Falling Short by Ernesto Cisneros

Author:Ernesto Cisneros
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2021-12-06T00:00:00+00:00

Marco

Chapter 22

Watching all those basketball videos kind of helped. But having Isaac here with me is so much better. He’s easier to understand. Plus, he’s super patient.

First, he has me pretend to shoot so he can check my form.

Isaac rubs his chin and nods, like he sees what the problem is. “Okay, Marco,” he says. “The way you stand affects your balance, and you need to have that at all times—especially while shooting.” He bends down and pushes one leg over, so I’m standing wider.

“Your feet need to be at shoulder-width apart. Okay, now try bending your legs.” He pats at the back side of my knees. “We need to get some bounce to your shot.”

I’ve got no idea what he means with that last part, but I bend my knees as low as I can. To be perfectly honest, it feels really weird. Really unnatural.

Isaac backs up as I try again. “Yeah, much better.” He hands me the ball. “Okay, now, try shooting with your left hand.”

I bend my knees up and down, hoping to get some of that bounce he’s talking about. One. Two. I take my shot. Well, I try, that is. Sadly, the ball slips out of my hand.

“It’s no use,” I say. Using my off hand makes it impossible. “Maybe I should just settle for being more like Muggsy Bogues’s grandma.”

“His grandma?”

“Um, yeah . . . I saw tons of photos of Muggsy and his grandma together.”

Isaac holds back a laugh. “Dude, that’s not his grandmother. That’s his teammate, Larry Johnson, dressed up as a grandmo—” He stops mid-sentence. “That’s it! I have an idea.”

Next thing I know, I’m standing at the free-throw line swinging the ball between my legs, like little kids do at the bowling alley.

“Rick Barry shot this way, and he was one of the best shooters in NBA history.”

I have no idea who this Rick Barry player is, but I’m desperate enough to try it.

“On three,” calls out Isaac.

I pump the ball back and forth. “One. Two. Three!”

With momentum built up, I catapult the ball and watch it spiral over the front of the rim and straight into the net!

“Swish!” Isaac jumps up and down.

So do I. It’s only one shot, but hey, it’s definitely a start.

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