i love this game

I played ball. Street ball. Every summer we made the Game ours. I usually play 3 or 4. In a few tense moments, a 5. It was played on either cement or asphalt pavement. It did not matter. We played. Our hearts obvious to the roaring pala of cheerers.

Our team was called The Young Guns. Cheesy = )

We won a championship once. I think I was 12 or 13. I was tall for my age. My teamates and competition was a bunch of 16 year olds and above. I was this baby face totoy amidst the kalabaws of our community.

I still remember wearing a pair of Air Jordan 3. If looks wins championships, we probably had a dynasty back then = )

The most memorable situation I was in was on the free throw line.

We were down by one. With less than 20 seconds left. The star player of the opposing team drove. The ball rimmed out. I rebounded. Threw it to our number 1 and our coach shouted, "Baba!"

We fashioned our game to that of Showtime = )

I ran. Received the ball back and drove to the basket in a fastbreak sequence. I was grabbed. The ball did not even reach the rim. The opposing team was whistled for a foul.

With three seconds left, I was sent to the freethrow line. The last time I was here. I missed them both. But this time, I was given an opportunity.

You see, we were suppose to lose to this team. They were literally bigger than us. But here we are. We had a chance.

My mental state as I dribbled the ball to set myself in rhythm was I will make these two shots. I really felt it. You see in amateur basketball, you have to make one to have the chance to shoot the next freethrow. If the player missed the first, it will be the ballgame. In this present situation, we will lose.

But that thought never entered my mind.

I dribbled the ball five times, lifted it and shot it. It felt good as it left my hands. Swish! And our ever loyal pala roared! I still remember how our community basketball legend stood up and looked at me in disbelief. He smiled at me. He laughed in fact.

The refree threw the ball again at me. Swish.

Up by one. They were not able to overcome the deficit. The game was ours. I felt good. I can still feel that moment as I write these lines.

That moment, those two freethrows were the greatest sports moment of my life. We won the championship that summer and raised the golden trophy = )

I was placed in this nostalgic mood as the NBA nears the close of the season. I just watched Kobe made all his freethrows in the 4th quarter = )

With four teams left standing: LA Lakers, Denver Nuggets, Orlando Magic and Cleveland Cavaliers. The NBA Playoffs has this effect on me and always bring me back to my two made freethrows. A life moment.

A life defining moment.

Lord, thank You for the lesson that particular summer. I know it is over two decades late but thank You for the privilege of being in that moment. And thank You for this ability to relive it now = )