Posted on 12/08/2017 12:47:05 PM PST by nickcarraway
Some 50 years ago, an area was cleared, hoops were erected and the town of San Pedro La Laguna, nestled at the foot of a volcano in Guatemala's southwestern shore, had its first basketball court. No matter that the court was made of dirt then. Today, that same ground houses the town's municipal court. By day, children participate in dribbling drills to later show off their Kyrie Irving moves or Steph Curry skills. Beginning in the 1980's, NBA games were televised, and the sport's popularity grew. The rest is history.
The local Hoyas and Cavaliers square off in the municipal court of Salcajá, a town in Guatemala's southwestern shore and 15 miles from San Pedro La Laguna. Salcajá is famous for the San Jacinto Church, founded in 1524 and the oldest in Central America. Basketball is a popular pastime as indigenous communities embrace the game.
(Excerpt) Read more at espn.com ...
In the ancient version the losers lost their heads. Literary.
Have family that goes there and can confirm that this is true. Pick up basketball is a standard activity. Some also like to watch ice hockey.
Huh?
In the Maya sport, ball court, the winner of the tournament was executed. That was their reward.
After the war, a Peace Corps volunteer named Ted Stryker introduced them to the game...
The winners in this game advance northwards to get free stuff and reproduce. Losers condemn themselves to exile: they travel across the border to the US, receive what benefits they can, and start families. Scholarship programs and preferential treatment at the nation’s finest schools mitigate difficulties. It is thought that such early competition combined with proud genetic heritage nourishes the will of both parties to succeed in proudly getting others to pay for every aspect of their lives, for generations.
(Alas, I wonder where they got the idea?)
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