It was a very dark and lugubrious day. The car ride was long, quiet, and very peaceful. Flashbacks of previous games, shots, and misses were all I could think about. For all those memories would be an indication of what got me here, the championship basketball game. I started to feel the pressure. This would be the last game. It was for the championship trophy. I got out of the car, rain drizzling on my head slowly making its way down my face. As I walked inside the building, I could hear loud screams and cheers. The old wooden benches were cleared and my teammates and I made our way over and placed our gym bags and Gatorades on the bench. It was our turn to play.
I made sure my shooting form was perfect. Elbow straight and my hand underneath the ball, and with a flick of the wrist, swish; all I saw was the ball go straight through the net. Hearing the crisp sound of the net whipping against the ball was music to my ears. I would often pull up for a three point shot behind the arc, attack the basket with authority, and finish the play with a smooth layup off the glass. My team also fought very hard on the defensive end. Our hands never below our waist to insure that we wouldn’t give up any open shots. The final bell rang, and the game was over. The crowd went wild. We had won the championship.
Robert Alquillera wants to explore the world and inhale the culture. He is a student at SJSU.
The Bolt Magazine 