Okay, so today was all about getting back on the court. I haven’t played basketball in ages, and I thought, “Why not give it a shot again?” Plus, I wanted to see if I could still, you know, move.
First thing I did was find a court. I remembered there’s a public one near the Shanghai Stadium, so I headed over there. It was pretty early, around 9 AM, and I was hoping it wouldn’t be too crowded.
Luckily, there were only a few guys shooting around. I kind of awkwardly walked on, basketball in hand, feeling like a total newbie. Started with some simple dribbling. Man, my handles were RUSTY. The ball felt like it had a mind of its own.
- Tried some layups – bricked most of them.
- Shot some free throws – air-balled a couple. Classic.
- Practiced my (very questionable) jump shot – let’s just say it needs work.
After a while, the other guys started a pick-up game, and they asked if I wanted to join. I was hesitant, but I figured, “What the heck?”
Playing the Game
It was… humbling. These guys were way better than me. Faster, stronger, and, well, they could actually make their shots. I spent most of the time on defense, just trying to keep up. I think I managed to steal the ball once, which felt like a major victory.
I did manage to score one basket. It was a total fluke, a lucky bounce, but hey, I’ll take it! Everyone was pretty chill, though, which was nice. No one was taking it too seriously.
We played for about an hour, and by the end, I was completely wiped out. My legs were burning, my lungs were on fire, and I was sweating like crazy. But, you know what? It felt amazing.
It was a good reminder that I need to get back in shape. And that maybe I should stick to shooting around by myself for a while longer before I join any more pick-up games. Still, it was a fun morning, and it’s definitely something I want to do more often.
