Hoops, they did it again

The End Of The Beginning (D-BO POV)

My favorite sound is the sound of the buzzer at a basketball game. That is the sound I hear now as my team mates and I play in the NBA champion ships. HEAT HEAT HEAT, my team cheered in the locker room. We were in the NBA champion ships, the Miami Heat, my team, were the guest, and with 2 minutes lefts were ahead only 5 points. We were talking game strategies trying to stay ahead of the game. Defense the coach shouts looking directly at me. "Don't try to show off or be the hero Robinson. Focus on defense. Play it safe" he chatters. Were up 5 points, I mutter to myself. I can do anything and we can't lose, I think to myself. It's my arrogance that always gets to me. 

We run out the locker room and hear people rallying and uplifting us. We wait for the Raptors to come out, so we can finish the fourth quarter. The buzzer goes off, I begin to imagine what the court must have looked like when it was new. I imagine nets on the hoops, and new paint on the walls. The light becomes brighter and the tape reappears on the ground. I grab a basketball and begin to practice dribbling, all while picturing what the court must have looked like when it was new. I pretend to pass the ball as the buzzer goes off again. We set out on the court and hear the whistle blow, the game begins. The scoreboard says that it is the fourth quarter with one-minute remaining. The game starts on an inbound play and I pass it to a player who I assume is on my team because he keeps yelling, "I'm open!". Good. He is on my team. I run towards the basket. The other team steals the ball. We all run towards the other basket. I was blocking the kid who has the ball. He jumps, I jump. He tries to shoot and does. A 3 pointer too. They are slowly catching up to us. 

The scores now 75-73 Raptors. The coach calls time out seemly very mad me. I told you DEFENSE he shouted, stop trying to win it for yourself and think of the team. There's only 10 seconds left on the clock. Get your act together now or your benched for what's left of next season. Alright team were playing man on man, don't leave your player or switch. Both teams head back to the court and its Raptors possession. Williams, the point guard for the Raptors, dribbles down the court. He passes to the shooting guard who's the man I'm guarding. He sets a screen on me and Williams dribbles past my team mate and i. I leave my man to try to block Williams. He goes up for the layup and misses but a fellow Raptor, Garcia, gets the rebound. They reset the play and get the ball back up to the point guard. If I time it right I can intercept the pass from Williams to Miller, the power forward, but then I'd have to leave my man. I look up at the scoreboard to see 20 seconds left, I think quickly on my feet and do so. As I intercept the pass and steal the ball I dribble down the Court and at about the top of the foul line a fucking Raptor behind me trips me, I went flying on the ground. While I was on the floor I hear the ref's whistle blow pointing his fingers to the foul line. I get up, holding my cheek, and ran to the line. I get two shots, just enough to tie this and go into overtime.

 I do my shooting ritual and bounce the ball twice in my left hand and twice in my right. I lock eyes with the basket and shoot. My hearts pounding, bloodcurdling. I'm filled with suspense. The ball goes in. Thank god, just one more left. I realize that there is an audience in the bleachers watching us. I look for my girlfriend in the stands, for reassurance to make the next basket, who should be sitting next to my best friend Toby. I finally seem to find them but in a bad moment, I see the two locking lips. My smile fades to an angry tighten lip. I can't fucking believe my two best friends of 10 years have betrayed me. I'm so pissed I keep pounding the ball onto the floor when a blonde girl behind them catches my eye, she's shorter than the two people next to her and her hairs down to her shoulders. My thoughts are interrupted when the ref blows the whistle hinting to me to shoot the ball. 

Time seems to slow down as the ball leaves my hands, flies towards the basket, and missing the net. The clock runs out and the Raptors win the NBA champion ship. I hear the Raptors crowd cheering and screaming for them. My face goes to a blank expression. We lost, how, I- I can't believe we lost to the Raptors of all people. The Raptors all run up to each other in a huddle screaming and shit, as my team dreadfully walks over to the bench. We'd all hid our heads in shame as we ghastly walk to the locker room. Little did I know, I just ruined my career.