Who needs to speak when you have ball and hoop?

The courts are sprinkled with the jerseys of Yao Ming and Kobe Bryant. The red Houston Rockets jersey with Yao written across the back can be seen almost as much as a plain white sports t-shirt. The popularity of jerseys from the NBA would make anyone who does not know think that the NBA was a Chinese league. The acceptance of the NBA into the culture of these players makes it easier for me to step onto the courts but it does not mean that they can speak my language. Some players are fluent in basketball-speak belting out expressions such as "nice shot," or "good block," but when you ask them a question that strays from the basketball court they get shy and shrug their shoulders.

Every day is a challenge when one lives in a city where one cannot communicate with the average person. Yet basketball has enabled me to communicate without language. Basketball is basketball no matter what people call it or where it is played. As soon as people come together to try to put a ball through a hoop suspended 3.048 m above the ground, people are playing basketball. The court might be designed differently but the goal of the game is the same.

More important is the camaraderie that comes from being on a team. Even after my team for the afternoon split and each member went his own way I still felt a bond with each of those players. Being outgoing and creating relationships with people in Beijing is still difficult for me, however I now have a place where I can be outgoing and foster relationships; even if those relationships only last for the three hours I am on the court.