It was close to midnight.In Taipan village,a small mountain village in Guizhou Province in Southwest China,a basketball game was taking place.Thousands of people filled the court (球场).At the

same time,millions of people watched the game online.People call this village basketball tournament(锦标赛)"Village BA".

The 28-year-old Ou Minghui led his team to win the championship in the Vllage BA toumament and he won the tournament MVP.Ou started playing basketball at the age of 8.Although Ou's job is farming,playing basketball has always been his dream.In China,people call the players like Ou"grassroots players".Most players in the Village BA tournament come from Taipan and nearby villages,including farmers,cooks,and drivers.

In August 2022,the basketball tournament was started in this small village with 1,200 people. Basketball has a long tradition in Taipan,where the first basketball court was built in 1936.Since then,Taipan village has organized many basketball tournaments.

Nowadays,the top teams receive prizes such as cows,sheep,and pigs,all of which are local  specials.Whether on or off the court,the Village BA tournament brings people a feeling that is  completely different from professional(职业的)events.At halftime(中场休息),there are different cultural performances,people dressed in ethnic minority(少数民族)costumes,singing and dancing.  For local people,Village BA is more than just a basketball game;it feels like a carnival(狂欢节).