The Real Thing. Just Not The “Real” Real Thing.

Essentially everyone in my life has asked me what it’s been like to attend Nets games this season, and I couldn’t quite put my finger on it until last night, our third home game (including preseason).

As a one-time high school theater geek (four straight plays and four musicals!), it feels a lot like a dress rehearsal. Costumes were on, makeup was applied, lights and sound were set, and everything was as close to the real thing as we could get. The only element missing was the audience.

Performing in the Plainview-Old Bethpage JFK High School production of Les Mis is not the same as playing in an NBA game, but I know what it’s like to get that extra shot of adrenaline when you look out and see a full 800-seat high school auditorium, let alone a 17,000-seat arena. I also know what it’s like to have to perform at a certain level without that palpability and immediate feedback from an enthusiastic crowd.

There’s definitely a “purity” to it all, like you’re watching a pickup game — only it’s among the best in the world in a vast, empty arena. That aspect is undeniably cool and makes this such a unique privilege. But it also feels somewhat like a rehearsal for the real thing. And I can’t wait for the “real” real thing.