Basketball

2008.10.5

Sometime around September, Oh receives a call from a unknown number. It was an executive director of LG Sakers, Korean professional basketball team. "I know that this offer is long over due but we would like to hire you as a chief translator for our basketball team. We are impressed with your resume and all the experience of yours in relation to basketball. Wanna come help us out? We are going down to the Philippines soon to participate in the official Korean Basketball League tryout for foreign mercenary players."

Oh from time to time envisions himself become a basketball player. When he was a 4th grader, his parents bought him a b-ball and Oh did not know that was going to make basketball part of his life down the road.

In middle school, his skills were already famous in town and thus always he played b-ball with high school kids and local adults. When he turned 15, with his b-ball buddies he participated in NIKE 3:3 Basketball Championship in Seoul (Middleschool Division). As a result, his team "ARK" which Oh named after "Ark" in the Bible, took the second place in entire Seoul after beating more then 1,000 teams in the bracket, except for one they met in the final. Oh named his ARK just like Noah and his family survived ARK. He wanted him and his teammate to survive the tournament.

Once the PE coach asked Oh to participate in a try out at this high school renowned for

basketball. Oh hesitated, but decided not to because he was way too smart (at least back then he thought he was) to dedicate his whole life to a sport. Coincidentally, he got admitted to one of the best high schools in Korea later.

In high school, Oh was basketball, literally. During annual sport day, Oh enraptured lots of girls by showing off his behind back pass, and quisy-Magic Johnson no look pass and whatnot. So, his seniors and juniors, while not knowing Oh's real name, always called him "B-ball Boy" or "The guy who plays ball real good" He and his teammates won two annual intramural basketball championships. In his senior year, Oh established a basketball club. Still, when he runs into his alumni, people recall him as someone who was really good at basketball.

In the military, he played b-ball with African American soldiers. It was a culture shock to him. They were huge, tall, big and above all real. He knew that he won't be able to beat them in terms of physical conditions. But Oh had a brain. He survived at least amongst fellow Korean soldiers. He won 1 championship, 1 runner up and another 2nd Infantry Division Basketball Championship. Once when Oh was on a vacation, his boss personally called him to ask to come back to the camp to play some games, which Oh said to yes for his fellow Korean soldiers. Oh knew that if he said no, that boss would give him and his fellow Koreans a hard time for Oh's disobeying.

In the U.S. Oh studied real hard. And he needed to relieve stress from time to time, so went the gym. Oh was very lucky to study at the University of Iowa, one of BIG TEN schools in Midwest. He met a bunch of Chinese-Americans and Korean-Americans. They called Oh Korean Yao Ming. For the first time in his life, Oh bought a pair of Micheal Jordan shoes. He still has them and rarely puts them on.

Today again, Oh wonders what if he accepted P.E. teacher's offer and became a professional basketball player. Oh's uncle, once a basketball player, even asked Oh to take part in a try-out when Oh was 14 or 15, which Oh turned down. Then, Oh shakes off "What ifs" What is important is now, not what ifs.

Oh used to count how many games he's lost since Day 1. The last number he can recall now is 30 or 40 something.

Oh misses one of those days when he is on the floor, passing the ball around, shooting from downtown and puts up a beautiful reverse layup, the crowd goes crazy and claps for him. That ecstatic and indescribable moment is something unforgettable for the rest of his life.