Here I am at the most thrilling basketball game ever played.

It’s day three in Beijing and last night’s basketball game, (America — known as the “Redeem Team” — vs. China) has electrified the air. It was China’s biggest basketball match imaginable!

Before the game, LeBron James said “I expect it to be electrified. It’s probably going to be the most watched game in the history of the world. It’s going to send a lot of chills through my body just to be there and to be part of it.”

SHANGHAI, CHINA - AUGUST 05: LeBron James #6 of the USA Basketball Men’s Senior National Team dunks during the USA Basketball International Challenge exhibition game against the Australia National Team at the Qizhong Arena on August 5, 2008 in Shanghai, China. (Photo by MN Chan/Getty Images)

I was very lucky to go to the game and experience it with the rest of the 18,000 basketball fans. It’s worth noting here that most of the fans were cheering for the underdog - China.

Photographers Gareth Cattermole and Chris Hyde at the basketball game.

I went to the game with a few of our photographers and we all struggled to find a spot to stand in, let alone sit. We were constantly moved about and our all-access pass didn’t find any of us a seat. So we wandered around the media circle and found a space by the barrier, halfway up the stadium.

Former president George W. Bush was in town, along with Bill Gates. I would have never been able to spot them but the photographers I was with (Gareth Cattermole and Chris Hyde) clearly see the world differently. They have this amazing ability to pick people out of the crowd. This is why they are the photographers - amazing ones at that - and I stick to the desk job.

The game was cited as drawing the biggest global television audience in basketball history - an estimated one billion viewers tuned in.

HANGZHOU, CHINA - JULY 17: (CHINA OUT) Yao Ming of China shoots during a match between China and Serbia at the 2008 Stankovic Continental Champions Cup on July 17, 2008 in Hangzhou of Zhejiang Province, China. Ming plays also for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association (NBA) in the U.S. (Photo by China Photos/Getty Images)

China got off to a great start and proved that they were definitely going to be contenders for a medal. The Chinese crowd would frequently shout out the well-known Chinese sporting chant, “Jiayou” or “add oil” to their team, encouraging them to keep the momentum going. But the experience of the US team paid off in the end and the US won 107-70 - a respectable score for the host nation against the world’s best.

SHANGHAI, CHINA - AUGUST 03: Kobe Bryant #10 of the USA Basketball Men’s Senior National Team dribbles against the Russian National Team during the USA Basketball International Challenge exhibition game at the Qizhong Arena on August 3, 2008 in Shanghai, China.

It took us an hour to get out of the stadium and it was a long journey back to the media village in torrential rain (that didn’t stop until early this morning). But it was worth the walk in the rain - it was an incredible evening and a privilege to see live!

The IBC (International Broadcast Center)

With so many stories being told at the Beijing Olympics, it’s often hard to find an original news angle. The weather, or should I say smog, is dominating the news, along with human rights protesters and the cultural aspects that are visible at these Games. Media is constantly asking “What do you think of Bejing? What do you think of these Games?” I find myself wondering if they are looking for a new perspective or validation that these Games really will be the best ones ever held.

I am at the Games working in PR for Getty Images and have been spending quite some time searching for new angles from The Main Press Center (MPC) and Broadcast Center (IBC) , which are truly impressive buildings.

Media workspace

We are being looked after impeccably and the facilities are world class. These Games have been highly anticipated and there is a strong sense of curiosity around how it will be staged in a country that has historically been very wary of opening its doors to the world’s press. Today Beijing finds itself in the midst of a u-turn on this very position and is having to allow an open door approach to communication on the event and their culture. So here in the MPC (Main Press Center) the international media is working hard to ensure they capture all of the action from the Games and highlight their country’s successes and failures.

The show took three hours, yes THREE hours to pre-record, which is the longest interview session I have ever done in a studio! In the end it will be edited down to 20 minutes highlighting the hard work and dedication that goes into our photographer’s images. It was fully worthwhile, an amazing experience for all of us and a unique opportunity to work so closely with Chinese media.

Working hard in the media center

In sporting terms, covering this event is a marathon and not a sprint. Surviving the next two weeks is a true test to your endurance!

Exhaustion is starting to show for some in the media center.

A few days ago I was excited to take Al Bello and Adam Pretty, both senior sports photographers at Getty Images to CCTV, China’s largest national television station, to take part in their Olympics show “On the Spot” discussing how they capture the incredible images at the Games.

The show airs three times a day and CCTV’s studios are located in Beijing’s first seven-star hotel. Naturally, I expected opulence and luxury, state-of-the-art studios and the speed and efficiency that Beijing is becoming renowned for. This was not quite the case. CCTV occupies one floor of the building and upon exiting the elevator, we found ourselves face-to-face with a building that more closely resembled something from a war zone!

The studio was small with lots of people milling around. The show’s presenter was Tom Perkins, an American who has adapted incredibly well to this flourishing media environment. He talked through his idea for the program and we discussed the image selection that Adam and Al would be showing.

Talking through the program…

After surviving the trauma of having their make-up done (I promised that nobody would notice when they got back to the office)…

Adam Pretty getting pretty!

I attempted to convince them both that this was a serious media opportunity. They don’t always listen to me.

On the set with the stunning backdrop of the bird’s nest stadium, I worked with Al and Adam on choosing the images and topics they wanted to share with China.

It was decided that Adam would highlight some of his amazing underwater imagery and Al would show underwater images and iconic images from the past Olympics with the interesting stories behind them. We got them wired up and they were ready for prime time!

Al Bello (left) and Adam Pretty (right) get wired for their interview.

Adam also brought some of his underwater gear with him so he could really speak to how he is able to capture his unique shots. It was an engaging and fascinating show listening to their stories of how they work while their breath-taking images were displayed on the screen.

Adam showing his underwater gear.

91,000 spectators and I took our seats at the Opening Ceremony, we were all confident that this would be a spectacle that would demonstrate China’s ability to put on an event of military precision. Before the show even began, the preliminary show was enough to impress in itself.

China, I can truly say, you have done yourself proud. Your century-old dream to host the Olympics has finally come true and you were ready to show the world that you can lead even the most developed of nations.

The ceremonies had thousands of performers that highlighted Chinese history and culture, all of which was depicted on a huge scroll the length of nearly one and a half soccer pitches. At the start of the evening, 2,008 drummers welcomed the audience with one of the sayings of the educator Confucious: “Friends have come from afar, how happy we are.” This total spectacle, with rhythmic lights that were activated by each drummer was stunning.

I was lucky enough to see the drummers waiting outside before they entered the stadium.

I was even lucky enough to get a close-up peek of the drums.

Harmony was the over-arching theme of the Opening Ceremony and there was a total of 14,000 performers, 9,000 of them coming from the army and 600 working just to organize the fireworks! 15,153 costumes were worn and the performers rehearsed for 13 months to perfect the night.

It’s truly difficult to put the evening into words. It was a very moving event that demonstrated how amazing humanity can be when we all come together. With an incredible 204 countries and nations entering the stadium, there was a sense that we can all drive toward a common goal and we really are not that different — at least not tonight.

As I watched each country being welcomed into the stadium, it was interesting to see where particular support was voiced. Iraq being the first notable, loud applause, Canada and then the US. The US team is HUGE, it took up half a lap of the stadium. I have to say their uniforms were also the best! A Ralph Lauren designed uniform with a retro feel - it looked classy and stylish. As they entered, the stadium went wild, even cheering when President Bush appeared on the screen! Of course, the largest cheer came when China, the last country to enter the stadium appeared.

So, as I began contemplating leaving and missing the rush of media eager to file their stories, the most incredible part of the show took place. The gold medalist in rhythmic gymnastics, Li Ning, carried the torch and then took off into the air like a bird to the top of the stadium! He then, slowly “ran” around its perimeter to the backdrop of footage from previous Games and the torch being carried through numerous cities. To say it was moving is an understatement. It was truly magical. The torch was lit to the roar of the crowd.

China, I came here with some skepticism and tonight you moved me (and two billion people around the world who watched what you can do). The slogan for these Games is “One World, One Dream” and tonight the world is yours.

In preparation for the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing and the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing, Getty Images has literally covered Beijing in sport imagery:

Over 60 images that capture the spirit of sport and the hospitality of Beijing can be seen throughout the city. The images are on the sides of building, billboards and posted throughout the airport. This is the first time that there has ever been official Olympic-themed imagery strategically placed within a host city.

This amazing project, that took over a year to complete, was made possible by the team behind Getty Images working closely with BOCOG (the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games).

In celebration of the completed project, Getty Images Beijing held an event with BOCOG  at the very cool 798 Art District.

Congratulations Getty Images Beijing!

A cyclist passes an Olympic billboard in Beijing on July 23, 2008. (Photo credit should read PETER PARKS/AFP/Getty Images)

In just about four days the majority of the 78 member Getty Images Olympic team will head to Beijing for 30 days for the Games. These next four days will be spent gathering equipment, packing, repacking, running errands and most importantly spending time with family and friends. For me, I also have to deal with moving out of my condo that I have lived in for a couple years and putting all my stuff into a storage unit. So, it has been and is going to be, a couple stressful days. However, once I find my seat on the 14-hour flight from LAX to Hong Kong and the subsequent 3-hour flight to Beijing, hopefully some of that stress will fall away.

This will be my first Olympic Games and will also be my first time to China and I couldn’t be more excited to see how it all goes down. Between the exhilaration of covering the Olympics and the experience of living in a new country for a month, the anxiety over the last month has been unreal. I’m sure times will be tough – long days, dealing with being away from loved ones, China – but in the end I’m sure it will be an experience that I will forever treasure.

Being that we will be away from home and our loved ones for 30 days I asked some of our experienced Getty Images team members what they bring with them to remind them of home or an item they can’t live without. Here is what they said:

Streeter Lecka (Photographer) – I can’t sleep without a fan so I always bring a little fan with me to have in my room.

Mary Ciecek (IOC editor) - Whenever I have long trips, I make sure to bring my favorite soap and my favorite shampoo and conditioner so it feels like I am still at home and I don’t have to use the free stuff. I have also brought my favorite picture of my brothers and sisters in a frame and put it on my nightstand during my past two Olympics and I will bring it to China as well as a picture of me and my boyfriend.

Chris Graythen (IOC photographer) - I’m going to be a bringing a Team Waffle House shirt given to me by our NASCAR photographers to remind me of what I get to shoot once I get home from Beijing (“They are just jealous.”), I’m also going to bring a video camera so I can chat with my wife.

Scott Halleran (IOC photographer) – I always try to bring two different kinds of vodka, one of them flavored and the other original.

Rebecca Butala-How (Editor) - I’d say my top three are my travel mug for my herbal teas, speakers for my two IPODS (a nano to workout with and a video 60gb which has my full library) and my neck pillow for the plane. And finally, my husband Harry How (sports photographer).

Al Bello (Photographer) - Pictures of my family.  My webcam so I could see my family.

Harry How (Photographer) - I ALWAYS bring a Lonely Planet  guide of the city we are visiting for quick facts, restaurant suggestions, maps and carry it with me the whole time.

Myself (Editor) – I am going to bring the care package my girlfriend is making me for the trip.