Not long after Typhoon Haiyan’s 300 kilometer-per-hour winds and storm surges destroyed the world around them, survivors in the Philippines found a way to play basketball again, even in flip-flops or barefeet. The spirit and joy intrinsic in the game — running, jumping, passing to a teammate, swishing a shot — can lift the soul and help victims escape from the grim reality of life in a disaster zone. If soccer is “the beautiful game”, basketball is the Game of Joy.

photos by Christopher Johnson in Calicoan Island and Guiuan, Samar, Philippines