MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan -- Players from the Iwakuni Men's Basketball Team recently took on the Japanese All-Star's in an international match up at Hiroshima's Green Dome.
Iwakuni came out on top with a 48-36 final score despite the fact that they just put the team together this month, according to Iwakuni head coach Eugene Clark.
"Our team is made up of a group of players from the summer league," said Clark. "They work together really well and they all have a lot of motivation and a lot of hustle."
The game, which drew a crowd of around 1,000 Japanese and American fans, ended up in favor of Iwakuni, but nevertheless made winners of all participants.
"We've been coming to this event for the past five years and I think this has been the best one so far," said Clark. "It's not really about who wins or loses as much as it is about coming together and having a good time."
The game offered players a chance to do something they love while improving community relations between the two nations, according to Anthony Wallace, Iwakuni point guard.
"It's a lot of fun to come out here and play against a Japanese team," said Wallace. "I think it's a great way to build a strong cohesion between us and the Japanese as well. They've been a really great host to us here."
Iwakuni player Randy Blanche said he couldn't agree more.
"It's been a great experience," said Blanche. "The Japanese fans even came up to us for our autographs after the game. They made us feel like superstars."
Although competition was on the minds of both teams, it certainly seemed to be overshadowed by the opportunity to share time together and exchange cultures, according to Japanese All-Star player Kazuyuki Nomura.
"I've played the Iwakuni team before and we always have a good time," said the Hiroshima native. "Americans seem to have a lot more experience at basketball, but it's still a great way for us to interact with one another."
Basketball is a fairly American dominated sport, but that doesn't keep the Japanese from inviting us to the court to show what they've got, noted Clark.
"They seem to love watching Americans play basketball," said Clark. "They invite us every year and hopefully they'll continue to do so. Sports are a great way of helping us keep good relations between our two nations."