Pickup basketball offers options, solid workout
By Brandon Masuoka
Advertiser Staff Writer
Like hundreds of others who take to the basketball courts every day, Jason Murai and his group of restaurant-working pals are hungry for the sport that can be played any time, any place and with anyone.
Eugene Tanner • The Honolulu Advertiser
"No matter how much people you have, you can always play basketball," said Murai, a 23-year-old shooting guard on the court, and a photographer and jewelry salesman in real life. "There's a lot of courts around."
Raymond Ng, center, grabs a loose ball in front of Lyle Flores as Matt Matsuda, right, looks on. Ng says he and his group play basketball every Friday for up to four hours at Crane Park in Kapahulu.
On this particular day, Murai and his group played the most common version of pickup basketball — a full-court, 5-on-5 game at Crane Community Park in Kaimuki.
Few sports can match basketball's versatility. The game can be played solo or with up to 10 players. Games include old-time favorites as "H-O-R-S-E" or "1-on-1," and hybrid games such as "21" that can be played with an odd number of players and blends 1-on-1 strategy with free-throw shooting.
Over the years, basketball enthusiasts have found ways to get enjoyment out of the sport that in 2002 attracted 40 million American participants, according to a 2003 SMGA International State of the Industry report.
It's not uncommon for pickup players to spend hours sharpening their skills. Some prefer to practice alone, while others thirst for live competition.
"If it's 4-on-4 or 3-on-3, you can work on your fundamentals — picks and rolls, dribbling, boxing out," said 'Aiea's Bobby Sing, 45, who works as a cook at the Hilton Hawaiian Village. "When you play 5-on-5 you can incorporate the fundamentals."
1, Stretch before playing. Nothing's worse than getting a cramp at game time. 2, Remove all jewelry, watches, or anything that could injure an opponent. 3, Play the position you're most comfortable with. 4, Keep an accurate game score. It's as easy as 1-2-3. 5, Call your own fouls. Apologize for hard fouls, or flee if your opponent starts chasing you. 6, Pass the ball. Remember, you're the point guard. Not the black hole. 7, Drink lots of water. Soda's out, and besides water is free. 8, Call "next" if you want to reserve the next game. Or ask politely to join a short-handed team. 9, Practice free throws. When teams are chosen by free throws, if you miss, you sit. 10, Nothing spells F-A-C-I-A-L more than Paki Community Park. The legendary court devours wimps.
There are 121 parks that have outdoor basketball courts on O'ahu, and of those, 70 have lights for night play, according to city statistics. Most lighted courts get heavy use during the evening hours because temperatures are cooler and most people are finished working.
Helpful pickup basketball tips
Occasionally, you'll find a group, like Murai's, that plays at mid-day because of work schedules.
"Most of us work at restaurants," said A.J. Jackson, 24, who lives near Ala Moana Center and works as a server at Tanaka of Tokyo in King's Village. "We all work at night. We play before we go to work. We can't wake up too early."
Jackson said he enjoys pickup basketball for the camaraderie and health benefits. With its constant motion, basketball is one of the best activities for burning calories, according to a health Web site www.healthstatus.com/calculate/cbc.
For example, a 150-pound person who plays full-court basketball for one hour will burn 747 calories, according to the site. In comparison, that same person would burn 782 calories by running seven miles in one hour. (To lose one pound of weight, a person must burn 3,500 more calories than he or she takes in, the site said. Most individuals in the U.S. eat about 2,200 calories per day.)
"This is the only exercise I get besides riding my bike," Jackson said. "This is good exercise. You get your cardiovascular, your leg workout and your arm workout."
Raymond Ng, a 31-year-old Hilton Hawaiian Village waiter, said his group plays every Friday afternoon for up to four hours. Most of the time, they'll have at least 10 people show up. Other times, they'll gladly welcome anyone who wants to play a friendly game.
"We'll ask anybody that's over 10 years old," said Murai, who lives in Waikiki. "We've played with little kids before, like 12 to 13 years old. People from all different ages can play."
Reach Brandon Masuoka at bmasuoka@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-2458
