My first encounter with this British phrase was recently. It was for a search engine ad. In said commercial, an African father is devoted to his daughter’s well-being. He buys her a football and researches on how to level up her skills. Initially a neophyte to the sport, the daughter gradually blossoms into a fine young player. One of the other dads remarks that his daughter ‘played a blinder’. This followed a match where she was the field’s best kicker.

The blinder phrase isn’t a loose term. Credit is only given where it’s due. The American counterpart of blinder is ‘playing lights out’. When LeBron put up forty-five in an elimination game, he was said to play lights out. This implies that he wasn’t just the gold standard on the court, but also the most lethal. On that night, he single handedly clobbered the famed Boston Celtics on their parquet floor. This was the same team that, two years past, had abruptly ended his tenure with the Cavs. It was payback time.

Hoops fan

I wrote before that I followed basketball closely while growing up overseas. Whether it’s amateur or the pros, the Asian Games or the Olympics, I devoured it like a Yuletide feast. I read the dailies, magazines, and tuned in to the battles. Having watched so much, it seems inevitable that I’d encounter a blinder. I recall Tim Duncan almost pulling off a quadruple double in the NBA Finals. Note: it was also a closeout game. In more recent blinder history, Jeremy Lin had a few of those as a Knick. Hell, he put up 38 against LA in a nationally televised contest. In many ways, he was a trailblazer. Injuries ultimately took their toll on him, although he managed to win a Finals ring as a benchwarmer in 2019.

Blinder and zones

Playing a blinder isn’t the same as being in the zone. The former means exerting an outstanding game. Meanwhile, the latter could refer only to stretches of a game when you’re ‘unconscious’. A blinder often implies an outstanding performance in a win. Being in the zone doesn’t necessarily mean being victorious. Moreover, playing a blinder connotes excelling in different facets of the match. In basketball, being in the zone almost always refers to a ring-less shooting display. You never hear of it being attached to ferocious defence or grabbing twenty caroms.

Some examples

There’s been at least three instances where I missed blinders. The first is of a dubious variety. It was the closing moments of a Pacers-Pistons game where I had to take a dump. I wanted to watch the dying seconds of garbage time but I really had to go. I later learned that these moments would be referred to as the Malice in the Palace. Many players on both sides were suspended and Ron Artest was penalised for the rest of the season. I mentioned this story to Harry, my friend.

‘Wow,’ he said. ‘I wish I could afford to attend an NBA game.’

I chuckled. ‘I just watched it on TV’. Sayang.

The game that I sorely missed out on was Kobe’s 81 point masterpiece against Toronto. I had the chance to catch the first half but I expected nothing to happen. After all, both the Raptors and LA Lakers were mediocre, middle of the pack teams. Only Kobe was the draw card. Soon, I’d realise that I missed an obra. The Mamba absolutely shredded the Raptors at Staples Center, pouring on the second most markers in history. He hit everything from reverse layups, free throws, midrange jumpers, and even threes. The fact that he already passed away only adds to the enigma. Kobe has been labelled as a ball hog, a volume shooter who needed to take a lot of shots to make a little. Yet when he was locked in, he was something else. RIP, Vino.

The last blinder that I missed was this insane game by a living legend. Dude scattered sixty against a playoff team. He was all over the court: stare down jumpers, trifectas, kamikaze drives, even and-ones. An ESPN analyst reported that this was the deadliest he’s seen of the star. Like the Raptors game, I did not expect much of this contest. It was a garden variety standoff at a garden variety time of year. I expected another solid game from the star, certainly not a sixty pointer.

Game Six Klay

I was pleased to see Klay’s Game Six outing against the Thunder in 2016. He hit a playoff record number of threes, on the road, in an elimination game. This started the tradition of Game 6 Klay. Regardless, the Dubs know, as we do, that Klay saved their season. I recall Klay balling out in the third quarter. The Thunder tried different looks at him, but the Splash Brother kept knocking down shots. It was one of the finest playoff performances I’ve ever witnessed. Moreover, this masterpiece came from the second best player on the team. The 73-win Warriors got by with the skin of their teeth. FYI, the Dubs have been my favourite NBA team since 2013. They weren’t champions then. I did not join the bandwagon.

Dame Time

On a smaller note, I saw a crucial game winner by Dame. He was having a good game when his team was down against the Rockets. With 0.6 seconds remaining, they inbounded it to Lillard, who launched a three that was straight as an arrow. Bang! ‘Houston, we have a problem’. This was notable since it not only won the game, but the series. Lillard was a surprise inclusion on the Association’s 75 team. Shame he hasn’t cracked the Finals. They never surrounded him with enough talent.

Luke Keary

I told this guy that Sydney’s Luke Keary is my favourite rugby league player. I watched first-hand his performance in the 2018 Grand Final. He was an absolute monster out there. He made the tackles, dominated on both sides of the ball, and set up his teammates. He was handed the Clive Churchill Medal for ‘best on ground’. His team had the finest halfback, James Tedesco, but the judges couldn’t discount his insane outing.

Nowadays

These days, it’s tough to hide a bravura performance. Twitter will light up with highlights and clips of the barrage will fill your social media feeds. Hence, this time has been tailor made for the Steph Curry and Jimmy Buckets type. They live for this moment, they impose their signature on the game. We awe at every jaw dropping move. When Chef Curry supplanted Ray Allen’s three point record, every serious basketball fan would’ve heard about it.

Social media, iPhones, and the Internet have ensured that no great outing will be downplayed. Indeed, even small portions of greatness have been exaggerated and turned into works of art. While the mediums have changed, the best performers keep steppin’. For every Steph Curry, there’s a Doug McBuckets. For every ridiculous game winner by Mario Chalmers, there’s a Toney Douglas waving towels on the bench. Know your zebra.