The NBA: Where Instantaneous Connection Happens

I now wish I had NBA TV. But even without it we can see history unfold.

Many have said that the power of social media is in how quickly news can be spread throughout the world. Some of it is false (a la false death reports about Joe Paterno last week), but some of it is reaction to amazing things that just happened. That's how I found out about this little gem.

I saw instant reaction on Twitter after the dunk, and people like Bill Simmons demanding the video on YouTube. People responded quickly and got it up for all to bask in. My mouth just hung open the first time I watched it. Reactions went from praising Blake Griffin to eulogizing Kendrick Perkins.

That's the blessings of sports today: it's literally global. I'm sure basketball fans around the world are following in on something like this. Being amazed at what is probably the dunk of the year, sharing with their friends, and just as a global community, taking in this sight. Sharing their thoughts about it. The wonder of the Internet, firmly on display. The NBA is really thriving because of the instant reaction the YouTube/Twitter generation is having. Take part in it. Enjoy it.

And if you're a politician who wants to "crack down on piracy", look at what happened with this amazing dunk. The time taken to share this moment globally would be destroyed because YouTube and Twitter would be out of commission, and we'd have no way to really share these amazing moments with others other than at the water cooler at work tomorrow... when all we have to rely on is memory and if we're lucky, SportsCenter, rather than being able to watch the clip from our computers, tablets, or phones.

Let it thrive online for the greater good... and also so future generations of Perkins know that their ancestor had his soul stripped from his body in midair by one of the most athletic freaks of nature this world has ever known.