ChiChi Opaleke still keeps a basketball and sneakers in the trunk of her car — just in case. Sometimes, the mood just strikes out of nowhere and she looks for a good pickup game. Full court, of course.
"I'm doing good for my age,'' said Opaleke, 35, with a laugh. "I work out. I can still play ball. Somebody on the court asked me, 'You still play?' I was like, 'Yeah, about 10 years ago.' But when I'm out there, I still like the feeling. I still think I belong.''
Where Opaleke belongs most, though, is on the floor of her hospital, Houston's Memorial Hermann Health System.