Maurice Dixon

@WriturRece | mdixon27@gmail.com

Over 20 years ago, Jay-Z released his debut album, Reasonable Doubt, which is considered a classic by many fans of the genre and his best project if I was asked to rate his body of work.

Although my introduction to Jay-Z wasn’t through this album but via In My Lifetime, Vol. 1, and after ingesting the collection of songs on Reasonable Doubt, it was evident this CD would be spun many times.

For everyone who doesn’t know, 22 Two’s is the seventh track on Reasonable, and nowhere near my favorite song. But anytime I can mix music and basketball, I don’t hesitate to do so like Jay-Z doesn’t stall when it comes to linking rhyming and balling.

So obviously without a beat and definitely without a rhyme scheme, here is the basketball remix/version/edition of 22 Too’s.

  • too many 3-point shots from players who aren’t specialists
  • too many big men unable to push smaller players in the post
  • too much flopping
  • too many traveling violations not being called
  • too many teams without a true superstar
  • too many bad teams
  • too much playing for a foul call
  • too much disapproval of the mid-range J; we already lost most of the beauty of post play
  • too many 5-on-5 3-point shooting contests
  • too many players leaving after one year of college basketball
  • too many big men playing like guards
  • too many overpaid players
  • too much of the game is catered towards the offense
  • too much stock placed on the triple double
  • too much expected too soon from young players
  • too much intentional fouling of bad free-throw shooters
  • too much “the NBA needs the Lakers and Knicks to be good”
  • too much switching on defense
  • too much whining and complaining
  • too many jack-of-all-trades wannabees but masters of nothing
  • too many fans saying today’s players are soft
  • too many old guys complaining about a game that will continue to change

Now there is nothing wrong with being versatile or being able to dribble, pass and shoot but too many players having the same skill set drains the sport of its uniqueness.