Less than 24 hours after photographing my first football game, I found myself discovering a completely different world of sport. On Sunday, October 26th, I stepped into the Movistar Arena for the very first time to cover my first basketball game ever: Real Madrid Baloncesto vs BAXI Manresa in Matchday 4 of the Liga Endesa.

I have always been passionate about sports. Football has always been my main world, and tennis also holds a special place for me, but basketball was different. I would not call myself the biggest basketball fan before this game. But after yesterday, maybe that is starting to change.

What struck me the most was the atmosphere inside the arena. It felt completely different from football and even more different from tennis. Everything moved so quickly. The music never stopped, every timeout turned into a mini show, the cheerleaders kept the crowd entertained, and the fans were constantly involved in the experience. It almost felt like there was always something happening, whether on the court or around it.

This article is not going to be very focused on the game itself because, honestly, I spent most of the night admiring everything around me. I was too busy looking at the fans, the lights, the entertainment, and the whole experience of being inside a basketball arena for the first time. The game itself may not have been the most entertaining match ever, but as I already mentioned in my previous “first-time” articles, what makes these experiences unforgettable is the fact that they are firsts. First moments always stay with you differently.

What also made the night very particular was the timing of the game. It started right as El Clásico ended, which meant me and some of my classmates were constantly trying to keep an eye on what was happening in that crazy match, especially the dramatic ending. So while there was basketball happening in front of us, there were also side conversations, reactions, and emotions connected to football all around us. It created a funny but memorable mix of two completely different sporting worlds in one night.

As someone who is still discovering different sides of sports media, experiences like these make me realize how lucky I am to already be exposed to so many different environments only days into this master’s program. This time, instead of being behind the camera as a photographer, I was there working as an editor, observing the game from another perspective and understanding how much work also happens away from the lens. One day I am on the sidelines of a football pitch with a camera in my hands, the next I am inside a packed basketball arena experiencing the fast-paced world of live sports coverage in a completely different role.

And maybe that is the beauty of all of this. It is not only about the photos or the games themselves, but about discovering new emotions, new crowds, and new ways sports bring people together.

So who knows… maybe today, Real Madrid Baloncesto gained a new fan.