I tried to get myself to focus and ignore everything around me, preparing myself for the game ahead but it was difficult to contain my excitement.
Finally, after nearly 12 years, I get to play in an official match again! Holy crap, I have been waiting forever for this moment.
We had arrived at the stadium about 2 hours before the match to warm up and rest. I grabbed a ball from the rack and went to join the guys who were getting some shots in. After that, I went back to the locker room to take a quick shower and change into my jersey and jacket before heading back onto the court for the match.
When I stepped out, there was a flurry of activity around me. The stadium was packed to the brim and nearly all the seats were filled.
Woah, were people always this into sports. Why the hell would so many people show up to watch a middle school basketball match. This isn't even the finals. In my previous life, in a top high school program in the country but never for a middle school basketball match.
Coach:" The usual starters will be going onto the court. Be prepared to go all out from the start. Their team is strong and they are going to try get as much of a headstart as possible."
"YESSIR!"
The buzzer then sounded, signaling for the game to start and we made our way onto the basketball court.
Yukio:" Yo Kaen, I know this is your first official basketball match but you gotta stay calm. Just ignore the crowds and pretend that this is just a regular practice match.
Kiyoshi and Kotaro. I know you guys have played in official matches in the second team last year but just remember that the first team is nothing like the second team. The matches here will be way tougher than before."
We nodded our heads to acknowledge what he said. Man he really gotta relax, I'm pretty sure I have the most match experience out of anyone here considering that I played 3 years worth of middle school basketball before this.
Kiyoshi and Kosuke Wakamatsu, lets just go with Kosuke, positioned themselves in the center of the court. Both of them were about 190 cm and looked like freaking giants compared to the rest of us.
The ref threw the ball and they both jumped for the tip. But this round, something I had never seen happened. Kiyoshi lost the tip and the ball landed in the hands of Shoichi Imayoshi or Shoichi.
Shoichi grinned and pushed up his glasses and started making his way up the court. I started to pressure him but the maneuvered the ball around my hands, always making sure to keep it a distance a way from me.
Once he passed half court, he swung a pass to Makato Hanamiya or Hanamiya who then lunged forward as if he was going to drive. It was a good attempt but any experienced basketball player would know it was a fake, thus Kotaro did not fall for it.
Hanamiya, seeing that Kotaro did not take the bait burst foward, blowing past Kotaro and making a floater. To a normal person watching, it might have seemed like he blew past but I saw everything. When Hanamiya started driving, he reached down and grabbed Kotaro's ankle to prevent him from turning.
"What a bitch." I mumbled.
"What are you talking about. The refs did not see anything so nothing must have happened."Shoichi replied with a grin before turning back for defense.
Creepy bastard I thought to myself before receiving the ball and making my way up the court. Hm, gotta do something to get my teammates going.
I passed the ball to Kotaro, who swung a pass to Yukio. Yukio then started cutting to the basket and some of my teammates started cutting while others moved into open lanes to get the pass. I called for Kiyoshi to set a screen for me and I cut to the corner, my defender getting trapped in Kiyoshi's screen.
"BALL!" I yelled. Yukio heard me and kicked the ball out to my direction, I caught it and let the ball fly. I knew it was going in before it even reached the net, it just felt so natural to me. I turned around and started running back on defense.
Please go in. Please go in, if it doesn't I'm going to the bench. I then heard the ball swish through the net, the referee blow the whistle and the crowd start cheering. Oh yeah, I'm just getting started.
"That was sick bro. Let's lock them up now" Kotaro gave me five as he came back on defense. Shoichi went on offense, he stutter stepped to the right and did a crossover to the left. I saw it and reached my hand in, managing to poke it free.
I then ran after the ball and got control of it. Shoichi chased after me, trying to redeem himself after his mistake. Looking around, I saw that none of my teammates were about the catch up with me. Screw this, Imma just score on my own. I then stopped at the three point line and pulled up right in Shoichi's face.
The ball flew in a low arc and rattled home.
Next possession, I got the ball once again and squared up my defender. I was really feeling it about now and felt that every shot I took would go in. I then pumped fake and shot the ball about 2 meters behind the arc, only for the ball to hit nothing but net.
"LET'S GOOOO! THIS GAME'S GONNA BE TOO EASY!" I yelled, hyping myself and my teammates up.
_____
Your power stone looking real tasty
This chapter was pretty trash not gonna lie.