China is crazy for basketball. I don’t know much about the sport. Michael at Expatriate Games has a wonderful post on b-ball, in China and otherwise. I can’t hope to compare to those prose.
I grew up in Canada. I played hockey and football as a lad. Basketball was not a big sport. There were no Canadian NBA teams during the stone-age that was my adolescence. Sports never interested me that much.
I’ve been going to the gym for almost a year, quite seriously some weeks, rather reluctantly others. I (almost) weight the same as I did in college. I can walk up a flight of stairs and not get winded. I can bench press more than the weight of Mrs. Stevo. I’m trying to roll back the clock.
My boss arranged a basketball game with her former school. She didn’t play. Four of us took part in the friendly match, Chinese against foreigner. We had an ace-in-the-hole, a teacher who used to play college ball. The ringer was outweighed by another player – your truly. I dragged like an anchor.
Someone was kind enough to document the event. Let’s take a look.
No points, maybe three shots, a steal, a rebound, and a block: I wasn’t totally useless. Playing with people half my age, younger than I, I did alright. I kept up. We did win – 100 to 80, or close to that.
All the hours I spent on the elliptical trainer watching the yoga instructor workout have paid off. There’s talk of a rematch, I’ll start training now.
Ha Ha Ha… You are very funny !!
I could see where you were in that action packed scene. Looking forward to many more such games.
There comes a time when you might be better off documenting the action than documented being behind it… 😉
R(etc… )
Ron in L.A.´s last blog post..Sunset Beach Sunset
Cuckoo: I hope not! 🙂
Ron: That would have been my first choice. Alas, we didn’t have enough players.
Stevo´s last blog post..Cleaning the temple
That’s hilarious! I’ve actually been playing basketball here in Xinjiang for a couple years now with the same group of guys (local college profs) and it’s been pretty fun. We’ve been in a couple city tournaments. It makes for plenty of funny stories, that’s for sure.
Josh´s last blog post..Kashgar’s Statue A Fitting Reflection of Xinjiang
*snicker* It looks like you spent a lot of time avoiding the ball.
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Josh: Maybe if I practice (and learn some basics) I too can play with a little skill.
Shawn: Funny you mention that – A teammate said, “Why are you running from the ball?”
My favorite is the “Where’s Stevo” picture!
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BM: Me too. I thought I wasn’t in it until I looked really close.
You’re looking very sweaty at the end there, so you must have been doing something right.
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Craig: I sometimes think that “sweat” is my middle name. Just as I think I’m getting used to the heat…
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Uh yeah, you look a little liquid their buddy! At least your out there doing it, Bravo! Basketball. Have I ever mentioned I love basketball?
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