Cassie Kolias

What do you want to do before you die?

Maybe you’ve seen the movie “The Bucket List” starring Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson, or maybe you’ve seen MTV’s hit reality series “The Buried Life.” Either way, you have probably heard of a bucket list. It’s a compilation of things in the form of a list that you want to do or accomplish before you die.

Each basketball fan should have the chance to experience something amazing, something that would shock them, or leave them in awe.

Well if you’re a die-hard basketball fan, why not make a bucket list of the top 10 basketball things that you want to see before you die?

Here’s my top 10.

10. Attend Training Camp

Each year before the NBA players take the courts, they start out at training camp. This is where every player on the roster practices. Just like with baseball’s spring training, and football’s training camps, this is the opportunity to scope out the new talent for the coming season.

9. See a Lakers game at Staples Center

Current NBA Champions share a home with the LA Clippers, but nothing would beat the atmosphere of taking in a Lakers game at Staples Center. It is the home of some of NBA’s history, including in January 2006 when Kobe Bryant scored a career high 81 points against the Toronto Raptors to settle with the second highest number of points scored in one game in NBA history.

8. Visit Madison Square Garden

As the second oldest arena in the NBA, and the place where the Knicks won their 1970 NBA Championship, Madison Square Garden is one place that any basketball fan should visit at least once in their lives. It doesn’t hurt that it is considered the World’s Most Famous Arena.

7. Visit the Hall of Fame

Named for the founder of basketball, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is a must for basketball fans everywhere. The hall is located in Springfield, Mass.

6. Go to the Olympics

Since 1936, basketball has consistently been played at the Summer Olympics. The U.S. men’s team not only participated in the Olympics, but it took home all of the gold medals for 32 years straight.

5. Attend March Madness

March Madness is a tournament that features 68 college basketball teams, and is held single-elimination style. The tournament has been held since 1939, and is obviously held in March. With all the craziness keeping track of 68 teams how could it not be a good time to go and see some of it live?

4. Meet Michael Jordan

Since the moment I saw him in the movie Space Jam when I was a child, I believed that Michael Jordan was the greatest basketball player of all-time. He was partially responsible for popularizing the sport of basketball throughout the “80s and “90s. Each time I watch my favorite movie, I stand by my belief that he is the greatest player of all-time.

3. See an All Star Game

Since 1951, the NBA has hosted the All-Star game. The best players from the Eastern Conference play against the best players of the Western Conference. All in one game you could see Kobe Bryant and LeBron. But I don’t know if you’re ready for that kind of intensity.

2. Shoot from half court on an NBA court

This one is pretty self explanatory, but it would be an amazing moment for any die-hard fan to step onto the shiny floor of their favorite team, grab a ball that their favorite players have held and possibly dunked, and step up to half court and have a shot at the net. It definitely would be a moment you would never forget.

1. Go to the NBA Finals

Of course, the NBA Finals tops my basketball bucket list, just like the World Series topped baseball, and the Super Bowl topped my football list. What can I say? There is just nothing more exciting than experiencing a game where a team wins a title.

Cassie Kolias can be reached at [email protected]