Tonight while scouring the vast abyss that is internet information I came across a very interesting article posted curiously by the ordinarily comical Complex Magazine.  The article entitled, Is the NBA Gang Related? A Complex Investigation, though intended to be lighthearted given some of its facetious commentary, addresses a growing trend in professional sports and entertainment:  The subliminal infusion of gang and street culture into the unsuspecting mainstream. For those Nation regulars you know my philosophy on the fusion between professional sports and rap.  The lines have become so blurred.  Athletes and rappers dress alike, talk alike, smoke weed alike (despite presumable drug testing in sport), they get arrested alike, rock too much jewelry alike and drive crazy whips alike.  We’re even seeing an increasing incidence of athletes trying their hand in rap and vice versa. So naturally the introduction of street/ gang culture is a natural progression.  With so much of the intricacies of thug life so far removed from the average TV sports fan’s mind, much of the overlap was overlooked until last year when the NBA fined Boston Celtic, Paul Pierce 25 large for allegedly making a “menacing gesture” towards Atlanta Hawks’ Al Horford after being knocked down in the playoffs. While most may dismiss it as just inadvertent, we have to remember Pierce, did grow up in Inglewood amid gang activity.  The gesture actually is used by the Piru Blood gang based in Pierce’s hometown.  Not to mention, questions still remain about the suspicious incident between he and gang-affiliated members of the Boston rap group Made Men in which the hoop star was stabbed 11 times back in 2000. While the Celtics were quick to disregard the gesture as a team unity signal representing “blood, sweat, and tears.” Clearly its not that simple. While Pierce’s incident marks the most profound and most publicized infusion of thug life into professional sport, its not the first.  Complex’s not-so-innocent article investigates further.  Its worth noting.  Be on the look out for the NFL, which notoriously cracks down on excess “niggerdom” to issue a mandate to flag even the most slight of street gestures.