Thinking About My Junk Talking Basketball Buddy

As I was driving home from dropping my kids off to summer camp I saw my neighbor's son jogging up the street.  

This caused me to think about my basketball buddy that I hadn't seen in a long time.

A young guy named Derrick who played on the local high school basketball team a few years ago. He would occasionally appear in the local paper after having a good game.   He worked as a bagger at the grocery store around the corner.  Every time I went shopping there we'd talk junk.   I'd ask him "So you still think you can play basketball?".  He would reply "I'll take you to the hole every time". 

Despite the rivalry he always called me "Sir".  The sign of a young man that is raised in a home where respect abounds.

He was about 6'3" and I am about 6'5" and had about 100 pounds on him.  I figured I would use these to my advantage in a basketball game against him.

Finally after months of talking he came walking down the street one day and happened to see me.  I called him into my driveway basketball court to take me up on my challenge.   After shooting around for a bit and talking junk we played a game of one on one.

After all of that talking he beat me bad. 

I failed to calculate his speed and ball handling skills.  I felt like I had cement in my feet as he took the ball at the foul line and basically traveled the long route around me while I stood flatfooted.  In my mind I was thinking that I was back in high school or college, able to defend against him.  My body was telling me how long ago that was.  He did the same move about 4 times in a row before I changed my defense tactics.

I saw the need to lean on him a bit to slow him down and grab rebounds.  I also needed to make sure that I shot more accurately and scored so that I could keep the ball out of his hands and crush me.

I think the game ended with him winning 11 to 6.  I had to tuck my pride and give him his props.  He beat me badly.  The kid is good.

I had to endure his taunts for a few more months at the store.  We talked about a rematch but it never happened.  He went off to college.  I used to send my taunts through his little brother, asking him to pass it on the next time they talked.  

I just remembered this morning that I hadn't seen the little brother or the father jogging down the street in about a year.  The family must have moved out of the neighborhood.

This was a good kid.  I am sure that he is doing fine in life.

I am in much better shape now than I was back then.  I am working to avoid popping an Achilles tendon or blowing a knee so I try to avoid basketball.