The snow covered the basketball courts down DeKalb Avenue in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, giving a glimpse of playgrounds in heaven. I caught the Q to 42nd Street to fetch my accreditation and bought the latest edition of SLAM magazine for my reading pleasure. At the train station, two men walked up and down on opposite sides of each other. One was rapping, the other was yapping and it all made strange melodic sense backed up with the sound of the oncoming trains. I had made a mistake with the address so had to catch a cab. The cab driver promptly scraped another car and I had to walk four blocks down and then it happened. My body froze. I couldn’t even hear the comedian by my side or look at the flyer he gave me. Went into a Basketball Store and when they asked me: “Can we help you sir?” I simply said: “Just trying to get feeling back in my body.” They nodded in understanding and left me alone to defrost. Picked up my accreditation. The next driver was Senegalese and he was bumping Bob Marley out of his car like it was Thursday night in Joburg at The Baseline with The Admiral and Jahseed. “Bob is the best! Do you agree?” He asked me. I agreed. We drove back to Brooklyn singing along to Bob Marley. One good thing about music, when it hits you feel no pain. So brutalize me with music.

On media assignment with me was The Smoothness. The Smoothness had arrived a few days earlier so he was armed for the weather. I was still figuring it all out. I had double of everything on. We met at The Barclay’s Center where The Rising Star’s Challenge was taking place. The teams were divided into the USA TEAM vs. THE WORLD TEAM. Africa was represented on both teams. Victor Oladipo was playing on the US team while Giannis Antetokoumpo and Gorgui Dieng were playing on the World Team. The game was a great way to kick off the weekend. THE WORLD won the game and the boys from Africa acquitted themselves well. Victor Oladipo scored 22 points, Gorgui Dieng had 14 and Giannis had 12 points and 10 rebounds.

The Smoothness and I headed to the NBA AFRICA party after that. I dozed off in the cab, unable to deny the jet lag any longer, only to wake up and find The Smoothness had been filming me. He laughed as I lectured him on invasion of privacy and preying on jet lagged men. Like the Cab earlier, the NBA AFRICA party tore the roof off the building with the hits from the continent. I put my hands in my pocket and took out a flyer. It was from the Comedian. I then remembered what he said when advertising their performance that night and laughed. “Tonight White People Get In For Free”.

Saturday 14th: The Africa 540

I realized that instead of dieting the whole summer I should have been putting on weight for my body to withstand this onslaught from New York. Today everything I wear is in triplicate like old carbon paper. Everything. Food included. I chased down a cab, until the woman in front of me with her dogs said: “Behind you.” Sometimes what you are looking for is … I got in the cab headed to Baruch College to attend the first ever Basketball Without Borders Global Camp. Gorgui Dieng (himself a Basketball Without Borders alum) was on duty on Saturday morning helping the young ballers hone their skills. Giving them words of wisdom was Vice President and managing Director of NBA Africa, Amadou Gallo Fall and Toronto Raptors General Manager Masai Ujiri. Both men, from Senegal and Nigeria respectively have been an integral part of the NBA family over the last couple of years. Each spoke passionately and inspirationally to these budding superstars.

Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Bill Bradley and Michael Dyson led a session on “Race And Sports.” On the plane to New York I had watched the excellent documentary “I AM ALI” and of course it spoke of a time of politically conscious athletes. Recently there seems to be a return to Athletes speaking out. Starting with the NBA players threatening to strike if Donald Sterling wasn’t removed for his racist comments (a good friend of mine mentioned that he would have given anything to see that boycott carried out) to wearing the T-Shirts with Eric Garner’s last words: I Can’t Breathe. Recently the murder of three Muslims in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, to the 57-year old Indian grandfather who was partly paralyzed by police in Alabama when neighbors reported a “suspicious man walking around” are all cause for concern. So any discussion on race was welcome. ESPN columnist J.A Adande’s article is an excellent summation of the event.

The first All Star Game I watched on TV was the 1992 NBA All Star Game. The game is famous for the return of Magic Johnson who came out of retirement to play.

I remember it for being the first time watching Hakeem ‘The Dream’ Olajuwon play. Hakeem is Nigeria’s pride and joy, and we were never more proud than this moment, in this video, in the Western Conference Finals with Houston playing San Antonio. As one reporter said: “Hakeem beat David Robinson like a drum.”

The Continent’s other ambassador also featured in that 1992 All Star Game. Then a rookie, Dikembe Mutombo (the only rookie selected that year to play in an All Star Game) slammed the ball two fisted style on a fast break. And of course, one cannot forget the iconic image of Dikembe clutching the ball after the Nuggets upset the Sonics.

I met Dikembe night before at the Rising Challenge Game and congratulated him for being a nominee to the Basketball Hall of Fame this year.

Hakeem Olajuwon was also on hand for the NBA Africa and Corporate Council On Africa Luncheon. Amadou Gallo and his team are working on not only developing the game on the continent but also pushing for the first NBA game played on the continent. The tentative date is Johannesburg August 1st, 2015.

The Smoothness and I met up at NBA Commissioner Adam Silver’s press conference later that evening at the Barclays Center. We were talking to J.A Adande after the press conference and then the Gods appeared. These warriors of the court happened upon us. James Harden, Steph Curry, Kyrie Irving, Wesley Matthews, J J Reddick, Klay Thompson, Marco Belinelli and Kyle Korver. All participants for one of the most anticipated 3-point competitions in recent years. The Smoothness and I got a chance to shake their hand and speak briefly to them. That group went out and shattered every 3-point record ever. To have been there to see them warming up was a privilege. The competition was electric and Steph Curry came out tops. Knowing what he had written on his shoe that evening highlighting his political activism makes that victory even sweeter.

The Dunk Contest has been lackluster for the last couple of years but on this night being in that arena, there was excitement in the air. Two Africans were competing in the event: Giannis Antetokounmpo and Victor Oladipo. The Smoothness called it correctly – he picked eventual winner Zach Levine. I thought Giannis was going to take it. Of all the players competing, I find his story the most intriguing.

They may call him “The Greek Freak” and even though he came on stage with the ladies in toga and Greek flag on full display, I still call him The African Wonder. He has come a long way from being a trader on the streets of Sepolia. Victor Oladipo came out belting “New York New York.” Amadou had spoken earlier about spreading a wave of Afropositivism in relation to Basketball and Africa. Victor’s mother is a big fan of Hakeem Olajuwon and before he went for his second dunk he got Hakeem to sign an autograph for his mother. The past met the present and the future looked bright. A subtle tribute from Oladipo. Oladipo’s first dunk was a 560. The Barclay’s Center levitated. Women screamed. The lady seated next to me said: “The sound you heard was the sound of panties hitting the floor.” And to be honest – I couldn’t say I disagreed with her.

Sunday 15th: New York State of Mind

Yesterday I had escalated my clothing to Def. Con 1, only to realize that the temperature was going to drop even more. Everything- in quadruplet! Tonight was the grand finale. The All Star Game itself taking place at The World’s Most Famous Arena: Madison Square Garden. There is something to be said about a place that knows how to throw a party. MSG threw a party.

Victor might have warmed the crowd up yesterday with his rendition of New York New York, Christina sang it again tonight and by the end of the night the whole audience took part in a sing a long of the song. Let’s just say I now know all the words to the song – am a part of it. Queen Latifah sung the national anthem; Nas blessed the gathering with his classic N.Y State Of Mind. Nicki Minaj performed with Ariana Grande lifting the crowd higher. MSG was cooking with gas. The night of course belonged to the Lords Of The Court. These men at the peak of their powers, these men dazzling on the court, so nice in the city one has to say twice. These men dazzling on the court, so nice in the city one has to say twice.