Caulk and a friend were watching the news while waiting for their flight, and noticed a video of the Boston Celtics winning the NBA title.
The team was playing against the Los Angeles Lakers in the Finals.
“We said, ‘We’ll just take a seat,'” said Kwan Lee, a 19-year-old from South Korea, sitting in a corner of the seats with his friend, “and then when we got up and saw the video, we realized we could play with each other.”
Lee and his friend began couching together, sitting side by side and playing basketball.
They eventually moved to a bigger room and started sharing court time with their teammates.
“I had the feeling that I could be like a big brother, a big sister, a little sister, with him,” Lee said.
Lee said the next time they met, they sat together on a couch, and the three became inseparable.
“It felt like a normal thing,” he said.
Lee said the couch has become a part of his life.
“Sometimes, I just want to get up and play basketball,” he added.
The first time he saw couching, he was in college and couldn’t help but think of the basketball-loving Korean boy who shared his couch with him.
The two are now friends and roommates.
“It’s hard for me to get out and play the sport that I love, but I can see it being really helpful for me in my future life,” Lee added.