Free Boot Camp by Eric Walters

each rim?”
    â€œOf course,” Jamal said.
    â€œHow far is it from the basket?” Kia asked.
    â€œFour feet. Enough of the easy stuff. How
wide
are the hash marks on the court?”
    This was the first question I hadn’t known the answer to. I looked at Kia. Her expression was as solid as stone.
    â€œTwo inches,” she said.
    I looked at Jamal. He nodded.
    They went back and forth, asking and answering each other’s questions. It was starting to look like they both knew
all
the rules. I had to admit that I was starting to gain respect for both of them. I wondered if they were feeling the same thing?
    â€œAre free throws awarded on double personal fouls?” Kia asked.
    â€œNope,” Jamal said. “Do double persons count against team fouls?”
    Kia didn’t answer right away. “Ummm…no,” she said, but she didn’t sound very confident.
    Jamal reluctantly nodded.
    Kia breathed a sigh of relief. “Okay, let’s stick with fouls. How many team fouls are allowed perperiod before a non-shooting foul becomes a free-throw?”
    â€œFour allowed. Fifth is where the team gets to take—”
    â€œFive minutes until we start to play!” Jerome yelled out. “Five minutes!”
    The way these two were going we’d still be sitting here in five minutes, listening to them ask questions.
    â€œI think Jamal has proven he knows the rules—as well as you know them—so I say let’s make him captain and you can be the
assistant
captain,” I suggested.
    Neither answered.
    â€œCome on, we don’t have time for this to go on. All those in favor of Jamal becoming the captain raise your hands.”
    My hand went up, as did Jamal’s and then another player’s and another and another, until everybody except Kia’s hand was raised.
    â€œMight as well make it unanimous,” Kia said and raised her hand as well.
    â€œNow we need a team name,” I said.
    â€œMy favorite team is the Pistons,” Troy suggested. “How about the Pistons?”
    â€œI like the Spurs,” another guy said, “and they’re a better team than the Pistons.”
    â€œWe ain’t no NBA team,” Jamal said. “How about if we just think of our own name…something that is us and not somebody else.”
    â€œYou got any suggestions?”
    He smiled. “I was thinking the Zebras.”
    â€œZebras?” a few people questioned.
    He nodded his head. “Black,” he said, gesturing to himself and the other four teammates who were black. “And white,” he said, pointing at Kia and then me.
    â€œBut that’s stupid. We could be the Pianos or the Penguins if that’s what counts,” Kia said.
    â€œNow those names would just be plain stupid,” Jamal said.
    â€œAnd Zebras isn’t?” she asked.
    â€œZebras are at least fast and powerful,” another kid said.
    â€œAnd the basic food group of lions and leopards,” Kia countered. “Do we really want to be named after an animal that other animals eat?”
    â€œThey can only eat them if they catch them,” I said. “If zebras run fast enough, maybe they can avoid being anybody’s meal. Maybe that’s what we have to do. If we run and gun, we can win.”
    â€œSo are we the Zebras?” Jamal asked.
    â€œWhy not?” Brandon said. “I like it.”
    â€œIt’s better than the Pianos,” I said.
    â€œWhose side are you on?” Kia asked.
    â€œI’m on the same side as everybody,” I replied. “We’re all on the
same
side, the
same
team…the Zebras.”
    â€œTwo minutes until we get started!” Jerome yelled.
    â€œLet’s just go with the name…the name doesn’t matter, anyway. We better just go with that name,” Kia said. “Let’s talk about who plays what position.”
    â€œI’m tall,” Brandon said, “so I