If you re-read your article you’ll notice that you never do mention whether you saw ‘a lot’ of outdoor basketball courts on your trip or only ‘a few’, relative to the number of ‘makeshift football pitches’ you saw in Brazil.

One aspect of becoming a top notch basketball player many casual observers fail to understand about the game is the degree of physical, mental and emotional ‘toughness’ it takes to develop to an elite level.

People the world over who are immersed in such difficult conditions and still focus their efforts on learning how to play this ‘beautiful’ game … are ready-made for enduring the rigors of elite level hoops.