Ryu's Blog

I haven’t closely followed sports since my high school days. But with my boys getting more into basketball, we are starting to follow NBA games and attend local sporting events. Playing basketball with them has become one of my favorite activities, and I also enjoy watching and discussing games with them.

It’s interesting to see which teams and players they support. It seems our level of tribalism is, to a large extent, determined by our genes. My elder son doesn’t have a strong preference which team he likes (he tends to like everyone), while my younger son has a strong “us vs. them” mentality, hating teams that beat the ones he likes, and even treating enemies of his enemies as friends.

I’m probably somewhere in between. I remember feeling more tribal during my high school years when I wanted to establish an identity and be loyal to certain people. As I’ve grown older, I’ve found many of these distinctions to be artificial.

However, my experience with my boys has changed my thinking. Instead of wasting time, I now see sports as a way to bond and connect with people, to learn about culture, and to be inspired by great performers. The more knowledgeable I become, the more interesting it is to follow a sport’s development. Being tribal isn’t necessary, but like a bit of alcohol, it can make the experience with others more fun.

I used to care mainly about my own improvement and less interested in following other famous stars. I still think it’s more satisfying to gradually improve my skills than passively watching others. But it’s also exciting to watch young people with dreams and potential still ahead of them work hard and strive towards their goals.