VOA标准英语2012--Basketball Court Moves To Broadway

Basketball Court Moves To Broadway

This sports arena¹ introduction of basketball Hall-of-Famers Earvin Magic Johnson and Larry Bird sets the stage for a drama about a ferocious² rivalry³ that turned into friendship. 

After seeing the script, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird gave the green light.

“I had a chance to witness a reading live with the actors and everything. Oh, Wow. It blew me away," said Magic Johnson.

Magic and Bird are two of the greatest players in the history of professional basketball. Magic starred for the Los Angeles Lakers and Bird for the Boston Celtics.

The drama takes the audience from their college days through the 1992 Olympics. 

Bird’s back problems ended his career while Magic’s ended after he contracted HIV.

On stage, Magic Johnson is played by Kevin Daniels. 

“Whether you are a basketball fan or not, everyone can identify with being the best that you can be, and then excelling at that, and finding that same desire in someone else," said Daniels.

Tug⁴ Coker plays Larry Bird. He himself is a former college basketball player. As a child, he loved the Boston Celtics and especially Larry Bird.

“I just wish that I had a little more of Bird's sort of mental toughness, his hard work and dedication," said Coker. "Maybe I could have been a little better. Jeez, he’s amazing!”

The play shows how the men were fiercely competitive. But they came to respect and value each other after a chance meeting off the court. 

Even as they remained rivals on the court, their friendship grew. 

Today, they care deeply about each other. 

Thomas Kail, a young but seasoned Broadway director, says life is more than baskets and game highlights.

“What we are interested in, what happens when the game is over," said Kail. "What happens after the career is over? How do these men who have been elevated learn to walk among us again?" 

Many who attended the previews were touched by what they saw. 

“Just the dynamic of how they grew to hate each other, then grew to really love each other and adore each other," said Jason Hernandez from Los Angeles. "It’s really an emotional play at times.”

“I was just so touched about the two men and their relationship," said Joanie Watkins, from New York.

The producers say finding two actors who are each more than two meters tall and can act while dribbling⁵ a basketball was a challenge.

A challenge they met. 

1 arena   

n.竞技场，运动场所；竞争场所，舞台

参考例句：

• She entered the political arena at the age of 25. 她25岁进入政界。
• He had not an adequate arena for the exercise of his talents.他没有充分发挥其才能的场所。

2 ferocious   

adj.凶猛的，残暴的，极度的，十分强烈的

参考例句：

• The ferocious winds seemed about to tear the ship to pieces.狂风仿佛要把船撕成碎片似的。
• The ferocious panther is chasing a rabbit.那只凶猛的豹子正追赶一只兔子。

3 rivalry   

n.竞争，竞赛，对抗

参考例句：

• The quarrel originated in rivalry between the two families.这次争吵是两家不和引起的。
• He had a lot of rivalry with his brothers and sisters.他和兄弟姐妹间经常较劲。

4 tug   

v.用力拖(或拉)；苦干；n.拖；苦干；拖船

参考例句：

• We need to tug the car round to the front.我们需要把那辆车拉到前面。
• The tug is towing three barges.那只拖船正拖着三只驳船。

5 dribbling   

n.（燃料或油从系统内）漏泄v.流口水( dribble的现在分词 )；（使液体）滴下或作细流；运球，带球

参考例句：

• Basic skills include swimming, dribbling, passing, marking, tackling, throwing, catching and shooting. 个人基本技术包括游泳、带球、传球、盯人、抢截、抛球、接球和射门。 来自互联网
• Carol: [Laurie starts dribbling again] Now do that for ten minutes. 卡罗：（萝莉开始再度运球）现在那样做十分钟。 来自互联网