Two weeks after I arrived in America, I took a bus to Target–the one on Stevens Creek Boulevard in Cupertino. I located the sports aisle and settled on a $24.99 Spalding indoor/outdoor basketball. The cheaper $19.99 Wilson tempted me, but five dollars seemed a reasonable premium for a ball with a better grip.
I went to an outdoor court near my apartment. The court was empty, so I practiced layups with my new ball. Ten minutes later, five guys showed up. They asked if I was interested in a game.
I was nervous: I had never played basketball with Americans before.
Do they all really good?
Two of the guys were much taller than me–must have been at least 6’4″–and I imagined them dunking. But I was the last player they needed for a 3-on-3, so I said yes.
The group was friendly. At first, I didn’t understand what they meant when they said, “Let’s do 1’s and 2’s” and “Clear everything,” but thankfully, basketball is a simple game: you score when the ball goes into the hoop.
They were all better players than me, but I had fun.