For a group of b-ball aficionados comprising students from local universities, this was precisely what they experienced, thanks to a sports clinic conducted by American professional athletes Shane “Scooter” Christensen, Cherelle “Torch” George, and Chineze “Chinny” Nwagbo.
Christensen and George are both part of the Harlem Globetrotters, with George being a Guinness World Record holder for most under-leg basketball tumbles in one minute (female).
Meanwhile, Nwagbo is a former international basketball player and representative for the US state department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs sports diplomacy programme.
The trio were in town as envoys for Sepadu, or “Sports in Enhancing & Promoting Authentic Diversity for University” – a collaborative programme between the US Embassy Kuala Lumpur and the Southeast Asia Regional Centre for Counter Terrorism.
Its mission is to provide youths with positive outlets for expression through sports, while helping them develop prosocial skills and deterring them from being drawn to divisive and extremist elements.
To that end, the programme saw Nwagbo, Christensen and George conducting talks, sports clinics, and community engagements in the Klang Valley and Sabah over six days.
Sepadu’s launch on Monday at the Malaysian Basketball Association headquarters in Kuala Lumpur was followed by its first sports clinic, where the three athletes shared their experience and expertise with about 40 young sports fans.
The arena was soon filled with laughter, shouts of delight, and the thumping of the ball as the students got to try their hand at dribbling, shooting, passing, defence, rebounding, and other skills.
This was followed by a Q&A session, where they had the opportunity to ask the athletes burning questions.
The youths were rapt as the trio shared on what drives them (Christensen: “I get a lot of my motivation from my mom and dad, remembering their hard work, the sacrifices they made to get me where I am”); and how their careers have shaped their attitudes and worldviews (George: “Sometimes on your journey, you hope it’s like taking the elevator, but a lot of times you have to walk the stairs. Basketball has taught me leadership, and how to overcome difficult times”).
Some lucky students even managed to walk away with autographed basketballs!
Speaking with FMT after the clinic, Nwagbo was effusive about the overall event and its objectives. “Everyone was really energetic and excited to be here,” she said.
“They asked some really great questions and spoke of some of the struggles that they go through, and how they want to create sports as a goal to do great things.
“I hope these kids follow their dreams, and that there will be people around to always encourage and support them.”
For many of the young participants, it was a privilege to learn directly from such reputable and approachable pro athletes.
“I learnt many things, like how to dribble the ball. I have never been coached on how to play basketball before, so it was good to learn more,” said Nur Shawalnie Hazaman, 20, who studies at Kolej Yayasan Felda Pahang.
“It was great to relearn the basics,” 21-year-old Choong Li Yang from Universiti Putra Malaysia agreed. “This was really helpful even for intermediates like us. It was very cool.”
All in all, you could say the programme was… a slam dunk.