WORKOUT 03. Basketball Park basketball is a source of emotional support.
PROFILE
He has been playing basketball in parks since he was a child and has participated in tournaments held in park courts around the world, especially in the U.S. In 2021, he established the general incorporated association "go parkey" to develop a project to create a new space in the city by bringing together local kids, local government, and private companies through art and sports. Renovation and Art Court" project. Incidentally, "parkey" is a term coined to describe people who love basketball so much that they stay in the park all the time.
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How did you get started playing basketball?
I have been playing since I was 10 years old, so it has been a full 30 years. There was a basketball goal in the schoolyard at my elementary school, and I started playing with my friends there. I wasn't on a team, but we would get together in the morning and after school to play basketball together, just as an extension of running and tag.
So your roots were on the street. What kind of path did you take as a player after that?
After graduating from high school, I went to California, USA. I tried out for a two-year college called Junior College and made the college team, where I played in a high level environment for the first time. After graduation, I came back to Japan and played in a street basketball league called "SOMECITY" and was selected as a candidate for the national 3 x 3 basketball team. Even in the midst of all that, you were always playing basketball in the park. Overseas, there were many tournaments in different parks, and sometimes NBA players would compete during the off-season. There was a time when I traveled to attend those street tournaments.
You were playing with a young man you met on the court at the park today.
He is a 20-year-old Taiwanese who is in Japan on a trip. He was the one who talked to me. He is very courageous for a young guy (laughs). But this kind of encounter is quite common when you are playing basketball in the park.
Do you feel a change not only in your body but also in your mentality as you continue to play park basketball?
When I play basketball, my body is moving, but my mind is quiet, and I can play without thinking. Having a place where I can absolutely calm down gives me mental support. When I am tired from work, I go to the park to play basketball and calm myself down. It has become an important habit.
I understand. People who are not in the habit of exercising may think that it will make them even more tired, but in fact, the opposite is true.
There is a concept called "active rest" that physical exercise leads to recovery. For example, if you are busy with work and can sleep for 6 hours a day, some people may want to sleep for the full 6 hours, but we feel better if we play basketball for 2 hours and sleep for 4 hours. The quality of our sleep improves, and when we wake up, we feel refreshed. The mind and body are connected, so it is important to rest not only the body but also the mind. I think such effects are common not only to basketball but to sports in general.
What do you feel are the differences between regular basketball and park basketball?
There is a tendency for competitive basketball players to lose their place as soon as they retire, but park basketball is always open, so they can play whenever they want, at their leisure. I think that is the charm of park basketball.
Please tell us about "go parkey" established by Mr. Ebihara. You also worked on the renovation of this court, right?
I was raised by the park. I made friends and had fun every day because I discovered basketball in those parks. Through basketball, I was able to connect with people from overseas, and I have spent dreamlike times in parks all over the world. That is why I wanted to expand the possibilities of parks in Japan and started an art design activity with the help of artists, hoping that the basketball courts in parks would be well maintained and more beautiful. Here "Okubo Park" is the second renovation project, and we have done projects for 5 courts so far, starting with "Hamacho Park" in Nihonbashi.
I think that the more nice art courts we have, the more exciting park basketball in Japan will become.
I would like to increase the number of these familiar but special places. Park basketball is not a competition, so there are more free and unlimited ways to play. I hope to continue my activities to convey the joy of park basketball to children. We are also preparing new projects, so stay tuned." LOVE GAME", "LOVE GAMERS", are the watchwords for "go parkey".
