by Gabrielle Dunn, Politics & Philosophy, Case Western Reserve University – USA

Talks of my time in Cleveland would be incomplete without sharing what is the truly unique experience of going to a Cleveland Cavaliers basketball game.

Quicken Loans Arena, downtown Cleveland

In the U.S., I’ve noticed there’s a lot more emphasis on the importance of sports, be it American Football, Soccer (I know, I’ve converted), Hockey, Baseball, or Basketball. Just when I thought that the way that people pump themselves up to watch a match in their homes was impressive, it had nothing on the height of euphoria that buzzed around the Cav’s Basketball Stadium on game day.

At the match I went to, the Cleveland Cavaliers took on the Denver Nuggets, and I must say, completely thrashed them. They don’t call LeBron James a basketball legend for nothing. Any time he got a hold of the ball, it was like fire, and the crowd knew it too. Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love also stood out as crowd faves, and not just because they were quite nice to look at. Asides from the game itself, I realised that going to watch your home team play was also about the half time performances. Q-Stix, a drumming ensemble performed impressive percussion on buckets, and the Cavs Girls, (the basketball team’s very own cheerleaders), half-time routine was incredible. All in all, the snacks, prize giveaways, chants, music, and dramatic lighting all made for a really fun all-round time.