I saw a group of people gathered for a high school reunion getting on a sightseeing bus. They appeared to be of the age when it wouldn't be strange if they had grandchildren. One of them yelled in a high-pitched voice, pointing to near the door of the bus, "It's the NBA." This person apparently associated it with the National Basketball Association, the North American professional basketball league.
Surely, it read so, but it was a membership sticker for the Nihon Bus Association. Smiles spread among the former classmates who encountered the "NBA." A reason that those three letters have become a timely topic of conversation must be thanks to Rui Hachimura, who is playing superbly in North Amarica.
Not only having been picked in the draft, he has been starting games. The term "NBA" is vividly used in headlines reporting his performances. There must be a number of young boys devoting all their time to practicing the sport with the name of the world's top basketball league in mind.
It reminds me of the novel "Shayo" (The Setting Sun) by Osamu Dazai. In the novel, a woman writes a letter to a writer she loves, calling him "My Chekhov." She puts her thoughts in the abbreviation "MC." The code she gives to the man shines here and there in the novel.
NBA games are said to be broadcast worldwide. Will the name Rui Hachimura gain in popularity? Or will his fans call him by a fancy nickname? I am looking forward to finding out.
Read more from The Japan News at https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/
