I grew up in a sports-crazy family. We lived and breathed sports. My father and grandfather, in particular, fit the very definition of fanatics. And so, (much to the despair of my mother), I grew up to become exactly like them. Tennis, cricket and soccer dominated our discussions and viewings, and we’d spend endless hours watching, debating and discussing the players.
Basketball rarely came up in our discussions and the NBA was seldom played on our TV. Back home in India, the NBA isn’t as big, and only in recent years has the viewership started to increase. I was very indifferent to the sport. A basket didn’t generate the same excitement and passion in me as much as a goal did. But, all of that changed last Wednesday night.
An NBA game had always been on my bucket list. I wanted to experience the sport that this country breathes, up close and personal. This Wednesday my friends and I made our first (and hopefully one of many) trip down to TD Garden. My excitement level, which had been running high the whole day, reached it’s peak as we approached the stadium. I remember texting my best friend, a basketball crazy fan that I was going to the game, and even over text, I could sense his jealousy. I was a basketball novice, and the fact that I was going to a Celtics game live as he watched it on a screen didn’t seem a fair deal to him. Although, to his credit, he did send me a very helpful text just before I left for the stadium, “ You’re supposed to cheer when the ball goes through the hoop.”
For me, the first view of the stadium I see upon entering is always the one I carry back home with me. The climb up the staircase only builds up the suspense and excitement of what awaits ahead. Walking into the arena, I didn’t feel like a spectator, I felt more like how a gladiator must have felt entering the Colosseum. You’re just a small part of this huge ensemble in front of you, but you just feel like you’re meant to be there. Everywhere I looked people were roaring and cheering, advertisement boards and phone cameras were flashing all around and the noise and music inside were truly unbelievable. Suddenly, it all went pitch black and there was silence for just a few seconds. Then, out of nowhere green lights started to flash around the whole stadium and the crowd completely erupted.It was delirium. It was ineffable. The stadium announcer was shouting at the top of his voice, trying to be heard over the wall of noise. The Celtics had arrived. And we couldn’t get enough of them. It was an absolute sea of emotion out there; it was a moment I won’t be forgetting for a long, long time. As I stood taking in this whole spectacle, I couldn’t help but think to myself, that there is no place in the world I’d rather be.
We screamed ourselves hoarse that night. Cheering on with great passion and fervor, a team we were seeing play for only the first time in our lives. That’s what sport does to you. The emotion it generates is unparalleled. The game was played at lightning speed; look away for a second, and you’ve missed a play. The fourth quarter was perhaps 12 of the best minutes of sports I’ve seen in my life, and it had me questioning why I hadn’t followed this game before. The Celtics did go on to win, and in some style too.
The Celtics gained another supporter last Wednesday night. And so did basketball.
