Free Off Season by Eric Walters Page A

a three-on-three contest.”
    Ned slowly unfolded his legs and got to his feet. We got to the center of the court just as Kia and the three boys got there.
    â€œThis is Tom and Jeff and…”
    â€œFrank,” the third boy said.
    â€œYeah, Frank. This is Ned and Nick,” she said.
    Everybody mumbled greetings and nodded their head.
    â€œSo since there’s six of us, how about a little game of three-on-three?” Kia asked.
    â€œI guess that would be okay,” one of the boys — I didn’t know if he was Tom or Jeff — said.
    â€œBut what are the teams going to be?” asked the other.
    â€œWe were thinking the three of us against the three of you,” I said.
    â€œI don’t know,” he said, shaking his head. “I don’t think that would be much of a game … we’re pretty good.”
    What did he mean,
we’re pretty good
? I glanced over at Kia. She looked as stunned as I felt.
    â€œYou know we can play basketball,” I said.
    â€œWe’re talking about a real game, right?” one of them asked. “Not trick shots like that bouncing thing?”
    â€œThat’s not a trick shot,” Kia said. “That’s a
stupid
shot.”
    All three of the boys started to laugh. “We were thinking the same thing,” one of them said.
    â€œLet’s just play some ball,” I snapped angrily. “And since you three are so great, how about we get the ball first?”
    â€œSure, why not?” one of them asked.
    â€œBut are these teams going to be fair?” asked Tom.
    â€œIt doesn’t matter. It’s just a game. They have the big guy so it might be okay,” Frank said. He turned to Ned. “You play much ball?”
    â€œJust by myself at my house.”
    â€œWe’ll even use your ball,” I said as I took it from Frank’s hands. I walked away and Kia and Ned trailed behind me.
    â€œI was going to say let’s take it easy on them,” I said. “Now let’s just
kill
them. Show them how basketball is played in the city.”
    â€œBut I’m not from any city,” Ned said.
    â€œThen play like you did when you were in the city.”
    I turned to face them. They were lined up ready for us. “Rebounds of the other team’s shots or steals have to be taken outside the three-point line,” I said.
    â€œThat’s how we usually play,” Frank said. “How about baskets are worth a single point and anything outside the three is worth two points?”
    â€œThat works for us. Check.” I tossed the ball to one of them and he tossed it back.
    â€œMonarch!” I screamed. That was one of the plays we’d used to win the Hoop Crazy tournament in Toronto the summer before.
    Ned went to the top of the key and Kia used him for the screen. I put the ball in to her and she almost instantly tossed it back to me. Ned broke from the high post to the low position and I lobbed in a pass, well above the head of the man covering him. Effortlessly Ned tossed the ball up and it dropped!
    â€œIs that tricky enough for you?” I asked as one of them took the ball and walked it back to the top of the key.
    â€œCool it,” Kia hissed in my ear. “We’d like these kids to like Ned, remember? So take it easy.”
    â€œYeah … fine … okay,” I muttered. I’d take it easy as soon as we were up by ten baskets and there was no doubt in anybody’s mind who could and could not play ball.
    They checked the ball. I was going out on my man when he threw up a long three-pointshot … It dropped!
    â€œThat’s
my
idea of a trick shot,” the player said. “That’s two to one for us.”
    Kia picked up the loose ball and walked over to me. “So much for being nice. Now let’s go back to the killing ’em part.”
    â€œThat’s game!” I yelled as Ned’s shot dropped through the net. Ned and