA Draft. My hometown Minnesota Timberwolves had the fifth pick, and there were so many intriguing possibilities in a class filled with household names. Jerry Stackhouse and Rasheed Wallace from North Carolina. Damon Stoudamire from Arizona. Michigan State's Shawn Respert and UCLA's Ed O'Bannon. All were players I watched on television at storied college programs who became well-known stars with tantalizing potential. There was another name out there I had never seen take one dribble, but he grabbed my attention as much as any other. In the week leading up to the draft, I pulled Sports Illustrated out of the mailbox to see a skinny high school kid on the cover with the tagline 'Ready or Not … ' Advertisement Read the story You can't blame Michael Cooper for making one of the first recorded business decisions. On January 5, 1983, Cooper — who would go on to become an eight-time NBA All-Defensive Team selection and the 1986-87 NBA Defensive Player of the Year — and his Los Angeles Lakers were in Philadelphia to meet the 76ers, whom they'd vanquished in the previous season's NBA Finals. Big game, big implications. The game, as befitting two of the league's titans, went to overtime. In the extra session, James Worthy attempted a pass to Jamaal Wilkes, the Lakers' silky small forward. But Philly's Maurice Cheeks deflected the pass, and the ball bounced away from Wilkes and to Cooper near midcourt. Except Julius Erving got to the ball first, cutting in front of Cooper. Two dribbles later, Erving was just inside the free-throw line extended. Cooper, though, was timing his steps to be able to contest a drive-by Erving. Michael Cooper, being Michael Cooper — the man Larry Bird would later say was the best defender he'd ever faced—could still get to this shot. Maybe block it. At the least, he could challenge it. Read the story It was a contradiction of the image he so meticulously cultivated. Yet it was an authentic glimpse of the driving force inside him. Psycho Steph Curry. The alter ego that has elevated him to unimaginable heights, landing him a seat at the table of basketball's all-time best. And on the hallowed parquet of Boston, under the Celtics' 17 banners, it emerged in Game 6 of the 2022 NBA Finals to punctuate his legend. With the Warriors up 19, Draymond Green sped up the court on a fast break. Curry was trailing the play before veering left into Green's periphery. Green bounced a pass to his left, angling it so Curry could catch it in stride. But Curry didn't scoop up the pass and keep going toward the rim. Nor did he pass the ball to an open teammate while the Celtics' defense was scattered. Curry was in psycho mode. So he pulled up right where he caught it. The official NBA box score says it was 29 feet. Inside TD Garden, it felt like 50. It was so sudden. So far. So unnecessary. Curry's momentum caused him to lean forward on the pull-up 3, giving it a shotput feel. It sliced through the anxious gasp of Celtics fans before thumping the back of the rim as it went through, putting the Warriors up 22. The net barely moved. Advertisement Read the story He's lovable. The 7-foot-1 teddy bear with the animated general selling auto insurance. He's on the cover of Frosted Flakes and is a pizza pitchman with an executive role at Papa John's. You might be able to relate to him if you treat your back pain with Icy Hot. He has gold (Gold Bond and an Olympic medal), and don't forget about the weekly back-and-forths with Charles Barkley on TNT's Inside the NBA. Shaquille O'Neal may be retired from the NBA, but he is everywhere. For a certain generation, it's hard to imagine O'Neal as one of the greatest basketball players ever. But the playful big man was a punishing athlete who didn't just dunk. 'The Diesel' dunked through opponents, leaving bodies and broken backboards in his wake. And not just backboards, as Darryl Dawkins did, but whole stanchions. He did it while having fun and while intimidating opposing big men. Read the story Four thousand, one hundred twenty-four. Of all the numbers associated with Wilt Chamberlain's eventful, incredible 63 years, that number — 4,124 — is among the most significant. That's the number of people who were, allegedly, at what was then the Hershey Sports Arena in Hershey, Pennsylvania, on March 2, 1962, to witness the NBA game that night between Chamberlain's Philadelphia Warriors and the New York Knicks. It's more likely there were far fewer people there, given the, let's say, creative ways in which attendance for games in the still-fledgling-at-the-time NBA was often tabulated. The game was not televised. Only a grainy recording of the fourth quarter of the radio broadcast, by WCAU's Bill Campbell, was preserved. None of the Knicks beat writers made the trip; only a couple came from Philly, about 95 miles southeast of town, so meaningless an assignment it was believed to be. But Hershey was a regular stop on the NBA circuit in those days, as teams barnstormed nearby towns to drum up regional support. Two hours later, Chamberlain had set the mark that best defined his lifetime of association with prodigiousness. He became the first and only player in NBA history to score 100 points in a contest. Advertisement Read the story The morning after one of the most miserable nights of his career, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was the first to arrive at the film session. He sat in the front row, center chair, right in front of the television. It was an odd seat selection, and not just because this 7-foot-2 giant was now blocking the view. It was an area usually left vacant during these tape studies, but Abdul-Jabbar was about to be a witness to his execution. Los Angeles Lakers coach Pat Riley began scribbling points of emphasis on the board. Rebound. Stop Bird. Don't double too early. Then Riley locked eyes with Kareem. 'I'll never forget this. He didn't say it to me, but I know what he was thinking: Don't hold back on me today,' Riley said. Read the story (Illustration: John Bradford / The Athletic) Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle
