Kobe Behind The Backboard Shot Novels & Stories

"Shoot when you're ready. Try rolling your wrists forward like you're trying to reach into a cookie jar on a high shelf." "Ooooh, I love cookies," I say as he gives me a look that shuts me up. I continue extending my shooting arm up and out toward the hoop. I let the ball pop forward when my arms extends to the end, rolling backwards as I release it. The ball goes through the hoop with ease. "Did you see that?!" I exclaim, feeling tad bit proud of myself. "Yes Allie, I'm standing right here." He brings out his phone from his pockets when it rings and places it on his ears, his gaze still fixated on me.

He tenses up. "Uh, sure..." He replies, looking nervous as fuck. "Let's get this over with," I mumble, picking up a basketball and bouncing it a few times. All the boys take their positions on the other half of the field, and I just focus on the basket. What these boys don't know, is that I'm a great shooter. I can literally shoot from the other end of the field. So the joke's on 'Gabe'; I'm totally shooting in less than a minute.

That's a trauma response. So here I am. In the basketball court at nine o'clock on a Tuesday night holding a basketball like it personally wronged me, while the most infuriating human being on the planet stands six feet away with his arms crossed and his face doing that completely unbothered thing that makes me want to either throw the ball at him or walk into the ocean. "You're still dropping your shoulder," Noah pointed with a frown. "You're still talking," I said. "Shoot!" I shot. The ball hit the backboard at an angle that suggested it had somewhere better to be, bounced twice, and rolled to a stop directly at Noah's feet. He looked down at it and up at me.

I’m sure Zandro was. Gasol passed it to Kobe, and Kobe dribbled it past Duncan and around Parker to the right, and he made a lay-up. Green reacted, his arm a flailing arc, but the smack of his hand on Kobe’s wrist came a hair too late, the sound muted by the roar of the crowd. The ball swirled around the basket slowly and into the hole. The camera zoomed in on the time’s left. Seven seconds. “Still, I won!” Demetrio bragged as he lifted his beer, making a toast to us. A grimace twisted Zandro’s face, but he lifted his beer. “To our friendships,” Demetrio said.

Kenji caught it near the baseline, everyone expected him to attack the rim, even the commentators thought so. Instead— Without looking, he fired a no-look pass behind his back. The basketball landed perfectly in Aaron's hands under the basket. Aaron blinked."...Uy!" He quickly gathered himself. Layup. Swish! The SDU bench exploded. "GOOD PASS!" "LET'S GO!" Aaron immediately pointed at Kenji while jogging back. "Libre pagkain mamaya!" Kenji laughed."Basta ikaw." The crowd applauded, even the commentators couldn't help but smile.

he said calmly, as if he knew what I was thinking. “I’m not” I lied, making my way to the free throw line. Two bounces to the ball, eyes on the board, knees bend, jump and release. As the ball flew towards the hoop my heart beat faster by the second. It hit the board and touched the corner of the hoop before bouncing back down. Crap! This is hard. The distance is too much. Paul grabbed the ball. “Your posture is good but your jump needs work. When you release the ball you don’t give enough push. We’ll work on board shooting first. Then I’ll teach you some dribbles and at the end, lay ups. Got it?”

The net was completely wide open. I caught the returning pass in stride. The pain in my back flared with a terrible intensity as I twisted my body, putting every single ounce of my remaining power into the final shot. I snapped my wrists forward, driving the black puck straight past the goalie’s extended glove. BZZZZZZZZZZZZZT! The red light flashed behind the net, and the loud final horn exploded through the stadium rafters at the exact same millisecond. GOAL!

insisted one of the men, a broad-shouldered African-American who cocked his head curiously at the seemingly distant Trent. Trent's response was to stand up, the ball in his palms. He bounced the ball twice over the concrete, then looked up at the basket and bounced slightly before taking a shot. In the next moment, there were collective cheers and applause from the younger men as Trent's shot shot straight into the basket, not even touching the rim. Good to see he still had the chops, Trent thought. Even so, his heart felt sad instead of rejoicing. As the players continued with their game, he walked away.

—What do you mean? back shots ." " They're awful, kid." I let him know the time I get dressed and sit Indian style. Because of everything sacred, my leg no longer hurts and I can remove the hot gel from my thigh. Without saying anything, Jorge nets a ball at his feet and hits a backhand shot that Mac can't stop. The ball enters the target properly, surprising the three guys we just told you suck at those kinds of shots. In any case, when Roman switches positions to guard the target with my brother, Jorge figures out how to score one more of six approaches with incredible disposition and experience that leaves us all confused.

He readjusted his distance, and got in position, singled his gaze and watched the ball fly to him again. He was ready. Rather than pass it away, he was set and ready to take his shot. He immediately made a heel spin around to his opponent's net, bent his knee lower than before, aimed his arm at the target. His left hand balanced the ball on it curved edges, with the right stationed to attack. He leapt, sprung his finger, and shot with the tip of his fingers. The ball accelerated for the net. It first rolled within the rim, before dropping into the basket.