First, imagine leadership reform. Who runs the world? Basketball coaches, of course! We need structure. And how do we fashion leadership, by election or selection? Certainly, neither Mark Emmert nor Adam Silver are going to be president of Hoopopia. If we had elections, who would run?
I'd consider Jay Bilas, Kevin Johnson, George Raveling, Bill Bradley, Rebecca Lobo, and Phil Knight as obvious candidates. You'd have high "Q rating" possibilities like Michael Jordan, with slogans such as "Like Mike." Need a dark horse candidate, think Bill Simmons.
Hoopopia would obviate traditional political parties. We might see movements like "Repeal the shot clock" or "Raise the baskets" by the Randy Newman faction. Ballot questions could include "are zone defenses permitted before high school?"
You've had your Presidential election. Who goes into the Cabinet? Secretary of Education? You could do worse than Kevin Eastman. Secretary of Defense? Would Bill Russell come out of retirement? Treasury? Steve Ballmer might work. Interior? Brittany Griner's stature rises immediately.
School uniforms would change. Contemplate the arguments over NBA or college gear and logos. Dystopian societies (think 1930's Germany) love logos. And the arguments over branding...Reebok, Nike, Adidas...
Hoopopia further empowers AAU, trainers (Drew Hanlen for Governor), sporting goods manufacturers. And you think women's college basketball is "crabs in a bucket" scramble now? Your child's future depends on having the right coach and the right program. The Ivy League becomes the Poison Ivy league. A degree in English isn't worth the paper it's written on.
College applications wouldn't just be about GPA but PPG. Captain of the basketball team would carry more weight than class rank. Knowledge about David Thompson might mean more studying David Copperfield. Air Jordan bests Jane Eyre. And being in the Pep Band counts.
Great American heroes? Currency wouldn't be about Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, and Roosevelt. Maybe Auerbach, Jackson (Phil not Andrew), Newell, and Wooden adorn coins in circulation.
Governor of Alabama? Charles Barkley, naturally. Pennsylvania? Jay Wright. You see the logic. The Supreme Court? Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is the logical Chief Justice. Or maybe Michele Roberts not John Roberts.
Maybe Hoopopia isn't such a bad idea. And don't worry, there's still room for intrigue, corruption (who gets the basketball contracts), and every base human instinct. I have to wonder where Rick Pitino fits in...
Lagniappe:
We had a small turnout at the workout yesterday. No worries. Small group teaching gives more individual instruction, more repetitions, and more feedback.
Even with a small group, we can work on VDE (vision, decision making, and execution)...but it's still better with a minimum of four.
