Why sport matters - 23/6/10

"And here's to you, Joe DiMaggio, a nation turns its lonely eyes to you..." Paul Simon - 1968

My earliest memory of sport was spending Saturday afternoon's watching my Dad play cricket as a kid. One particular sunny, Saturday afternoon always stuck in my mind. Dad had never made a century, often finishing in the 90's. On this particular day he was in fine form, and it looked like the drought was over.

He was also taking a torrent of racial abuse through the day. In characteristic style, he never said a word, letting his bat do the talking. On 99, he was hit on the pad to a ball going down the leg side. The umpire incorrectly ruled him out.

I always remembered the image of Dad walking away, long before Adam Gilchrist, without a moments hesitation to the wrong call. As I greeted him at the edge of the field, I could see how angry he was, but the integrity and dignity with which he played the game never wavered.

Sport so often demonstrates these moments to us, achieving the change that social and political movements aim for, but struggle to deliver. From Don Haskins starting five African Americans in the 1966 NCAA Basketball Championship, to Nicky Winmar's famous gesture at Victoria Park, to Mandela using rugby to unite South Africa in '95 and North and South Korea marching under one flag at the 2000 Olympics; sport brings out our best.

This rather long introduction is to reinforce the power of what I have experience across the US these last three weeks with the NBA Finals. From the playgrounds of Venice Beach, LA, to Rucker Park in Harlem, NY; from rabid Laker and Celtic fans inside Staples Centre, to the crazy sports bars across LA.

At every point along the way, I experienced the power of basketball and sport to break down the racial, cultural and social barriers we put between ourselves. The enduring respect and integrity of sport bonded us together. In a country that is experiencing such economic turmoil, where the gap between haves and have nots is so vast and apparent every day, it is inspiring to live these moments. They continue to remind me of our common humanity.

Here at the Basketball Hall Of Fame in Massachusetts, I continue to be inspired by the homage paid to the trailblazing leaders who achieved positive change through basketball. It inspires me to continue to believe in sports as the most powerful medium for change in society. :)