The NBA Dream
Baseball may be this country’s pastime, but Program Teams have noticed a trend – UGRAD students love the NBA. Cultural Enrichment Allowance Applications often noted your desires to sit in the stands of a professional basketball game.
Xiaole Han is a super-fan and was a fall semester Geology student at North Dakota State University. Read excerpts from his NBA experience below.
What student at a Chinese University doesn’t know about the NBA? I watched NBA games on TV for over ten years. Before I came here, I always dreamed of watching my favorite player, Tracy McGrady, in America. However, the first week I arrived at NDSU, McGrady declared that he would retire. I was so depressed to hear that.
On December 7th, I went to Minneapolis with three of my friends for the Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Miami Heat game. Because the Heat is a strong team, it was a crowded game with both Wolves and Heat fans.
I felt so happy to experience a game at a stadium. The loud cheering and music shook me from head to toe. Ten years ago, I was a young boy watching an NBA game at home with a dream to study in the U.S. some day. That night, a young man studying at NDSU went to the Target Center and watched a Wolves game. That’s how a dream comes true.
In case you aren’t familiar with the NBA, here are some facts:
- It stands for the National Basketball Association
- The season typically runs from October through April
- There are 30 teams in the league, including the Toronto Raptors from Canada.
- The women’s league is called the WNBA – Women’s National Basketball Association
If you’ve been to a game, let us know in the comments section below!