Questions with John Saintignon regarding China

So yesterday I was listening to a podcast and there was a guest named, Tony Ronzone, who was talking about some of the stories of basketball within the world.  There was a lot of questions that were about China and we had some very similar experiences.

I first got invited to China when I was at Oregon State University as Coach Jim Rosborough from the University of Arizona called me to say that he was going to invite me to be one of the coaches that was selected to be a part of a Nike Factory event which was a huge project to try to find the top 24 players within the country to play against NBA players in an outdoor exhibition.  We had to go to cities all over the country, and hold tryouts, like in a camp setting, then discover the best and then bring them all together and you know, eventually get it down to 2 teams of 12.  Crazy. 

My city was Shanghai that I was responsible for.  We had so many players, we lost count, over 2000 showed up, oh man, I had to make a quick friend of a coaching legend who was on the sideline watching that I had heard was there to observe.  I respectfully asked him to help me.  He graciously accepted my offer and I had a set of eyes that were there to help me, we eventually got down to that short list of 12 players, with whom we were able to send to Beijing to play and compete and represent not only themselves but their city against NBA players with Nike. It taught me that I was not the most important person there to select, that it was being humble and knowing that someone who was well respected could help me in an incredible way if I showed him respect and honor.

Moving on, dinners were something to behold.  I was taught by my parents to be respectful and try anything that I was ever offered, to never offend anyone.  That was seriously put to the test as we had some exotic food and it was difficult but I wanted to be a guest that was humble and respectful for being in their country and home.  The palate was challenged as everything was on display for one of the dinners including, duck feet, duck bill, scorpion, snake, etc.  I tried a few, wanting to be respectful. 

Later, my interpreter asked if I would meet with his parents as they wanted to have dinner with me.  Of course, I said yes, and it was spectacular.  I was honored and felt a sense of duty to meet with them since their son was working round the clock having to stay with me until I went to my hotel room.  For anyone that speaks another language, it is taxing on your mind to have to hear one language, then translate it to another and then back, much less a coach who is doing this all over the place and moving and shouting instructions.  Martin, was so incredible so when he said would I visit with his parents, well of course, was my response! 

We met at a restaurant outside of Shanghai, in a large private room.  Just Martin's parents, myself and Martin.  They didn't speak English and it was their first time meeting anyone outside of China.  The father was a General in the Chinese People's Liberation Army, so this was quite the honor and yet a bit intimidating.  I noticed that it was very formal at the onset, quiet at times and a bottle of clear liquid in front of us.  Now each time that there was a quiet moment, he would pour us this drink of strong alcohol.  Now I do what they do in other countries, so here I was drinking with him and we got to asking questions about family, ideals, morals and came to find out that we had similar ideas of raising our sons and how we approached life without having to discuss the advantages or disadvantages of Communism vs Capitalism.  I learned that I also had to trust my host as we had over 40 plates of incredible cuisine that it was a test to sample all of them, including this particular fish that I just loved.  I came to discover at the end of the dinner, that it was puffer fish and that if not properly cooked, well I could have died from it.  That brought out laughs and made me feel ok as I had to trust that evening.

We had such a wonderful and memorable dinner that I was so surprised by the outpouring of gifts that were bestowed upon me:  2 incredible hand woven paintings in their frames, 2 pearl necklaces.  We recently discovered the them when we went to Turlock to go through storage items for my son, Vicente's apartment at USC.  The boys both took the paintings and one sits proudly at USC and the other in Sebastian's room.  But more of a gift, was that I was honored to be the first person that this General got to meet who he could sit with, laugh, enjoy and know that the world view was similar in many respects.  Do you know that later, he would ask if I could help his son, enter a USA University, which I was delighted to write a letter of recommendation for and as he was accepted and got his Masters Degree from.

Basketball is a tool to get an education.  This game as provided me so many wonderful memories as I listened to that podcast in which Coach Ronzone shared some that were similar.  I hope to one day meet Coach Ronzone in person and share this with him.  Until then, make it a great day and remember that we are all alike when we get past our differences. 

Respectfully,
Coach John Saintignon
www.johnsaintignon.com