In the morning of July 18, Saturday, NTU EMBA Basketball team of 15 rendezvoused at Hsinchu City by cars from Taipei City, New Taipei City, and as far as Taichung City. Among them was Chen Ri-Xing, an alumni member of Class 2002, also a veteran player of Chinese Taipei Basketball team for several years. He was giving a ride to Gu Ji-Xiong, the former coach of the Chinese Taipei Team; they were heading for the SiS Basketball Court to join the others and to meet their old rivals to once again settle some scores, first at 10 AM with the National Chiao Tung University, the second place winner of the last year’s National EMBA Basketball Games, and then the Tamkang University Basketball Team, the opponent in the last year’s semi-final. NTU ended the third place. This is the day that the three teams from three universities agreed to a friendly match.

The NUT EMBA Basketball Team at last year’s National Games was a team of old breeds with average age of 47, and ended the third place with 5 wins and 1 loss, next only to the champion, the National Taiwan University of Science and Technology. However, the NTUers were never accustomed to have the sight of any one’s back in their front, so they had been practicing earlier for this year. They first got Yu Ren-Xiang (Class 2007) to take command as the captain, and then they got a former national team player and an alumni member, Chen Ri-Xing, to fortify the team’s attack and defense capacity and teach the team about the basketball concepts and strategies adopted by the real pros. The final result was a team profile mutually supported by individual player’s strength. They had a maxim: Play Smart, Defend with Heart. They kept sharpening their skills by taking on NTUCT, NTNU, and United Bank of Switzerland already, and the Tri-university friendly match this day were to further harden the teamwork and tactics among the players.

The NCTU took out the TKU, and then faced NTU. In the beginning the two teams sent their best. Though younger and taller, the NCTU players were exhausted in the match with TKU, and NUT had the advantage of having rested, except that the NTU had had 2 hours of very demanding practice from 6 to 8 PM at the Taipei Jhong Jheng People Sports Center the night before. The match was a test of strength to both sides, forcing each team to rotate their players constantly. They both kept defense and the score gap tight. NTU was 2 points behind in the last minute and on the offense. A series of passing ball that ended on the hands of Zhuang Hong-Wei, an alumni member and a former HBL player, who jumped up and threw a bank shot that earned the tie scores. The offense changed hand again, and the two teams fought to the last until the horn blasted with no one scored. The two teams shook hands with 26 to 26 and made truce without an Over Time.

After resting for only 10 minutes, NTU was to face another test of strength again: the match with TKU that lasted for more than one hour. NTU adjusted its starting lineup to balance team-wise physical strength. Amazingly, the old breeds of NTU gained leading scores in the first quarter with its skill and experience, and were able to expand the leading gap for the next 3 quarters. The practice of team defense for more than one month had paid off; the NTU was able to force several 24-second violations on its opponent and took back the offense. The game ended 52 to 23. The NTU players bowed to the rival players, the referee, and the staff at the counter after each tenacious matches to exhibit their gentlemen’s etiquette.

After the 3 games the teams left the scores behind and joined for a hearty meal at the Moon of the Windy City, a retro style restaurant already reserved by the home team of NCTU. They started a new match over the beer in a private booth at the restaurant, and agreed to carry on with the tri-university match. The next two matches would be hosted first by NTU and then TKU. With two straight losses, TKU asked to have the beer fight first before the basketball games next time, clearly a scheme of game theory they had devised. After the friendly match, a group of NTU players went to a NIKE store for shopping as a gesture of support for their new fellow student of Class 2015 and a gorgeous beauty, the General Manager of NIKE. They bought new basketball shoes and other supplies as the finale of a wonderful basketball weekend.

NTU EMBA Basketball Team is scheduled for two more matches with the NCNU and NCHU on August 1 from 1:30 PM to 5 PM at the Stadium of the NTUPES (No.16, Sec. 1, Shuangshi Rd., Central Dist., Taichung City). Alumni members and students live in Taichung and are interested are welcome to watch the games. 

Basketball is a sports ideal for business management professionals. Self-managed running may improve physical strength; field goal practice may improve concentration; team tactic practice may cultivate teamwork and discipline; rapid maneuvering on the court and making split-second decision to take a shot, to dribble, or to pass when the ball is on hand are to train the rapid responsiveness; rebound and jockey for position may sharpen stress resistance. These abilities are all essential for modern time business owners and professional managers in the ever-changing and demanding environment. Anyone who is interested about co-marketing with our Basketball team may contact with Hu Xian-Ping, an alumni member, at hu.davis@gmail.com, or Yu Ren-Xian, also an alumni member, at steveyu_1962@yahoo.com.tw. 

Pre-match warm up 

NTU V.S. NCTU

NTU V.S. TKU

Coach giving tactical direction during the match

Tight defense with blocking

Players of the three teams