Floodlit Dunks

The worst thing in summer was looking out of the window and seeing that it was raining. You could still play football, you could still play computer games or see your friends, you could even still risk the beach and spend the whole time in the arcades eating soggy chips. But what you definitely could not do was play basketball outside.

Playing basketball in the rain is pointless and dangerous. It slows the game down, it's more difficult to change direction and grip the ball - for someone short like me who has to rely on speed rather than height, it's a nightmare.

However, there are plenty of incarnations of the game that can be played on outdoor courts. The most prominent of which is Streetball which is played heavily in the UK - but it is no suprise that the most popular place to go is in sunny Brighton, in the summer.

Now it looks as though the NBA's second outdoor game in 2 years could become the newest type of outdoor game. Last year, the unseasonably low temperatures in the mid 60s nearly killed off the concept. (In truth that which sounds fine to me... I once played in the snow).

This year however, with temperatures in the 90s, the event was a lot more successful. The fans, players and pundits were seemingly united in their belief that this could be a more regular occurance in the NBA pre-season. .

I don't think it will ever take off here - or anywhere cold for that matter - but seeing the best players in the world perform under the stars sounds like a great evening's entertainment.