a boy with a dream

John grew up in a very small town that only had two bars and a dinner. His friends were few and far in between so he relied on his parents to entertain him. In John’s early days, his parents found that entertaining the boy was easy. If you gave him a ball he would roll it around on the floor for 68 minutes. But as he grew older, his parents found themselves unable to fulfill his need for excitement. They would give him the same ball that had once entertained him, but he would simply throw it and refuse to play with it. He would become angry because he had nothing to do. His parents were confused for 95 days and didn’t know what to do. Suddenly, they thought of something that might keep the teenager, John, happy. They went to the store and purchased a basketball for 99.7 dollars. While this seemed like a very expensive ball, they were sure it would solve John’s boredom. They packaged it up and gave it to him on his fourteenth birthday. John tore at the package to find a big orange ball. He starred for a moment, puzzled, contemplated what it was. After a few moments he asked, “What is this?” His parents responded it’s a basketball. “A basketball?” he asked, “What is it for?” His parents realized that John had never seen a basketball or the game. The next day they packed the car for the trip that would cover 95 miles in about 68 minutes. When they arrived, the game was just starting. John was fascinated and ran quickly to sit down. He was amazed to see the seven foot giants running back and fourth, bouncing the ball as they went. The entire 95 minute game, John was starring at the court and wouldn’t talk to his parents. After the game, John wouldn’t stop talking about how cool it was. He boasted of how one day he would grow to be the best basketball player ever.

For the next few years, the best place to find John was on the basketball court at his school. Everyday he would stay after school for hours playing the game. After his friends left to go home for dinner, John would start his practice by shooting 95 free throws. By the time he was seventeen, John was the best basketball player on the high school team. All of the nearby teams who played John’s team feared the team, and even more so, John himself. John’s parents began to be concerned that John’s love for basketball would hurt his grades. After all, John was spending hours playing the game after school. He assured them his grades would be the same as always. John’s parents allowed him to play still, but they kept a close eye on his grades. Nearing the end of high school, John had a decision to make. He had to decide which of the 68 colleges that offered him a scholarship he would go too. John’s basketball skills made him a favorite at all schools, and everyone was quick to attempt to recruit him.

John decided to attend Michigan State, after all Michigan was his home state and State had the best basketball team by far. Freshman year of college John found himself starting in every game. By now, he had reached his full height of 6 foot 8 inches. His height and repeated practice quickly made John one of the best players on the team. He was the best guard and free throw shooter by far. Making 99.7 percent of his free throws, he was considered by many an accurate machine. John played basketball his entire time at college. He enjoyed learning about science, but basketball would always be his passion. After he graduated, the college decided to retire number 95 in memory of John’s great ability.