He World Basketball Day It will be celebrated on December 21 for the second time. that the United Nations adopting such a resolution last year, in 2023, is not only a testament to the international appeal of the sport, but also to the vision of a man who believes in the possibilities of positive change, with the help of the “Basketball for Good” initiative. of the Foundation FIBA.
That man is David HollanderAssistant Dean of the Real World program at the New York University and Clinical Professor at the Preston Robert Tisch Global Sport Institute. He is also a member of the “Basketball for Good” advisory committee.
Originating from New Jersey, Hollander He teaches a popular course at New York University titled “How Basketball Can Save the World” and has written a book by the same name: “How Basketball Can Save the World: 13 Guiding Principles for Reimagining the Possible.” In this book, Hollander drafted a resolution of the United Nations to establish a World Basketball Day.
“The world needs a common language,” he said last week in an interview with FIBA.basketball. “If we want to address global problems—climate change, disease, hunger, lack of water, etc.—we need a common starting point. The world must start working towards the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals and other goals that can only be achieved with a collective global effort. Basketball, thanks to its incomparable combination of universality and influence, provides that starting point. World Basketball Day: one thing, one day, all of us, everywhere. We can do it.”
The resolution establishing the World Basketball Day was adopted by the United Nations on August 25, 2023. Subsequently, Hollander He was invited to speak on the topic on December 21, during the first celebration of this day. Proposing a resolution in a book is one thing; getting it adopted is another. Hollander He turned to his students for help.
“I turned it into a class project. “My 150 students sent presentations to UN ambassadors explaining why their countries should support the resolution at the 2023 General Assembly,” he explained. “Filipinas He accepted our proposal. “It was the perfect country to lead it.”
Four months after the announcement of World Basketball Day, the world learned more about Hollander. The Permanent Mission of Filipinas before the HIM hosted a special session, in collaboration with the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, and invited not only Hollander, but also NBA legend Julius “Dr. J” Erving.
“We organized a special session at the UN with me, Julius Erving, the Basketball Hall of Fame and dozens of diplomats from various countries,” he recalled. Hollander. “Many shared why basketball meant so much to them, both personally and culturally. Afterwards, we organized a basketball game with diplomats at a local YMCA court. “It was the perfect representation of what World Basketball Day symbolizes.”
During that session, Hollander evoked one of the most significant moments of his life: sharing the stage with Dr. J. On May 10, 1974, Hollander witnessed Dr. J lead the New York Nets to their first American Basketball Association championship (ABA).
“Thousands of fans invaded the field. I screamed until I lost my voice,” he recalled at the UN. “For me, a nine-year-old boy, it was like witnessing the dawn of all creation.”
In that same session, Hollander offered reflections taken from his book on the thirteenth principle: “Transcendence.” “Often, when we work together to improve the world, we hear problems described as ‘intractable’, impossible to solve. Basketball is the only sport with a high goal. It invites us to ascend, to leave the ground, to defy gravity, to fly. We know that we cannot fly, but the great achievements of humanity require looking up, dreaming of the impossible and trying. “That represents basketball.”
Hollander dreams that he World Basketball Day “become a sacred day on the global calendar.” “Clocks will stop, babies will not cry, and a global sense of peace and balance will be felt in every heart,” he imagined. This vision is fully in line with FIBA’s mission to unite people and strengthen the community.
Another principle highlighted in his book is that of “Absence of positions”. A term familiar to basketball fans that can also be applied to life. “The world is changing rapidly,” he noted. “Circumstances dictate what your position should be, not the other way around. Life is like a counterattack: you do what you need to do, you adapt, you collaborate with others to solve what is in front of you.”
Likewise, he writes about the principle of “Sanctuary.” For many, a basketball court is a place of escape, not only to compete, but also to disconnect from the daily noise. “I believe sanctuary should be recognized as a fundamental human right,” he said. “It’s that important.”
Hollander He describes himself as “a very special kind of American, originally from the great state of New Jersey.” “When I was six years old, my father built a half basketball court in the backyard,” he recalled. “There I learned a special language that I continue to speak all over the world.”
Despite his busy schedule, Hollander continues to play basketball, whether in organized or improvised games in NYUalong with his students. For him, basketball has always been international. “If something good is created in the world, it should be for everyone. “From its inception, basketball was designed to be global.”
When asked about international sports stars, like Nikola JokicLuka DoncicGiannis Antetokounmpo o Victor Of the fleshresponds enthusiastically: “Oh, yes. In fact, when you watch Jokic play, it seems like the game is being reinterpreted for all of us.”
In 133 years, basketball has continued to grow in influence and popularity. Hollander He sums it up like this: “The world would be wise to ask why. And that he learned from it. Whatever existential questions the world faces, basketball has the answer.”
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