This past April, I returned from a year and a half of living and teaching English in the Chinese city of Hangzhou (think Shanghai's Milwaukee except with 7,000,000 people). While there, I resurrected my basketball career and became even more fanatical about the NBA.
I would like to see what the basketball culture in China was like before the emergence of Yao Ming. On my 10 minute walk to school, I would pass 12 courts. More often than not, there were pick-up games going on between players of all age and skill levels. I think Yao Ming's stardom and the relative success of the Houston Rockets has had a dramatic effect on basketball's popularity in China. This is evident by the majority of Rockets' players having sponsorships in China. Turn on the TV and you will see Shane Battier throwing it down in a commercial promoting the sporting brand PEAK (pronounced Peakuh). Incidentally, I ended buying a pair of Shane Battier's shoes because after going to a dozen shoe stores they were the only pair to fit my size 13 foot (the Chinese have small feet).
Every Rockets game is televised and because of the time difference, aired at 8 or 9 AM. Since I had most mornings free, I was able to enjoy watching Yao and the crew in bed over a bow of delicious boiled dumplings. Being able to watch these games was an important aspect of my life in China. Although I couldn't watch my beloved Bulls, watching any NBA game allowed me to feel closer to home.
Until this past season, Yao's superstar sidekick was Tracy McGrady. He is idolized in China. I didn't realize he had his own brand until I arrived at the basketball courts to see everyone wearing his shoes, shorts, and shirt. Unfortunately, they also tried mimic his shooting form, and even worse, his shot selection. The result is a bunch fundamentally awful players taking off-balance fade away jumpers from all over the court. Every Monday night I played with a 20 year old kid who had a huge T-Mac logo tattooed on his right pectoral. Of course, he never passed and had a horrible shot selection. Surprisingly, he often made them, but when he missed I made sure to let him know that he needed to pass more and that T-Mac is as washed up as driftwood.
I found a basketball hall that was 10 minute bike ride from my apartment. It was open from 6-10PM and was only 10 yuan (~$1) to play. Four nights a week I would bike over after class and play. Since my Chinese was primitive, I often used a variety of hand gestures, mis-pronounced Chinese words, and facial expressions to ask if I could play. In the whole year and a half I was there, I was only rejected a handful of times. Although I'm not that good -- I like to say I have Matt Bonner or Mehmet Okur's game -- they were thrilled to play with an American, someone who was fundamentally sound, knew the rules, and had witnessed a live NBA game. Sometimes onlookers would clap when I made a basket. It was a dream come true -- I was bigger, better, and stronger than everyone on the court. When the offense stalled, they looked to me to make something happen.
/>Along with imitating Tracy McGrady's game, the Chinese also imitate the NBA's referees. No one told them that in a pickup game, you don't call touch fouls. There was an instance when a foul was called on me as the player I was defending drove to the hoop. I didn't touch him. I lost it and followed him around the court releasing a tirade that made good use to of the words "fuck", "bitch", "shit", "your mom" and more. Although angry, he was ultimately embarrassed as he hung his head and gave the ball to my team. I am American; I know the rules.
Tune in tomorrow for Part 2 of Basketball in China. I will discuss the CBA and the foreign players in China.
No comments:
Post a Comment