Section 1: Introduction
Basketball has been an interesting game all time long and has created significant impact in people's lives in terms of cultural experiences. The largest basketball organization the N.B.A has been on the forefront of marketing this sport across the world with various tournaments being organized in different places. I have been a huge fan of the N.B.A professional basketball league for a very long time. I, therefore, could not hesitate to attend the Toronto major N.B.A all-star game. I chose to write about this event because it was big and attracted people from all walks of life. The cultural experience at the event was immense because of the high level of diversity regarding cultural background that was present at the event. This major live event attracted participants from various parts of the world. I also chose this major live event because it was the first big function that N.B.A had organized outside the United States of America. Therefore, the stakes were quite high at the function. My main focus was the rich cultural experience that I caught through intermingling with people of different cultural backgrounds. Moreover, the basketball game itself had a lot of cultural symbols that deeply enhanced my experience of new culture.
Section 2: Literature review
Basketball sport has for long been used to influence culture in the society. In the United States of America, Basketball sport was essential in the development of the African American culture. Moreover, it is said that Basketball sport had a very significant role in Black American Revolution (Andrews, 1997). Currently, the NBA has initiated programs that have influenced the change of cultures for the better lifestyle among people. This event known as the NBA all-stars game is meant to boost interaction among various people with different backgrounds. It is a program that has greatly improved the social lives of people within and outside the USA.
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Among the people who attend this event are the basketball star players across the world. The event also attracts many fans that come to watch their stars play. There are also the business class people. Companies such as Samsung are normally well represented in this event. This live basketball event is an awareness program. It provides the platform on which people get to learn about cultures of others and the values of life. Among those who attend are the former NBA star players and people from economic, government and cultural backgrounds.
In the year 1891, Dr. James Naismith invented Basketball at Springfield, Massachusetts. Since then, this game has significantly impacted on the cultures of people (Gaston, 1986). The culture of Americans has been shaped by basketball. Basketball is a game that is highly popular in America. Surveys have indicated that about 47% of the people of America confess to having been fans of basketball while in the campus. A lot of kids are exposed to basketball in courts around their houses early, and they grow up playing this game (Price, 1991). It has grown to become the source of connection and socialization among people.
Major cultural shifts in the United States of America have been triggered by the basketball game. One important cultural shift that was caused by the basketball game is the move from segregation to integration among the American races. Initially, the African-Americans were never given a chance to take part in the National Basketball Association games. This situation continued until in the year 1950, when the Black American, Earl Lloyd joined the Washington Capitals. As fans, both the Blacks and the Whites continued to attend the various basketball live events, they learned new cultures through inspiration and mentorship. This has been the case since then as people who attend basketball live events get to learn new cultures and start practicing them in life.
With the emergence of the African-American players in this sport, new values were introduced into the game. The Black players, who excelled highly, emphasized on agility, speed, and strong jumping. These values later became the major ingredients for success in the game. However, it is not only the sports people who have been able to learn the values of agility and speed in handling things, but also the fans of basketball. As they attend the live basketball events, they get to learn new values and cultures, which they take up and apply in their lives.
Basketball is now part of the society and represents the culture of people. The masses that watch players perform the game during the live events normally get a lot of cultural lessons. This scenario has made those who are watched by this many fans of basketball to become starts and mentors who determine the culture that their followers may adopt (Lan, 2005). Currently, basketball is helping in the formation of relationships beyond the socio-economic class boundaries. People always want to act as their stars and mentors do. They want to copy the players' style of living, values, and character. They end up taking new, different cultures from other people and integrate them into their daily lives. Culture is highly influenced by basketball because most people view the star players as their role models.
Section 3: Evaluation, Discussion, and Conclusion
The event held in Toronto had a great impact on me regarding cultural experience. The cultural experience cultivated through participation in the live event will last for long. The event had many visiting teams from other nations. It was a good experience to learn the culture of teamwork from the players on the pitch. Everything that players do is hinged on the principle of teamwork. This resembles a cultural practice, which can be applied in real life. Through the event, I was able to learn the significance of operating together as a team. I learnt that teamwork involves even those off the pitch. In basketball, I learnt that victory is not about the team that had the best players, but much about the one that has the strongest team work spirit.
From the association with other participants at the live event, I experienced the culture of civilization. In other cultural settings, I learnt that civilization has greatly changed the manner in which life is approached. Seeing women basketball teams take part in the live event, I experienced the fact that civilization can make females realize their top position as well as high importance in the society. Other cultures do not deny women the chance to express their talents. Basketball is not left to only men in other cultures.
The other experience was the culture of physical fitness. I admired the kind of physical fitness that players have. To them, being fit is like a culture that is deeply entrenched. Every time they wake up, they go for physical workouts to ensure they are fit and healthy. This is an experience that I intend also to adopt. The players inspired me on this front.
Moreover, I had a lot of experience from the business culture. There were corporate heavyweights like Samsung, which showcased their business culture at the live event. As an aspiring business person, it was such a privilege to mingle with them and learn the right and effective business culture that can make one to be successful. I learned that the business world is all about the culture of competition. Being able to draw effective competitive strategies is the best way one can achieve success in the world of business. With all these huge cultural experience that I caught from the live event organized by NBA, I can say that the attendance was quite worthy and now a changed person.
The learnt culture of teamwork will greatly help me relate with other people well as I build important networks. Building vital personal networks is a good basis for effective teamwork. Teamwork will enable me to achieve what I could not as an individual. Another useful culture is that of competition, which will now make me understand the presence of rivalry in the world and the need for the development of strategies to have a sharp competitive edge. I will also support a culture where women and men are treated as equals. This is a culture that recognizes the importance of women in supporting the development of the society. Through civilization, both females and males will be given a level playing ground on which to express their abilities in life.
In conclusion, the cultural experience I got when I attended the NBA All-Star Game in Toronto was quite worthwhile. Basketball has for long been a sport that shapes the culture of people in many ways. Through the major tournaments and other live events organized by the NBA, people from different cultural backgrounds get to interact and exchange beliefs on culture. The interaction among those who attend these basketball functions results into the world where cultures are integrated into one common set of beliefs. I would love to attend another NBA function of the same status in future.
References
Andrews, D. (1997). The (Trans) National Basketball Association: American commodity-sign culture and global-local conjuncturalism. Articulating the Global and the Local. Boulder, CO: Westview, 72-101.
Gaston, J. C. (1986). The destruction of the young black male: The impact of popular culture and organized sports. Journal of Black Studies, 16 (4), 369-384.
Lan, X. U. E. (2005). Discussion on Host Team Culture of NBA. China Sport Science, 4, 005.
Price, J. L. (1991). The final four as final judgment: The cultural significance of the NCAA basketball championship. The Journal of Popular Culture, 24(4), 49-58.
