"See, I've got this lion up
inside of me. And he sure
as sh** ain't "lion"
around. He's got the Rage! And
he's
rattlin "The Cage"!
–Dennis Cage (Seattle Sonics, 1992)
we are down 48 to 60.
our teams crowd groans like pissed off sheep
as they gaze at the gaping hole on the scoreboard
where potential points seem to drip out of
as each shot is missed and its like
wet glue dripping out of an elmers glue bottle
that was dropped in the art room.
as i am waiting on the sidelines to be put in
i watch the clock tick down with
3:50 left in the final quarter
and its like im james bond
gagged, tied, and bound to a chair watching
the clock tick down on a nuke that will blow up
new york and poison the water
or start a war.
i look into the stands and see
my girlfriend amber
and i wink at her like im saying
"hey babe."
she has a crazy temper
but i really like her
and shes probably as hot as
jenna haze
she smiles back a smile
thats bigger than a great white sharks smile
when it catches a big seal to devour.
"cmon ladies!"
coach shouts and frowns.
he calls time out with two minutes left
and we are still down by twelve.
"you guys are losing it out there!"
coach ejaculates.
our teams crowd groans like pissed off sheep
as they gaze at the gaping hole on the scoreboard
where potential points seem to drip out of
as each shot is missed and its like
wet glue dripping out of an elmers glue bottle
that was dropped in the art room.
as i am waiting on the sidelines to be put in
i watch the clock tick down with
3:50 left in the final quarter
and its like im james bond
gagged, tied, and bound to a chair watching
the clock tick down on a nuke that will blow up
new york and poison the water
or start a war.
i look into the stands and see
my girlfriend amber
and i wink at her like im saying
"hey babe."
she has a crazy temper
but i really like her
and shes probably as hot as
jenna haze
she smiles back a smile
thats bigger than a great white sharks smile
when it catches a big seal to devour.
"cmon ladies!"
coach shouts and frowns.
he calls time out with two minutes left
and we are still down by twelve.
"you guys are losing it out there!"
coach ejaculates.
coach likes to yell alot
but me and the guys know
its just tough love.
"get your heads in the game
and remember to act like a team!
i know you can do this!"
coach exclaims.
we really can, i think to myself
and look around at the guys.
i feel like something is zooming
in on my face as i fade into a flashback
of all weve been through together this year...
"get your heads in the game
and remember to act like a team!
i know you can do this!"
coach exclaims.
we really can, i think to myself
and look around at the guys.
i feel like something is zooming
in on my face as i fade into a flashback
of all weve been through together this year...
we suffered some blows like when coach
had his second heart attack
or when our best player travis
got into pot and
dropped out of school
and moved to portland with his girlfriend
because thats where the best
"schwag" is.
for him basketball was life
but now "chiefing hydro" is his life.
but we've had a lot of good times too.
all the endless days of practice
and playing together since we were in little
squirts make us like were
brothers.
and nothing beats the times
when we'd steal bradys sisters
and nothing beats the times
when we'd steal bradys sisters
bacardi raz and sing
along to everything from eminem
to atmosphere
to atmosphere
with a little
"the boys are back in
town!" Thrown in
till it was morning and we went to bed after the sun did
till it was morning and we went to bed after the sun did
then wake up hung over and eat
cool ranch doritos and mtn dew for breakfast and
then play madden on the xbox.
Old school 06 version of
course
all of a sudden the sound of the game kicks back in-
"some say we are all jock and no chalk
but were the kings of the school
and the cream of the crop!"
we chant with our hands in
"and break!"
coach pats me on my butt and vociferates
"get in there t-man! lets kick some a**!"
as i walk out on court i glance back at the stands again.
i wish my dad could be here to see how skilled ive become
and watch me play in the biggest game of my life.
he was always at my games
but he died in a car fire last summer
while on a business trip.
i push the pain deep in my chest
where it turns into straight up motivation.
i can feel him inside me now
all of a sudden the sound of the game kicks back in-
"some say we are all jock and no chalk
but were the kings of the school
and the cream of the crop!"
we chant with our hands in
"and break!"
coach pats me on my butt and vociferates
"get in there t-man! lets kick some a**!"
as i walk out on court i glance back at the stands again.
i wish my dad could be here to see how skilled ive become
and watch me play in the biggest game of my life.
he was always at my games
but he died in a car fire last summer
while on a business trip.
i push the pain deep in my chest
where it turns into straight up motivation.
i can feel him inside me now
pushing me to go.
the score is 56-68 but
something coach said must have stuck
because as soon as the clock starts back up
we start making basket after basket after basket.
our team is like one now.
every player is like a strand of hoop rope
in an unbreakable golden basketball hoop.
kyle passes to brady, brady shoots
and tyler is there with the ally-oop.
the opposition misses.
"im open!" i bellow.
the score is 56-68 but
something coach said must have stuck
because as soon as the clock starts back up
we start making basket after basket after basket.
our team is like one now.
every player is like a strand of hoop rope
in an unbreakable golden basketball hoop.
kyle passes to brady, brady shoots
and tyler is there with the ally-oop.
the opposition misses.
"im open!" i bellow.
brady passes.
i do a hook shot and get a nice 3 pointer.
then i steal from the other team.
i fake to brett and pass to jason
who slams a dunk like lebron
the other team cannot keep up.
the crowd is on their feet and jumping around
i do a hook shot and get a nice 3 pointer.
then i steal from the other team.
i fake to brett and pass to jason
who slams a dunk like lebron
the other team cannot keep up.
the crowd is on their feet and jumping around
all excited like wild turkeys
in heat.
the opposition panics and fouls kyle resulting in another basket.
then brandon spins through the players to perform a nice layup
bringing us within three points of a win.
the other team fumbles at their end.
i rebound on a triple-double breakaway.
i dribble and when i get to half court
i notice the clock has 2 seconds left.
im still moving but i feel as frozen as
the opposition panics and fouls kyle resulting in another basket.
then brandon spins through the players to perform a nice layup
bringing us within three points of a win.
the other team fumbles at their end.
i rebound on a triple-double breakaway.
i dribble and when i get to half court
i notice the clock has 2 seconds left.
im still moving but i feel as frozen as
an eskimo who froze to death in
the artic.
well, i think to myself,
it all comes down to this one last-ditch shot.
sweat drips from my pits like purple gatorade.
it trickles down my arms and is soaked up
by my lucky ultra wick underarmor wristbands
everything is like its in slow-mo.
i can hear my heart beating and its
like im listening to it
really slow through a steathascope.
well, i think to myself,
it all comes down to this one last-ditch shot.
sweat drips from my pits like purple gatorade.
it trickles down my arms and is soaked up
by my lucky ultra wick underarmor wristbands
everything is like its in slow-mo.
i can hear my heart beating and its
like im listening to it
really slow through a steathascope.
Boom boom boom boom
faces become a blur.
everything is silent.
i push off with my air jordan shocks
and its like im floating for a second.
i shoot right there from half court and...
...
SWOOSH!
money shot!
nothin but net!
the buzzer goes off
and the crowd roars like mating lions!
i raise my tired fists in triumph.
the guys carry me off on their shoulders.
the scoreboard reads 68-69
we have just won state.
faces become a blur.
everything is silent.
i push off with my air jordan shocks
and its like im floating for a second.
i shoot right there from half court and...
...
SWOOSH!
money shot!
nothin but net!
the buzzer goes off
and the crowd roars like mating lions!
i raise my tired fists in triumph.
the guys carry me off on their shoulders.
the scoreboard reads 68-69
we have just won state.
()()
