This column/poem, inspired by the 2006 FIBA Basketball World Championship, appeared in The Japan Times and was reprinted in FIBA’s limited edition commemorative championship program after the tournament.

‘An ode to basketball’

By Ed Odeven

Worlds — what a great show!
Eighty games, 24 teams,
But one ambition.

This is a grand time.
This two weeks of non-stop fun.
Hoops, hoops and more hoops.

These games thrill the world.
From Qatar to Australia,
It’s a real big deal.

Delirious fans,
(And) flags are proudly on display.
Yes, it’s all OK.

(International) fans treasure their stay.
Five cities share their kindness.
Japan’s a great host.
The list of standouts
Is impressive, y’all,
And includes new faces.

Melo, Lutonda,
King James, Ginobili, Dirk,
Olimpio, Pau.

And you can’t forget
Igarashi’s daring ways,
Orimo’s 3-balls.



Darko’s big blocked shots,
Okulaja’s steady play,
Scola’s polished moves.

Ibekwe’s smooth Js,
Papadopolous’s grit,
Akyol’s fiery style.

Pau Gasol’s hook shots,
Pepe’s steady leadership,
Spanoulis’ (in-your-face) Js.

Gomes — slam dunks,
Garbajosa’s shooting range,
Greece’s brilliant D.

Red Foxes dancing,
Angola’s tenacity,
Les Bleus — young, but strong.

Wade’s fourth-quarter show,
Lebanon’s bitter-sweet win,
Italy’s woes at the line (vs. Lithuania).

Nigeria’s heart,
Team Japan’s fighting spirit,
Spain’s brilliant tempo.

And these memories:
Big fellows who can really shoot (Papadopolous, Mingas, Nesterovic, Yi),
Little guys who can rebound (Kashiwagi, Urdih, Arroyo).

Claude’s impromptu work (rebuilding France on the fly),
Yannakis’s smart tactics,
Zeljko’s passion.

Takeuchi twins,
The battle of Hernandez (well, Spain’s Pepu vs. Argentina’s Sergio for a berth into the final),
Tab’s tearful exit.

Team goals rule the day,
(But) individual brilliance
Shines through in their play.

Sakota’s young guns,
Coach K’s flashy playmakers,
All-Stars and backups (they’ve excelled here, too).

The best of the best?
Spanish-speaking b-ballers,
Greek dynamo guards.

Layups, dunks, passes (and all-out effort) —
International showcase (boy, was it ever).
The game’s finest hour (for two straight weeks!).