Courtesy of Tyler Smith Former Penn State basketball player Tyler Smith has spent the past three years in Japan playing hoops for the Hitachi Sunrockers. He and his family have spent about eight months a year in Japan, then return to their home in Pennsylvania in the offseason. Shortly after the devastating earthquakes and tsunamis hit Japan earlier this month, the Sunrockers were forced to cancel the remainder of their season, sending Smith and his family home early. He talked to espnW about what it was like to be in Japan in the midst of one of the worst natural disasters of our time.
Sarah Spain: Where were you when the earthquakes hit?
Tyler Smith: I was in a hotel in Tokyo when the two massive earthquakes hit Japan on March 11. I was relaxing before our game that was supposed to be played that evening. Even though we were about 140 miles from the epicenter, our huge hotel was swaying like a Jenga game. I had experienced earthquakes before which usually die down quickly. This one shook harder and harder and wasn't stopping -- when your room is creaking that's not a good sign. So our team raced down eight flights of stairs, and all the while I was wondering if the building would come crashing down on us.
My wife, Cara, and our 2-year-old daughter Hannah live with me during the year, but they were an hour away in our apartment building at the time. They had the same situation there where they raced down seven flights of stairs in a panic. All the cell phones went out of service immediately but we were able to briefly speak on Skype and see that we were each OK. As we were speaking, the second massive earthquake hit and we sprinted out of our respective buildings again.
Fortunately, there was no major damage to Tokyo or our home city, Kashiwa. We were really blessed to not have been hurt and we were saying a lot of prayers, for sure. It was incredible and frightening to see skyscrapers swaying back and forth so much. We had nowhere to run had they collapsed because we were each in such densely populated areas of big cities. We were scheduled to travel north the next day to a city where the tsunami hit hard. Had the earthquakes been 24 hours later, I would have been in serious danger.
SS: Describe the first few days after the disaster.
TS: At first I wasn't that worried. Then our Japanese friends came over with three bags of groceries and a ton of bottled water. I thought it was a bit of overkill but, sure enough, we went out shopping and there was no milk, bread, bottled water, rice, flashlights or batteries to be found. There were rolling blackouts which cut out electricity, heat and water for periods of the day. Restaurants were closed. Traffic lights were out for many hours at a time. They warned not to stay outside for too long due to high levels of radiation. And about 15-20 earthquakes continued to shake our apartment building every day. Many of them woke us up at night, ready to bolt for the door. They of course scared the heck out of Hannah every time one would hit because things started to rattle so much.
Courtesy of Tyler Smith It was a strange feeling for the Hitachi Sunrockers' Tyler Smith to be preparing for an opponent one day and the next day it's all over.Despite all the issues, there was no chaos in the streets in our city. Everyone simply moved at a very deliberate pace. There were no fights while waiting in long lines. When trains were shut down, you didn't hear a lot of moaning and groaning. People just made the best of it and moved on. My one teammate got stuck in the middle of his commute as his train stopped running, and he ended up sleeping in a park. In many other places there may have been looting, violence and madness. But the Japanese are very composed people and do a tremendous job of looking out for others and respecting their neighbors.
SS: How did the team decide to cancel the season? You only had a handful of games left, right?
TS: We heard that the season was going to be canceled by the league, but the league hadn't "officially" reported it yet. So we all showed up at the gym expecting a brief meeting. After all, we didn't have heat or lights in the gym. Our coach says "tape up" and we ended up having a full-contact, two-hour practice. I was furious.
When practice finished, we went right to the locker room. There, our head coach announced that the season was canceled. Unbelievable.
We had six games left in the regular season and then playoffs -- all were canceled. It was a very strange feeling to be preparing for your opponent one day and the next day it's all over. There wasn't the usual sense of closure from a season being complete after a final game.
SS: What do you do now that the season's canceled? A job back in the states, free time with the family?
TS: Now that the season is over, I'm taking a break from playing and working out. It's good for me to rest and give my body some time off. I'll spend more time with my family and try to think of ways to make my wife and daughter laugh. I also created a small company -- www.ProPlayerVideo.com -- that helps pro basketball players and agents network and gain more exposure for playing overseas. Players post game video and their basketball profiles on our site and use it as their résumé when looking for their next pro international job. We are also planning two pro showcases in NYC and L.A. this summer which will be a great opportunity for players, agents and coaches to connect.
I spend eight to nine months in Japan from about August through April. We have a house in Pennsylvania about 10 minutes from Penn State University.
SS: Was it tough to leave friends/teammates out in Japan to deal with the aftermath? Are you in touch with them on a regular basis to see how they're recovering?
TS: In one sense, it was very sad and difficult. Japan is their home; they don't have anywhere else to go, while I could hop on a plane and leave. But they have to live there and deal with all of the nuclear radiation, aftershocks, food shortages, electricity and water shortages, and transportation problems every day. While I was so thankful that I could get my family out of there, I felt like I was leaving my friends and teammates behind. I am still in touch via Skype and email regularly to check in on them, and it seems they are all doing pretty well considering the circumstances.
SS: What was the best part about playing in Japan? Do you plan to go back next season?
TS: The best part about playing in Japan is that you don't have to worry about getting paid. In many countries around the world you have to fight to get your money and that is never fun. Salaries are often late or sometimes don't come at all. I've experienced this firsthand in different countries and am still owed thousands of dollars which I will never see. The Japanese are very loyal and honorable as a society, and it is a huge relief knowing that I don't have to lose any sleep over salary issues. Plus, they are very kind and respectful people which makes for a very safe and friendly country. I love that I can leave for a four-day road trip and not have to worry about my family while I am gone. I do not have a contract for next season, but I hope to be able to go back to Japan again. As long as they can clean up those nuclear reactors.
SS: You're a 6-foot-10 blond guy in Asia -- do you always feel like sort of a sideshow just walking around? Everyday inconveniences from language barriers or the sizes of things?
TS: I definitely get a lot of looks. You have to understand that Japan is the shortest country on average in the world. I can't stand up straight in a hotel shower. And I duck into every doorway you can think of. There are very few Americans that live in our city, so my family and I really stick out. My daughter Hannah is really blond and just looks completely different from everyone else around. We can't take a walk or ride a train without people stopping to stare at her, touch her face or hair, or make comments. But it doesn't bother us a bit as it gives us an opportunity to interact with people who may otherwise be pretty shy. The Japanese are generally very reserved so it's fun to see little Hannah breaking down cultural and language barriers.
The language has been very difficult to pick up. I admit that I don't study it as much as I should. It is their country and we should adapt to their lifestyle as much as possible. English is taught in all the schools, but most people are too shy to use it. The prices of some things are just insane. Take Pizza Hut, for example. It's awesome to have pizza that tastes good and is familiar, but a large pizza can run you over $35 USD. I don't know if they are flying them in one by one from the U.S. or what, but it's a little insane! Also, the thing that bugs me the most is how often we have to take off our shoes I have to take off my shoes even when I go into my gym to workout. It's a GYM for goodness' sakes. But they are really big on that.
Overall, we really like it there and, Lord willing, I'd love to be able to play there many more years.
