Mr. Basketball Ch. 17

"Keep in mind everything that you just thought of a moment ago as we walk out of this room. Remember what this game means to you. Now think about what it means to the man sitting next to you and the man next to him and the one next to him. I bet there is a common meaning of this game among you men in this room. Focus on that, not the hype, not the maybe if, not the I think, not the if they... lay it all out on the line for each other and leave it all out there on the court. If you men do that and play together for each other, I promise you will become a part of basketball immortality and be called champions."

I took a moment and let my words sink in.

"What time is it?" I called.

"Game time," they called back.

"What time is it!?" I called louder.

"Game time!" they called back louder.

"Are we ready?" I called.

"More than ready," they called.

"Then let's go. Bring it on in here, men."

We huddled up together as I asked the all-important question. "What are we sounding off to tonight?"

"One team, one dream," Evan called.

"Let's do it then."

"One, two, three, one team, one dream," we chanted together.

"Let's go get em, men," I called as we broke the huddle.

They hit the door and tore out of the locker room leaving me in the dust. I grabbed a towel and wiped my face off before taking a deep breath and letting out a long sigh. Donte held the door open for me as I took a step towards it and out to the court. He nodded his approval and followed me along side of me.

We reached the pathway that led to the court out in the middle of the field before I stopped and took a moment to try and take it all it. It was so surreal to be standing there as some of the people in attendance took note of Donte and I and cheered. I didn't acknowledge them right away, I just looked out and realized how small I was in this place and this moment. This was my team's moment and something told me they were going to shine tonight.

I waved to the cheers vaguely before I started down the path to the court. It took what seemed like forever to make it courtside. I found Teagan before I walked to the sideline like I had always done at each game she attended and told her I loved her. She always wished me luck before I kissed her. I waved to the family but didn't greet any of them personally. That was my only superstition. I was to see Teagan and that was it. They understood but thought it was silly. Tonight wasn't the night to break the tradition.

I climbed the single step and walked through the buffer zone before reaching our bench and the sideline where I belonged. I took a breath, fixed my tie, closed my eyes, and mentally prepared for a moment before pushing out all of the crap from the past couple of months and focused on tonight and the moment we were in.

*

I opened my eyes again and time simply stood still as the blue and white confetti rained down from the ceiling and covered everything in its path. The roaring crowd was deafening but it seemed so far away right now. The guys jumped around and cheered and hollered in celebration. I tried to take it all in but there was way too much happening to capture it all.

I searched for Teagan and finally found her along with my parents and hers coming towards us. Connor was jumping around with Evan and his sister under the hoop at the far end. Teagan finally reached me as I scooped her up in a huge hug and held her.

"We did it baby!" I screamed.

"No," she cheered. "You did it."

I kissed her before I set her down and turned to my mom and hugged her. I went down the line and hugged them all before turning back to the floor and my team still going crazy. I could see the reporter pushing her way towards us now as I tried to clear some space for her and the camera guy.

"Coach?" the cute little reporter called. "How are you feeling right now?"

"Look at this place," I cried. "I'm ecstatic right now. It's everything..."

"Wwwhhhhhhooooooo!" Evan screamed as he came into the interview now. "Number one, baby!"

I grabbed him and shook him a little to let him know that he was being a little out of line. He got the message and stopped jumping around for a minute so I could talk.

"That says it right there," I offered to the reporter.

"What does this championship mean to you?" she asked.

"First and foremost... this was all them, the men I have coached here this year. They did all the hard work and deserve all the credit for this. I just organized them so they could play to the best of their abilities."

I looked around at them jumping around still and couldn't help but smile again before I continued my answer. "This is such a special moment right now and it means everything to me. It's everything I wanted to accomplish so many years ago when I was playing here...so for this to come full circle is just so incredible."

"I had some huge shoes to fill when I took this program over and I had a lot of doubters questioning what I was doing and why it was taking so long to get good again. It takes time to rebuild but I proved that a little hard work goes a long way. People didn't think too much of us this year again and being a ten seed, they didn't give us much of a chance. But I know these guys and have been with them all year and I know how hard they work and how much they wanted it. They showed me that every day in practice and I kept preaching that all the hard work and effort will pay off."

She was about to take the mic away and ask another question but I started talking again. "This season was a tough one with all the pressure put on me to hurry up and make this program the success it once was again. Then I had things outside of basketball pulling me away from the team that needed my attention. It was hard this year."

"So, to my assistant coaches, thank you for keeping these guys focused and motivated during those few times when I wasn't able to be there at practice. To the guys, thank you for not slacking and actually staying on task when I wasn't there. This shows you that hard work does pay off."

"On a more personal level...dad, thanks for hanging in there and being here to see me do this. I always told you I'd get here one day, I'm just glad you recovered enough to be here and see me do it. We're going to try this again next year so you have to keep eating your veggies even though you hate it."

We were all looking back at him sitting there with his arms folded the way he did but he had this huge smile on his face and couldn't hide how proud he was of me and Evan for doing this.

"To my cousin, Sam, who is not here tonight but I know she's watching, thank you. It seems like forever ago that she handed me the reigns to her high school team. Without you, I wouldn't be here and would probably still be mad at basketball. Thank you for helping me discover my gift."

"And, to the most important person in my life, the one who has been by my side every step of the way through the journey, not only here, but everywhere we have been. Teagan, thank you! You have no idea how much your encouragement has meant to me all these years. Every time I doubted myself and what I was doing you said the perfect thing at the right moment to lift me up and want to continue this journey. Thank you for everything, big and small, that you have done for me over the years."

The reporter pulled the mic away and spoke. "Well... I don't quite know where to go from there. That was very well put."

We both smiled and laughed a little before she thought of something else to ask me.

"What did you say to Evan in the locker room after the first half?" she asked now. "He looked night and day different between the first half and the second half."

I looked at Evan as he high fived then hugged one of his teammates. They spoke softly to each other so the mic couldn't pick it up. I looked back at the mic in my face as I thought for a moment.

"I straight up told him that he wasn't good at doing what he was doing and he should try to do something he is good at," I replied with a smile. "He was pressing and forcing things and not doing what he is good at and it was hurting the team. I told him to do what he was good at, the things he's done all year long, because that's what got us here. That's what the team needs right now. He responded and did what he's done all year long and his team responded and rose to the occasion with him."

The reporter nodded as I glanced around to see another one of his teammates hug him.

"I also told him that the guys who are guarding him have been around for three or four years at this level so they have seen just about everything there is to see. Playing to your weaknesses only plays to their strengths. Evan is just a freshman and sometimes he forgets that and tries to do it all. I reminded him that sometimes less is actually more and there are four other guys out there with him."

"What's next?" she asked. "Where do you go from here?"

"Well," I smiled. I reached over and put my arm around Evan and gave him a gentle shake. "I have to get this knuckle head to stay here and convince him that an education is the most important thing right now. The next level will be there when the time comes."

"And," I said as Evan was about to say something. "His brother comes next year so I need somebody to show him the ropes and what college life is all about. Plus, with two Tillman's on the court the possibilities are endless."

"Evan?" the reporter asked.

He looked at her then at me then back to her. "I have one more year in me then I'll seriously think about turning pro."

"Alright," the reporter smiled. "Go celebrate and congratulations."