Summary

A college student recounts an exceptional experience sitting behind the Arizona basketball team during a game at the University of Illinois, leading to memorable interactions with notable individuals, including Chancellor Robert Jones and NBA All-Star Domantas Sabonis.

Abstract

The author, a senior at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, describes an unforgettable basketball game experience where they sat behind the Arizona team, contrary to their usual seating. This decision provided them with a unique vantage point, allowing them to feel more connected to the game and its environment. The author had the opportunity to meet and interact with the University's Chancellor, Robert Jones, and took a selfie with him, which sparked a trend among other attendees. The article also narrates the encounter with NBA player Domantas Sabonis and former Illini player Deon Thomas, emphasizing the ease of meeting celebrities when approaching them as regular people. Despite the Illinois team's loss, the author and their friends enjoyed the game immensely, suggesting they might choose similar seats in the future.

Opinions

The author believes that sitting behind the opposing team's bench can offer a more immersive and engaging experience than their typical seats behind the basket.
They express admiration for Chancellor Robert Jones, describing him as one of the nicest individuals they've met and highlighting his approachability and humility.
The author downplays the intimidation of meeting celebrities, suggesting that they are ordinary people and that interacting with them is easier than one might think.
The article conveys a sense of pride and belonging to the University of Illinois community, especially after the Chancellor expressed his appreciation for the students' efforts during a challenging semester.
The author implies that the excitement of the game and the encounters with well-known figures made the experience worthwhile, even though their home team did not win.

I Sat Behind Arizona at Illinois Basketball Yesterday: Best Experience Ever!

They’re some of the best seats in the house.

Normally at Illinois basketball games, a group of friends and I always sit behind the basket off from the floor.

We couldn’t get to those seats yesterday, so we decided to sit behind our opposing team, #11 Arizona. One wouldn’t think that’d be the best decision, but they were the best seats in the house.

Not only were we close to the team and court, we all felt a part of the environment more so than sitting behind the hoop. Plus, I interacted with a ton of well-known people too.

About a half hour before the game started, I happen to look over and see Robert Jones.

He may be an ordinary guy to you but to us students at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, he’s our Chancellor!

He’s one of the nicest folks you will ever meet. I had met a few times before this, but I had to say hello again.

I asked him for a selfie, and he was honored. The next thing I know, everyone wants a picture with the man himself.

I think I may have started a trend.

Nevertheless, we students thanked him for everything he does for the school, and he thanked us for everything we do too.

He said he was proud of all of us succeeding this semester despite its difficulty.

I took that to heart. Hearing him say that means I chose to right college to pursue higher education.

I Met a Two-time NBA All-Star

Author and his buddy with Domantas Sabonis.

During halftime, a buddy of mine looked over and saw two-time NBA All-Star Domantas Sabonis sitting with Arizona.

He currently plays for the Indiana Pacers and has played European ball too.

My buddy was too scared to say anything but really wanted a picture with him. I told him to just say hi to him.

After all, he’s just human.

He didn’t really know how to, so I did it for him. I asked Sabonis if he could get a selfie with us, and he was happy to.

My buddy asked:

“How did you do that? That was way too scary.”

I told him the best I knew how.

“Meeting celebrities is easy. They’re just everyday people like you and me.”

Also at halftime, I met former Illini basketball player Deon Thomas.

He works for Illini basketball now, so he was close to us too. I had never met him before, only seen him at a distance.

So I had to tell him hi and snap a picture with him.

He was just as nice as everyone said he is.

Closing Thoughts

I had never sat courtside at a basketball game before.

I wonder if this is how Jack Nickolson feels when he sits courtside at Lakers games. It was awesome!

The experience was unbelievable. Who would’ve thought I’d see so many familiar faces? I felt like I was part of the action.

Even though Illinois ended up losing 83–79, my buddies and I still had a blast! We may just have to sit behind the opposing team more often.

Noah Nelson is a senior at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign majoring in journalism with minors in political science and history. He serves as a senior columnist for The Daily Illini, a writer on Medium and the host of his blog called Nothing But Noah. “Life: A Collection of Short Stories” is his first book available now on Amazon. Like what you read? You can write for Medium too!