Bahrain NBA: Blog Day 4
THURSDAY, JUNE 18, 2009
Jerome: During my last day in Bahrain, we started by going to the U.S. naval base. We had a great time being with the troops and interacting with them. It was the first time I had been on a U.S. military base, and I would like to make more visits like I did here in Bahrain. It was nice to meet the sailors and play basketball with some of the players from the navy base. It was great to be able to show them our appreciation for all they do for the United States.
Afterwards, we visited the Bahrain Disabled Sports Federation, where I had the chance to play wheelchair basketball with some of the kids. They gave me a wheelchair so I could participate. All of the kids were smiling and having a good time. One girl who was about 15 years-old was better than I was! She was very skilled. All of the kids were very impressive; it takes a lot of coordination to be able to maneuver a wheelchair and make shots. These kids illustrated that their disabilities are not preventing them from challenging themselves and having fun.
It's 8:00 p.m. in Bahrain and I'll be on a plane in about five hours back to the United States. I have learned a little bit more about Bahraini culture, their perspective, and how Bahrainis do things. It's been a great opportunity. Knowledge is power, and when you have a better understanding of why people are the way they are and what makes them do certain things, you can appreciate their rules and regulations.
One cultural experience I had in Bahrain was being invited and welcomed into the home of Shaikh Fawaz bin Mohammed Al-Khalifa (President of the General Organization for Youth and Sports). That was an awesome opportunity to just be able to sit back and relax and enjoy dinner with Shaikh Fawaz. Andrea and I enjoyed his hospitality and I felt that he really appreciated all that we were able to accomplish here in Bahrain the last couple of days.
We discussed the status of sports in Bahrain, and I think that sports are doing well here. From the standpoint of a basketball player, I see a lot of young players who have a lot of capabilities. I think some of the things that Shaikh Fawaz is trying to do to participate in sports is great. It is good to see that Bahrainis are so excited about basketball, but I can see that soccer is a popular sport as well. There are a lot of people coming out to attend the games and enjoy themselves.
I would definitely encourage my fellow NBA colleagues - both playing and retired - to do the same kind of work with other cultures. This program has given me the opportunity to see the power that basketball has to bridge cultural divides and open dialogue. The kid's passion for the game, and their willingness to learn, makes me believe what we did here will have a lasting effect. One thing about this program is that I get to come out and see a part of the world where I might not have traveled. So now that I have been to Bahrain, I made friends. When you have friends in a place, you generally tend to come back. I would love to have the opportunity to come back to Bahrain and do more work here.