Slam Dunk Shoes

by Jake Maddox

  No one cheered. Ricky walked up and bumped fists with Jamal, but he was alone.

  Chapter 6

  Special Surprise

  When Jamal walked out of the gym, his dad was waiting for him in the car. Next to him on the front seat was a plastic bag. It said “Fleet Feet” on the side.

  Jamal opened the door and jumped in. He saw the bag and opened it up, pulling out the shoebox. Inside was a pair of Show-25s, just his size.

  “Dad!” he yelped. “How did you know I’d make the team?”

  His dad smiled. “Was there ever any doubt?”

  They smiled at each other. On the ride home, however, Jamal’s face changed. He wasn’t sure that he really wanted to play for the Cyclones. Other than Ricky, the boys on the team didn’t seem to want him around.

  Jamal knew he was a good player. He was good enough to play for the Cyclones, but he wondered if he’d really like it that much.

  He didn’t have that much time to think about it.

  The next practice was in two days. The first games were coming up in less than a week. Jamal would have to study hard to learn the team’s plays.

  But first came Sunday. That meant another full day of playing ball on the playground.

  Jamal and Michael went down to the playground to get in some pickup games.

  Michael was excited that Jamal had made the Cyclones.

  “I can’t believe that one of us is playing on that awesome team!” he kept saying over and over.

  Jamal was worried about what the other kids might think. He wondered if they would still accept him.

  He didn’t have to wait long for an answer.

  When Jamal got to the playground, the game that was going on stopped.

  All of the older boys on the court just stood there, staring at Jamal.

  They looked angry. Nobody moved.

  It seemed like an eternity.

  What’s going on? Jamal thought. Don’t they want me around here any more?

  Just then, all of the players started laughing.

  “Man, we’re just playing with you!” one of them shouted. Then all of the boys ran over to Jamal. They started giving him high fives and chest bumps.

  Jamal felt better. He knew he’d always have a home on the playground.

  * * *

  Monday night, it was time for his first “real” practice with the Cyclones.

  Jamal threw his Show-25s into his bag and hopped in the car. When he got to the gym, he quickly put on his new shoes. Then he headed out onto the court.

  The shoes felt great. Almost too great, in fact. They were cushioned on the inside and much softer than Jamal was used to. Still, they looked and felt fantastic.

  “Hey!” Hank shouted to the group. “Looks like somebody scraped up enough money for some new shoes! Or did you steal those?”

  Jamal didn’t flinch.

  He knew what Hank was doing. He was trying to get him mad so he’d do something stupid.

  Jamal just grabbed a ball and trotted out to the court.

  Coach Barker didn’t hear the comment. He blew his whistle to start practice.

  “Boys, we’ve only got a couple of practices before our first games this weekend,” Coach Barker said. “We’re going to have to concentrate and work hard this week. Now let’s go.”

  The boys started doing the fast-break drill. However, the first time the ball was passed to Jamal, it slipped through his fingers.

  Jamal recovered and sprinted up court with the ball. He faked to his right and passed the ball toward Ricky, who was on his left. But the pass was way too high. It sailed out of bounds.

  Throughout the whole practice, Jamal couldn’t do anything right.

  His shots clanged off the rim. His passes got stolen or went out of bounds. He even dribbled the ball off his own foot once. It was a complete nightmare.

  When practice finally ended, Jamal knew what he’d hear.

  Sure enough, Hank walked over to him. “Nice practice,” Hank said sarcastically. “Have you played this game before?”

  Chapter 7

  New Shoes, New Game

  The rest of the week was much of the same. Jamal kept finding himself in the wrong place on the court, doing the wrong thing. He struggled to make any shots. His passes didn’t reach anyone.

  On defense, it wasn’t much better. He was being beaten by players he knew he could guard.

  His relationships with the other Cyclones weren’t getting any better, either.

  Ricky was being nice, but the other kids on the team were not. Sometimes they would laugh at his mistakes. Sometimes they would get angry.

  Finally, during the last practice, Hank went up to Coach Barker. “You’re not actually going to let this kid play in the games, are you?” he said. “He’s terrible.”

  “That’s enough, Hank,” Coach Barker said. “Jamal needs our support.”

  Coach Barker decided it was time to pull Jamal aside.

  “Look, Jamal,” he said. “I know you’re having a tough time. I think you’re just trying too hard. On the playground, you just relax and play. Here, it seems like you’re thinking too much and not just playing the game.”

  Jamal nodded. But when he went back out on the court, nothing was different. At the very end of practice, he tried to throw a lob pass to a teammate. The pass was so bad it banged off the wall at the end of the gym. When practice ended, Jamal ran out of the gym.

  He didn’t say a word the whole ride home. When he got to his bedroom, he ripped the Show-25s out of his bag and threw them against his bedroom wall.

  The first game was the next day, and he didn’t know what to do.

  When Jamal arrived at the gym for the first game, he sat down on the floor to put on his shoes. But when he reached into the bag, they were gone.

  All he had were his ratty old shoes.

  He didn’t know what to do. His new shoes were sitting on the floor of his bedroom. His old shoes would look awful with the brand-new Cyclones uniform. But he didn’t really have a choice. He had to put them on.

  During warm-ups, Hank and some of the other Cyclones made fun of his shoes. Jamal tried to ignore them. He was more worried about how well he would play in the game. He was worried that the coach might not play him at all.

  As the clock wound down on pregame warm-ups, Coach Barker called the players over to the bench. “Okay,” he said. “Here’s how we’re going to start. Hank, you’ll start at center. Ricky and Mark, you’ll be the forwards. Darius, you will be the two-guard. Jamal, you’ll start at point guard.”

  Hank looked shocked. Jamal was starting! Ricky was smiling. Jamal didn’t know what to do or say.

  The coach sent the boys out onto the floor. Jamal stared at his shoes. Out of all ten players on the court, his shoes were the oldest. Everyone else had brand-new shoes.

  The players shook hands and the referee tossed the ball up.

  Hank won the jump, tipping it to Ricky.

  Ricky quickly threw the ball to Jamal.

  The instant the ball hit his hands, Jamal felt different. Jamal raced through the other team, darting to the basket for an easy layup.

  Back at the other end, Jamal crouched low on defense.

  He watched his player dribble. At just the right moment, Jamal reached in and tipped the ball away. He sprinted to the other end and made another easy layup.

  Before long, the Cyclones were in control. Jamal was feeding his teammates easy baskets, and the Cyclones built a lead of 22–6. Finally, Coach Barker took the starters out for a rest. On the bench, Hank sat down next to Jamal.

  Jamal sat there, staring at his old shoes. Maybe my dad was right, he thought. Maybe these shoes do have some magic in them.

  The Cyclones finished that first game off easily with a win. Jamal played great the entire game. He led the team in scoring, and he also had the most assists. It was a great start to the season.

  Chapter 8

  Turnaround

  Jamal made a decision. He was goin
g to wear his old shoes for the rest of the season.

  His father wasn’t too happy about it, because the Show-25s were expensive. Jamal brought the newer shoes to every game, but he couldn’t bring himself to put them on.

  The season passed by quickly. Jamal led the Cyclones to twenty-six wins and only two losses during the regular season.

  Hank and the other boys still didn’t talk much to him, but at least they stopped making fun of him. Meanwhile, Ricky was becoming one of his best friends.

  The Cyclones breezed through the first three rounds of the state playoffs. They won each game easily.

  Finally, it was time for the championship game. Jamal had never been so excited to play a game in his life.

  When the Cyclones took the court, Jamal had a big surprise waiting for him.

  His father was there, as he always was for Jamal’s games. But this time, he brought Jamal’s older brother and Michael along. Most of the high-school boys from the neighborhood had come to watch the game, too.

  The big crowd didn’t make Jamal nervous. If anything, it made him more fired up to play.

  The Cyclones were playing a team called the Spartans. They were a big, strong team, and one of only two teams to beat the Cyclones during the regular season. Jamal had played well that game, but he knew he’d have to play even better for the Cyclones to win the title.

  When the referee tossed the ball up, Hank leaped for it and tapped it to Jamal. Without hesitation, Jamal fired the ball up court to Ricky. Ricky caught it in the lane and made the easy layup. The Cyclones were off to a fast start!

  The Spartans were tough, and the first half of the game was very tight.

  The Spartans had one great outside shooter who made four three-pointers. With a minute left in the first half, the Spartans were leading, 32–31.

  The Cyclones had the ball, and Coach Barker told Jamal to stall and set up for one last shot in the half.

  Jamal followed the instructions. He dribbled above the three-point line until there were eight seconds left on the clock. Then he quickly fired a pass to Ricky on the wing. Jamal cut behind his player and down the lane. Ricky returned the pass. Jamal made one dribble, but was cut off in the lane by a Spartans player.

  That left Hank open, and Jamal spun and fed him with a pass. Hank caught it and laid it in the basket just before the buzzer sounded.

  After Jamal let go of the pass, he tripped over something and fell. When Hank’s layup dropped in the basket, Jamal was laying on the ground.

  As the other players celebrated and started toward the bench, Ricky went to help Jamal up. But Jamal just sat there, staring at his right shoe.

  The sole had finally worn down and had ripped off the bottom of the shoe. Jamal’s magic shoes were wrecked.

  Ricky helped him up. Jamal held the torn sole in his hands as he walked off the court. “It’s okay,” Ricky said. “You’ve got your new shoes with you, right?”

  “Yeah,” Jamal said. “But these shoes were magic.”

  “Magic?” Ricky said. “Are you serious?”

  Jamal reminded Ricky of how badly he had played in practice with the new shoes on.

  Ricky just shook his head. Coach Barker gave the boys some halftime instructions. Jamal reluctantly put his new shoes on.

  Hank saw the look on Jamal’s face. “What’s your problem?” he muttered. “Can’t you play in real basketball shoes?”

  Instantly, Jamal’s head popped up. He stared back at Hank, not saying a word.

  The Cyclones got the ball first, and Ricky passed it in to Jamal.

  The ball bounced off his fingers and hit the floor.

  A Spartan player lunged for it, but Jamal pulled it back in. With a nifty spin move, he got away.

  He moved the ball up the court and lofted a lob pass toward Hank.

  It was a beautiful play. The ball settled into Hank’s hands. He made a quick fake and then banked in a short shot.

  Jamal heard a cry from the sideline: “Oh, yeah!” It was Michael. “There’s more of that coming your way!”

  In an instant, Jamal felt a tingle all over his body. The butterflies were gone. All that was left was energy.

  In the second half, the Spartans were no match for the Cyclones. Jamal led the way, driving for layups, dishing out assists, and stealing the ball.

  When the final horn sounded, the Cyclones had won, 62–51.

  The players whooped it up on the court.

  They jumped into each other’s arms and high-fived. Michael came down on the court and wrapped Jamal in a big hug.

  Finally, Hank walked over to Jamal and offered his hand. “Good season,” he said. “I guess you’re a real Cyclone now.”

  Jamal nodded. “But I’m still a boy from the neighborhood,” Jamal said, smiling. “That isn’t changing.”

  The next morning, Jamal and Michael went to the playground to play ball. Ricky arranged to meet them there.

  Jamal wore his Show-25s.

  But his worn-out old shoes were still in his bag.

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Bob Temple lives in Rosemount, Minnesota, with his wife and three children. He has written more than thirty books for children. Over the years, he has coached more than twenty kids’ soccer, basketball, and baseball teams. He also loves visiting classrooms to talk about his writing.

  ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR

  When Sean Tiffany was growing up, he lived on a small island off the coast of Maine. Every day, from sixth grade until he graduated from high school, he had to take a boat to get to school. When Sean isn’t working on his art, he works on a multimedia project called “OilCan Drive,” which combines music and art. He has a pet cactus named Jim.

  GLOSSARY

  assist (uh-SIST)—a basketball play in which one player helps a teammate score

  backboard (BAK-bord)—the hard surface behind a basketball net

  dribble (DRIB-uhl)—to bounce a basketball while keeping it under your control

  drill (DRIL)—the act of practicing a skill over and over again

  layup (LAY-up)—a basketball shot in which a player shoots the ball from very close to the basket

  playoff (PLAY-awf)—a game or series of games played after the regular season to help determine a champion

  point guard (POYNT GARD)—the player on a basketball team who handles the ball the most and sets up the team’s offensive plays

  showboat (SHOH-boht)—to show off your skills in a way that calls attention to yourself

  FROM THE PLAYGROUND TO THE MAJOR LEAGUES

  Many of the best players ever to play basketball have played on public courts and playgrounds in America’s largest cities. In fact, many of the top stars in the NBA first gained fame playing on the playgrounds in cities like New York and Chicago.

  Players like Connie Hawkins, Lew Alcindor (who later became known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar), and Stephon Marbury were playground legends long before they became NBA superstars.

  But many of the best playground players never made it to the NBA. One of the best playground players ever was a man named Earl “The Goat” Manigault. He wasn’t particularly tall at just over six feet, but during the 1960s, he was a terror on the court.

  His leaping ability was also legendary. He could dunk with either hand, and it’s been said that he could grab a quarter off the top of a backboard.

  In the summers, many of the pro players would return to New York City and play in the Rucker League with many of the best playground players. Even the best NBA players couldn’t stop him.

  Sadly, Manigault never played in the NBA or even college basketball because his drug use got in the way. But after spending time in prison, Manigault devoted his life to helping kids stay in school and stay away from drugs.

  DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

  1. Why do you think Jamal was worried that his friends at the playground court would stop liking him after he made the Cyclones?

  2. When Hank made fun of Jamal, Jamal never reacted to him. What do you think Jamal
was feeling when Hank did that?

  3. Even though Hank was mean to him, Jamal kept passing him the ball. Why do you think he did that?

  4. When Jamal’s shoe broke, what do you think he was feeling?

  WRITING PROMPTS

  1. Have you ever had a lucky item of clothing that you wore? Write about it and the good luck you felt that it brought you.

  2. Have you ever had to fit in with people who weren’t like you? Write about that experience.

  3. Did you ever try out for a sports team or other organization? Write about what it was like.

  OTHER BOOKS BY JAKE MADDOX

  Hannah and Brian have the run of Snowstream, a cool winter resort. But a new kid, Zach, starts a boys-only snowboard cross team. What will Brian do when he’s forced to choose between Hannah and snowboarding?

  Berk always plays goalie for his soccer team. But when a new kid, Ryan, moves to town, Berk has to play an unfamiliar position. Ryan may have incredible talent, but he’s also wildly unpredictable. Can the team sur vive the season?

  Discover More:

  VIDEOS & CONTESTS

  GAMES & PUZZLES

  HEROES & VILLAINS

  AUTHORS & ILLUSTRATORS

  www.capstonekids.com

  Find cool websites and more books just like this one at www.facthound.com. Just type in the book I.D. 9781598898422 and you’re ready to go!

  Jake Maddox Books are published by Stone Arch Books,

  A Capstone Imprint

  1710 Roe Crest Drive

  North Mankato, Minnesota 56003

  www.capstonepub.com

  Copyright © 2008 by Stone Arch Books

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission of the publisher.