Hey! How is everybody doing? Thank you for joining us. Today’s post is about sports, well it’s about basketball. I love basketball, not as much as I love tennis, but it’s still one of my favorite sports. I don’t remember how old I was the first time I learned how to dribble a ball. I must have been young, because as a gift one year, I got one of those plastic basketball hoops that went from about 3 feet tall up to 6 feet tall. And it had a picture of Michael Jordan on it. The base of it was blue, the rim was red, and the backboard was white. I loved playing with that thing. I kept it for quite a while, then passed it down to my cousin for her to use. I think I used it or had it for 10-15 years.
Somewhere along the line of me having that plastic hoop, I got a real, heavy-duty hoop that went up to 10 feet. I think I got that “big girl” hoop when I was about 9 or 10 years old, but I still kept the plastic one for my little brother to use. I used it too, since it was the hoop I grew up with. I’m pretty sure I got the plastic Michael Jordan hoop before I went to basketball camp. Yes, I went to basketball camp. If I’m remembering correctly, I went to basketball camp shortly after my family and I returned home from Hawaii, back in 1998. So, thinking about that timeline, I think I got my “big girl” hoop right around that time… I think. I’m not too sure.
Anyway, at this camp (either during, after, or both) I got to meet a few professional basketball players. I had heard their names before, but I never knew who they were. I was no more than 10 years old. Well, I had met Bill Walton (Boston Celtics), Jennifer Azzi (Utah Starzz), and Eldridge Recasner (Atlanta Hawks). I had my picture taken with Bill Walton. My dad helped me with remembering Jennifer Azzi and Eldridge Recasner. A couple of other names popped into my head, and I’m pretty sure they were at camp too, even if it was just for one day. The other names that came to mind were Lisa Leslie (LA Sparks) and Rebecca Lobo (New York Liberty). I think the camp was a week-long thing, but it also could have been a 3-day thing. I don’t remember much from it, but my family and I do have photos from that experience. The funny thing is that the camp was held at the high school I would attend, about 5 or 6 years later. It’s still weird to think about.
I really can’t remember how old I was, maybe 8 or 9 years old, I had signed up for basketball. Right now, my memory of when I was younger is running all together. I do remember the teams being co-ed teams. I can only remember being on one team. I think I only played for 1 year. And my team’s name was the Warriors! Our uniforms were these mustard-yellow t-shirts, with black lettering. It had the team’s name on the front and our number on the back. I was number 5. I sadly no longer have the shirt. I kept it for a while after I stopped playing, but I eventually outgrew it, so I had to get rid of it.
I still enjoy playing basketball, but it’s really just more for the fun of it. I no longer have any of my basketball hoops. I’m not really sure what happened to my plastic, Michael Jordan one… since my cousin was the one who had used it last. And then my big 10-foot hoop broke, or something like that. I can’t really remember. Or maybe it was missing some pieces after my family, and I had moved back to our hometown. I can’t really remember it was a long time ago. So, whenever I want to play, I go to the local park with some friends, or my dad and my brother and we’ll just shoot some hoops. Occasionally we’ll play HORSE or Around the World. I haven’t been out on the courts in a long time. I need to get back out there and shoot some hoops again. My family and I have a rule when we go to the park and shoot some hoops… when we’re ready to go home, we can NEVER leave on a missed basket. We always have to make our last shot before we can go home. It’s tradition. I don’t remember how that tradition came about, but we still stick to that rule.
If you’re wondering if I’ve ever been to a basketball game, the answer is, yes. Yes, I have been to a basketball game. I have only ever been to one professional game ever in my life. It was at Oracle Arena when the Golden State Warriors were playing the Minnesota Timberwolves. I went with some of my family. It was the night that Chris Mullen’s jersey was retired. It was an interesting thing to experience. If my memory serves me correctly, the Warriors lost that night, but that’s okay. It was my first time at a game, and I just wanted to enjoy being with my family and fellow fans. One of the reasons I love going to live sporting events is because of the atmosphere and being surrounded by other fans.
I’ve noticed that whenever I go to an arcade place that has the basketball game, where you shoot baskets… that’s the game I always want to play. I could spend the entire time playing that game. Of course, after a while my arm will get tired, but then I’ll go play other games, and then come back to it later. I’m not sure how accurate I am, but I make a good percentage of the baskets I attempt. Sometimes it’s in the rhythm. When the basket starts off close… before it moves all the way back, I do better. I may start off a bit slow, missing the first few shots, but then I find that rhythm. I would rarely hit the rim, not that I’m trying to miss the rim on purpose, but I’d get… SWISH! Nothing but net!
Thank you for joining us today. Hope to see you all again next time. Take care.
Hanging with Kristina 