My Summer Lair Chapter #339: What Are Some Of Your Strongest Basketball Feelings?
Expensive Basketball isn’t just about the NBA—it’s about the stories, the chaotic emotions and the distinct culture that make hoops beautifully and deeply human.
The description of Shea Serrano’s latest pop culture book ends with this line: “Expensive Basketball is an affirmation of feelings.”
Picture a couple who are getting married…and they each write their wedding vows. They got feelings and emotions and experiences they want to express. And the traditional wedding vows—in health and in sickness—are adequate but it’s all just McDonald’s love.
It’s the same vows for everyone, it’s not a unique expression of their love.
Basketball—and basketball arguments—are loaded with stats—points, rebounds, number of championships.
But cultural writer Shea Serrano has a different basketball metric…one that like hustle doesn’t appear on the box score: feelings.
Expensive Basketball isn’t just about the NBA—it’s about why certain players, moments, and arguments occupy emotional real estate in our heads and in our hearts.
Expensive Basketball is “an affirmation of feelings.” And the articulation of that love language.
Think of the ’93 Hornets and those colours and those players and those fresh Starter jackets…and that glorious NBA era and try to express all of that. Shea has a chapter on all of those feelings in his book.
In this My Summer Lair conversation Shea admits, he is a Spurs guy, he is a San Antonio guy. So we talk about Tim Duncan. And I feel…we don’t talk about Tim Duncan enough. Shea has a chapter on all of those feelings in his book.
More than just basketball we recognize Teen Wolf’s limitations, acknowledge Lil Wayne’s sick flows and appreciate Diane Keaton’s greatness. The feelings you’ll hear in this episode aren’t limited to basketball.
Expensive Basketball is out now via Grand Central Publishing.
And here is my conversation with Shea about hoops, hopes and the hearty emotional economy of basketball.
Shea Serrano @ W• T • F
Host Sammy Younan
Recorded: Friday, October 17, 2025 at 3:00 pm (EST)
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