Two shots – the championship game had been reduced to two shots with no time on the clock. The score had bounced back and forth, first one team in the lead and then the other. At one time, the other team had jumped ahead by 15 points but his team had methodically chipped away at the lead until they were only down by two. Fouled while he was taking a last second shot, the game was now in his hands. Walking to the foul line, he had paused for a few seconds to look at the crowd. Half of the crowd wanted him to make the shots, the other half wanted him to miss. He knew that regardless of what happened, nothing would ever be the same again. In a few seconds, he would either make his shots and send the game into overtime or he would miss and be the reason his team lost the championship. Standing at the line, he faced the basket like he had for hours during practice. He practiced free throws more than most players. In fact, he probably spent more time shooting free throws than most guys practiced period. As he practiced, one thought would go through his head. The game is on the line he thought. I have to make this shot to win he would tell himself. Over and over he would shoot, hundreds of free throws every day. And now the game was in his hands, two shots away from overtime. He bounced the ball the same way he always bounced it – three times. He spun the ball in his hand until his middle finger found one of the grooves on the ball. Flexing his knees slightly, he raised the ball in one smooth motion and pushed the ball toward the hoop. His follow-through was perfect as the ball swished through the net. The crowd exploded as the score changed. Only one point separated the two teams now. The ref bounced him the ball as the crowd settled down. Bounce, bounce, bounce. Three times – just like his hours of practice. Spinning the ball in his hand, he found his grip. He knew this was it, his big moment. Nothing would ever be the same after this shot. Rocking slightly on his toes, the ball seemed to float off his fingertips towards the goal. Even before the ball got to the hoop, the crowd exploded. It seemed to him that each side thought they could influence the outcome through the sheer force of their outburst. Regardless of the outcome, he knew that he had given this game everything he had. As the ball bounced on the rim, he smiled and turned away as the gym erupted.
Sam Murray
Award-winning Graphic Designer and Writer Archives
February 2015
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