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Jr. NBA Finals: A Stallions Victory

May 24, 2017

Jr. NBA Finals: A Stallions Victory

On the afternoon of May 21st the final round of the Jr. NBA basketball competition between Shanghai High School International Division and High School Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University was held at the Shanghai Vango Sports Center.

It was no coincidence that SHSID Stallions won their entrance to the arena, and it was certainly not luck that led them to victory. After six hard-fought battles over the past two months and hours of tireless training, the Stallions were ready to face their last battle in this season’s Jr. NBA tournament.

While it is certain that most of their confidence came from their rigorous practice, part of their strength also came from their families, friends, and teachers who came to support them. A few days before the competition, many homeroom teachers encouraged students to “go support the students, and bring your family with you [to watch the competition]!”

Despite the tournament’s outcome, the battle had its highs and lows. According to Tina Chen from 9(2), a spectator at the event, the Stallions were on the defensive with a six point difference to their opponents at one point of the game. However, Tina also says, “I think the defining moment of this competition was when Andrew made a shot and earned Stallions two points. It really helped to keep the team’s spirit up.”

AJ Sun from class 11(4), one of the core members of the team, recalls an inspiring moment during the game: “At the end of the second period, I made both free throws for our team. We were only up by about 6 at that time, and after my buckets, we were able to hold the lead to more than 10 points.” When being asked defining moment of the game, Marco Zhuang from 10(1) states that “when everyone started to relax and really play basketball,” the tides began to turn. Andrew Liu from 11(5) wholeheartedly agrees. “In the third quarter, we started to play that game at our own tempo and hustling on every possession.” Instead of being nervous about the outcome of the game, the Stallions played confidently at their own pace, allowing them to gain the upper hand.

When asked about the most decisive factor of winning, one answer stood out. Members of the audience, several team members, and their coach agree that teamwork played the most important role in the team’s victory. “One reason that the team’s victory was attributed to teamwork,” says Sharon from 9(5), “it was the impressive [and] cohesive cooperation between teammates and the decisive decisions made by the coach during moments of need.” Andrew agrees, “I think we won by unity. We work so hard as a team and put out best effort on both ends of the court. We had great team chemistry to help push the unity of our team.”

With their breathtaking skills, battle-hardened experience, spectacular teamwork and a touch of humility, the SHSID High School Stallions Basketball Team has once again, earned the title of Champions.

(Written by Rachel Wu Edited by Annie Fang and Sophie Picture by Jr. NBA)