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Comment by mjfl | Hacker News Reader

If you're just playing to pass the time, why does it matter if you lose to Steph Curry or not?

If someone is off the scale better at something, playing becomes tedious and boring. That's not really fun to pass the time (or as a sport; when I go to kickboxing, I don't really expect the guy in our gym who won the EU championships a few times to KO me all day long like if he is competing to an equal). The reverse is true as well; unless teaching, why do they want to play with you. Boring for them too (unless they have gigantic ego's and get kicks of winning from anyone).

Steph Curry probably enjoys just being on a basketball court, even playing against people of much lower skill level. No reason he can't still work on perfecting his jumpshot for himself, even if it's only me guarding him. Lots of people practice shots by themselves.

I'm speculating here, but I think people who don't enjoy it on some level usually don't make it to that highest level in sport. Every top-level sportsman I can think of looks like they enjoy it.

It doesn't matter if you lose - what matters is that you feel like you have some involvement in the game. Good games are like conversations - you can enjoy a conversation with someone who's way more knowledgeable/smarter than you, but not one where you don't get a word in at all

> but not one where you don't get a word in at all

So no podcasts/radio-or-tv shows then?

Yes, those are a no go if you want to make conversation.

The better player needs to agree to play or converse at a handicap for this to work.

I can have a fun conversation with my two year old, but it's going to be pretty limited in depth.

Because there is no excitement or any possibility of winning motivating you to even pretent do put effort in

Doesn't seem like you are playing to pass the time, in that case. Seems like you are playing to win. The difference is in the former case the play is the reward in itself and in the latter case you need to feel victory over someone. Seems crypto-competitive and kind of weird for that reason.

He is playing for enjoyment and recreation. Playing and losing to Steph Curry does not give him that. Playing competitively with his friends does it.

I think you are reading things into 'play' that aren't there. What you seem to suggest is that naming anything 'play' makes it impossible for you to not get enjoyment out of it, since there are no conditions for you to consider it play?

Winning is not the only motivation though.

If I was playing against Steph Curry, I would try to come up with achievable goals, such as trying to defend well enough to force him to take a jumpshot instead of a layup, trying to make one of my own shots, trying to get him to fall for a pump-fake, trying to get a steal, trying not to fall over, etc.

Winning may not be, but there's always an achievable goal you can strive for.

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