Episode 37: Basketball

"Basketball is my favorite sport. I like the way they dribble up and down the court. Just like I'm the king on the microphone, so is 
Dr. J and Moses Malone."

— Kurtis Blow, 1984

Where were you on June 14, 1998? If your memory bank fails, then you might have been one of the 72 million people planted in front of a tube with eyes glued to the highest rated NBA game of all time. With 5 seconds remaining during Game 6 of the NBA Finals, the Utah Jazz were leading the Chicago Bulls by 1 point. After a missed 3 point field goal attempt by John Stockton, Michael Jordan, who initially steals the ball from Carl Malone, miraculously hits a jump shot leading Chicago to their 6th NBA Championship. Shortly afterwards, MJ retired his iconic 23 jersey, leaving sports' famous final play permanently planted into popular culture. 

Before and after Jordan's last shot, I've witnessed a host of unforgettable miracles happen courtside. Many were performed by the likes of Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Larry Bird, my main man Kobe Bryant and Jordan himself. But none has ever come close. It still ranks uppermost on my list of great NBA plays.

However, during August's alpha, after a long-awaited dream destination to Lithuania, where Sarah and I shared more tender travel moments that included some wins and losses — such as a casually sweet castle hunt, an aching airport mishap, and a city with a whole lot of bohemian heaven — I luckily witnessed a big-league basketball bout with a bittersweet win that came pretty darn close to topping the last shot. Check the final score and much more on The Big Baltic Tour — part 1 of a 3 part special episode of the Blog-O-Daria series . . .

"You got BBD all on 
your bedroom wall.
But I'm above the rim 
and this is how I ball."

— J. Davis, A. Muhammad, M. Taylor, 1993

WHAT'S THE BEST GIFT A WORLD TRAVELING couple can bestow to each other on their birthdays? No. Not a globe or an atlas. Those are great gift ideas, but most serious travelers would already own them. And definitely not a traveler's check! That went out with the CD Walkmen. The answer is a roundtrip ticket to a dream destination. And for the past 5 years, this has been somewhat of a yearly tradition for Sarah and I. So, when the world's greatest month otherwise known as August finally rolled around, you can bet your last slice of birthday cake I was eager to see what my girl from the north country had in store.

Unlike last year's top secret gift to Sweden, this year Sarah saved the surprises. A week before my big bash, she let the cat out the bag that my present would be a trip to the Baltic states; Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania — three north east European destinations I'd been yearning for ever since I made the big move to the Sunflower Capital over 3 years ago.

However, some strategy did factor into spoiling a good surprise. You see, since the Baltic states were my dream destinations, Sarah had me research fun stuff to do in each country. So, after a thorough investigation, I couldn't help but notice the spitting distance between Estonia and Finland, which prompted me to plead Sarah into squeezing Helsinki into our journey as an extra added birthday bonus. Her answer and more stories from The Big Baltic Tour will come later. This episode will focus solely on the Lovely Lithuania.

On that note, I'm pretty certain the majority of my U.S. readers are scratching their heads right now and asking themselves, 'where on earth is Lithuania, O?' Don't stress. Sit back and relax, while I shed a little light on the subject. 

Officially The Republic of Lithuania, it's the largest of the three Baltic states and equal in size to West Virginia. It contains less than half the population of Bulgaria's 7 million and is located about 800 miles north of the Sunflower Capital, bordering Latvia to the north, Poland to the south, Belarus to the east, and Russian enclave Kaliningrad Oblast (say that three times fast) to the south west.

In 1940, Lithuania was first occupied by the Soviet Union and then Nazi Germany. Four years after World War II, the Soviet's reoccupied. In 1991, Lithuania became the first Soviet republic to proclaim its independence. Several years later, after joining NATO and the European Union on April of 2004, the United Nations declared Lithuania a "very high human development" country — and, might I add, for good reason. But you'll find that out in a minute. First I want to talk about an aching misfortune we had upon arrival.

"That's the way the ball bounces.
That's the way the ball bounces.
That's the way the cookie crumbles."

— Marvin Hamlisch and Howard Liebling, 1963

IT WAS BOUND TO happen one day and sure enough it did. After a delayed flight to Lithuania, which included a long layover inside an inadequate Ukrainian airport, one of my worst flying fears came to be: the airline lost our luggage. You see, for back-up purposes when traveling together, Sarah and I tend to check one bag — usually her extra-large one, since my economy-size Timberland bag fits into most airplane storage units. 

Possibly due to the initial knowledge of having a short flight to Vilnius, this time we decided to check both bags. Massive mistake. Especially for Sarah — a girl generally known for preaching the importance of comfort first on a cramped second class flight — who, at the last minute, decided to fly diva-style, wearing six-inch pumps.

So, despite Vilnius Airport's gracious hotel attendant supplying us with toothpaste and brushes for the night, the next day, after checking into the apply named B and B Hotel Style — which we shared with an endearing Dutch family and received the warmest hospitality from a Lithuanian musician named Monica — Sarah, unfortunately, endured an agonizing day touring Vilnius on her tippy toes.

Before divulging further details regarding my exploration of Lithuania's captivating capital city, there's a vital subject I must jump to first.

"After that last unholy row I never,
Ever play basketball, now.
It joins the list of things I'll miss.

Like fencing foils and 

Lovely girls I'll never kiss."

— Paddy McAloon, 1984

MY FELLOW GIRL GAZERS WILL BE THRILLED to learn that Lithuania was equally impressive to Bulgaria in birthing an "unfair amount" of some of the world's most beautiful women I'd ever laid my baby brown eyes on. But if your taste buds lean more toward natural blonde locks and approachable attitudes, you might even place her first. And guy gazers, you needn't feel left out. You know I'm always the equal opportunity gaze-blogger. According to Sarah, Lithuania's male population was of a comparable consumption.

On that note, you can bet your best pair of binoculars I had no complaints in regarding my ever-so-present celebrity status reaching an all-time high in Lovely Lithuania. And before arriving, I was somewhat prepared for the fame. You see, in 2007, one year B.S. (that's Before Sarah), Agne, an ex-girlfriend and native lithuanian, carefully forewarned me of my inevitable popularity (particularly with the female gender), had I ever stepped foot inside her country. 

Back then, unbeknownst to me, Agne wasn't exaggerating a single word of her statement. Women, and even men at times, old and young, toddlers too — gazed endlessly. Like my present status in Bulgaria, the only explanation I can come up with is Lithuania's obvious absence of Black folk and a serious lack of Americans touring the country. 

In fact, when our U.S. status was realized, most Lithuanians (who, by the way, spoke better English than me) eagerly expressed their excitement to meet us, further stating that they get less than a few Americans visiting their country each year. And from the looks of the place, they weren't lying. Next to embassy workers, it's possible Sarah and I were the only yankees in town. And if you'd pardon an even bolder statement, I'm certain I was the only Black dude there — and perhaps its first. 

However, the heavy gazing was mutual. And not just because Lithuanians were easy on the eyes. Being the portrait painter that I am, when closely observing the majority 85% native Lithuanian population (with Russians, Poles, Belarusians and Ukrainians rounding out the rest) I was quite intrigued with just how distinct their facial features are compared to other Baltic and Slavic groups. 

And just in case I'm coming off weird or perhaps even racist, the only way I can convey my point is to liken it to the obvious distinction between Ethiopians' facial features to that of other African cultures and African-Americans. 

Okay. . . not so sure that example helped my case, but I think you get my drift — so, let's move on.

"I could stuff it from center court with my toes.
I could jump on top of the backboard,
Take off a quarter, leave fifteen cents change.
I could, I could dribble behind my back
I got more moves than Ex-Lax. I'm bad."

— Cheech and Chong, 1973

NAMED JERUSALEM of the north by Napoleon due to its heavy Jewish influence, Vilnius is the second largest Baltic city after Riga and one of the most lively and livable cities I'd ever explored. Despite resembling Sofia's Soviet-style architecture and graffiti garbled blocks, Vilnius was cleaner and far more developed. And understandably so, when considering it is amongst the fastest rising economic growth countries within the European Union — with Bulgaria still, unfortunately, remaining the lowest.

Thankfully, and most respectfully, the Old Town of Vilnius was graffiti free and filled with more charm than General Mills. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, it was also loaded with some of Europe's most impressive gothic, renaissance, baroque, and neoclassical architecture one can dream up.

 

After building up an appetite shooting numerous photographs of the town's splendid surroundings, Sarah and I stopped by Pilies Street, the main artery and center for street market life, and scoffed down brunch at a yummy American-style pancake joint called Gusto Blynine, a highly recommended dining destination when perusing Vilnius. 

With stomachs stuffed to capacity, after brunch we hit up more Vilnius Old Town tourist attractions, such as Gediminas Avenue — the city's main street — the stunning St. Anne's Church, Vilnius Cathedral, the Gates of Dawn, the city's symbol Gediminas Tower, the Presidential Palace, Vilnius University and a memorial statue dedicated to America's own Frank Zappa, where I paid my respects to rock and roll's 'mother of invention.'

"It might feel good.
It might sound a lil' somethin'.
But damn the game,
If it ain't sayin' nothin'."

— Chuck D, 1998

THE MOST MEMORABLE HIGHLIGHTS from Lovely Lithuania apply occurred on the world's greatest day; August 6 — my birthday. The first highlight happened right at the nick of time. Another year older, but feeling younger than yesterday — thanks in part to Sarah's terrific travel gift — during the late morning hours, I received a special hand delivered package to our accommodation. 

No, it wasn't a bouquet of birthday roses from one of my Lithuanian gazers. Though that would have been sweet, my celebrity status wasn't that potent. It was, in fact, something far more useful; our luggage, which had been finally recovered and returned from the airport. 

After eagerly bouncing into some fresh gear, another most memorable highlight occurred upon exploring the artsy and isolated, yet vastly inspiring, Uzupis District (meaning other side of the river). A crossbreed between Montmartre in Paris and Takoma Park back home, due to its absence of big malls, internet cafes, and governmental buildings, the district can easily be described as hippie heaven. 

Until Lithuania's Declaration of Independence in 1990, with an abundance of abandoned homes, derelicts and prostitutes liken to modern day Detroit, Uzupis was one of the most neglected areas of the Vilnius. Today, it's a steady refuge for many squatting young artists, poets, musicians, and a common base for bohemians. Whether meant to be sarcastic or tongue-and-cheek, on April Fool's Day of 1997 — with no government recognition — 'The Republic Of' Uzupis declared its independence with its own currency, president, cabinet, flag, and anthem.

Like I said — hippie heaven.

After exploring the district and some of its many treasures, which included Saint Bartholomew Church and the recently erected Angel of Uzupis — a symbol of artistic freedom, we concluded Uzupis and my birthday dining out on the terrace of the yummy Tores restaurant, another highly recommended dining destination, which features an awesome view of the Vilnius' city scape.

On a rather sad note, though the majority Lithuanian population belong to the Roman Catholic Church, it's important to mention that most of its Jewish population, particularly that of the Uzupis District, were killed off during the Holocaust. And later, synagogues and cemeteries were sabotaged by the Soviets. This brings to mind a delicate highlight of my exploration of Lithuania and the Big Baltic Tour in general.

Located in the city's former KGB Building across from Lukiskes Square, the Museum of Genocide Victims (more commonly called the KGB Museum) is an artistic exhibition dedicated to collecting documents relating to 50 years of Soviet and Lithuanian resistance and its victims and executions. Earlier this year — and perfect timing for us — an exposition of the extermination of Lithuanian Jews during World War II was recently added.

"I'm tired of playing on the team
It seems I don't get time out anymore.
What a change if we set the pace face to face
No one even trying to score."

— Daryl Hall, 1982

EXPLORING A COUNTRY IS NEVER QUITE fulfilled without a castle hunt. And though I'm told Lithuania has a few impressive ones (which technically includes Vilnius Castle Complex where Gediminas Tower resides), unfortunately there was only time to locate one outside of Vilnius. So, exit Owen Davis; mild mannered high school teacher — enter the brave and fearless Castle Hunter accompanied by his trusty blonde companion Sarah (who secretly does all the work. But keep that part to yourself — don't want to lose any subscribers!) 

After a short and smooth train ride to the historic city known as Trakai — one of the main centers of the Grand Ditchy of Lithuania — due to the popularity of the lake resort's transcendental Trakai Island Castle, the world's greatest castle hunters technically didn't score any hunting points this time around. For once, we could put down our compasses and let the steady flow of tourists navigate us to one of Lithuania's most treasured possessions — and an easy contender for the 10 most captivating castles I'd ever seen.

"Let me root, root, root for the home team.
If they don't win, it's a shame."

— Jack Norworth and 

Albert Von Tilzer, 1908

AT HOLIDAYS AND SPECIAL GATHERINGS, most families have a favorite go-to-game. After scoffing down the main course, activities like a sporting match or a good board game can keep everyone occupied and, in some cases, at peace. Sarah recently confessed that Scrabble is her family's favorite go-to-game of choice. 

In my clan, however, there wasn't just one go-to-game. Due to its enormous size — nine siblings in all — through the years we had numerous. One of the fondest I can recall was playing basketball with my five brothers in the 1980s. Not only did several hours of shooting, passing, dribbling, sweating and arguing build-up an extra potent appetite before the main course, the brotherly bonding always brought us closer together.

Sometime in the late 90s and beyond, me and my brothers traded in our basketballs for running shoes, television sets, and amusing indoor activities that included the entire family. Taboo and The Paper Game — a top secret invention of my cousin Valencia that probably shouldn't be mentioned in Blog-O-Daria of all places — are now constant mainstays before and after dinner.

Days before this year's graduation at the American English Academy of Sofia, I eagerly participated in the annual Students Vs. The Teachers Basketball Tournament and found out the hard way what the results of giving up basketball at family gatherings and beyond can do to a body. 

Even though the teachers triumphed and I got a few compliments on my supposed hoop skills — mainly due to Coach Peter playing a mean center, making me look good in the process — afterwards, I felt like I needed emergency oxygen and strong pain killers to ease what felt like a ton of cement blocks dropped over my body. The aches and pains were most likely due to having not moved certain body parts in decades.

However, don't let all this basketball tournament talk fool you into believing hooping is popular in the Sunflower Capital of the World. Though basketball is considered one of the world's most widely viewed sports, I'm sure Bulgaria and most of Europe will be choosing soccer as their family go-to-game. 

On the other hand, there is one European country that might be an exception to the rule. After witnessing countless numbers of folks hooping it up and various basketball related items throughout the city, like posters, jerseys, and bobble-headed figurines, I'm gonna half-court bank on the assumption that most Lithuanians will be making it their number one family go-to-game of choice.

Often called the "Godfather Of Lithuanian Basketball," Frank Lubin (Pranas Lubinas), a Lithuanian emigrant from America, is solely responsible for introducing basketball to the Lithuania in the 1930s. Years later, after Soviet occupation literally erased Lithuania's national team from the basketball geography, hoops still remained strong in Lithuania despite depressing political events.

Once Lithuania regained independence, their national basketball team was its best advertisement abroad. In 2011, the southern most Baltic state hosted the European Basketball Championship, blazing a path for a major craze within the country — eventually making basketball Lithuania's official national sport and spawning NBA prospects Arvydas Sabonis and Jonas Valanciunas in the process.

With more perfect timing, on our last day in Lithuania, after returning to the hostel early to pack for the next leg of the Big Baltic Tour, I luckily caught the 2012 Summer Olympic Basketball showdown between Lithuania and the U.S.A. On this rare occasion, though generally a proud American Olympic team supporter — especially when regarding one of the country's signature inventions — I was rooting for the underdog.

And just in case Sidney Deane still hasn't gotten the memo, white men can jump. Especially in Lithuania. With deadly Dawkin dunks, honey sweet layups, and crafty pick and rolls, FIBAs number five ranked Lithuania gave the number one ranked U.S.A. one hell of a fight. However, with extra big ups to LeBron James, the U.S.A. prevailed in the end and pulled off a close 99 to 94 victory.

Lithuania may have lost their chance at winning the Olympic Championship, but the team and country itself won this American boy's heart. In fact — and I've stated this a few times before on Blog-O-Daria — there's a countless number of cities in the world I love visiting. But on the same ticket, there's only a handful I'd live in. Vilnius is one.

On second thought . . . if that were to happen anytime soon, it might be of my best advantage to brush up on the old basketball skills. I would imagine the only Black dude living in Lithuania with no game, would be quite an embarrassing sight.

Be seeing you.

O