Life in the G by Alex Squadron

Author:Alex Squadron [Squadron, Alex]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: SPO004000 SPORTS & RECREATION / Basketball
Publisher: Nebraska

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Spirits across the Magic City were exceptionally high as the sun rose on Sunday, December 5. Churchgoers left morning services to discover that some of their prayers had already been answered: the University of Alabama was ranked number one in the college football playoff rankings, one day after beating Georgia in the SEC championship. UA’s basketball team had pulled off an upset of its own on Saturday afternoon, taking down number three Gonzaga.

Legacy Arena was ready for its first event in more than two years, and its first professional basketball game since the Houston Rockets and Memphis Grizzlies met in a 2018 exhibition. The top bowl was curtained off, leaving space for roughly eight thousand spectators. Vouchers were taped to a handful of chairs. “You have been chosen as a Squadron winner!” they read. “To redeem your free souvenir, just visit the Squadron Sales & Service table on the concourse near section 132 by the end of the first half.”

Upon entry, fans were given white towels stamped with red Squadron logos. Suites were occupied by business partners and distinguished Birmingham residents. John Petty Jr. had his own personal cheering section, made up of twenty friends and family. Patrick and Erica Harper made the short trip from Atlanta to watch Jared, who was also a favorite among the many Auburn alums filling the stands. Clayton Hughes, Malcolm Hill’s stepbrother, drove all the way from St. Louis. Kelvin Davis, the sixty-two-year-old from open tryouts, trekked from nearby Huntsville. Former NBA All-Star Gerald Wallace, an Alabama native, sat courtside, along with Randall Woodfin, the mayor of Birmingham. Scouts from the Indiana Pacers and Cleveland Cavaliers were stationed behind the scorer’s table, computers and notepads open.

Considering that many of the 4,972 people in attendance had just a vague idea of what the G League was, the buzz in the building was tremendous. “We’ve been waiting a long time for this,” the PA announcer exclaimed prior to the 6:00 p.m. start. “It’s finally time for basketball in the Magic City!”

From the opening tip, the pace of the game reflected the energy of the crowd: excitable and frenetic. Banks won the jump ball. Harper controlled it, raced to the frontcourt, and whipped a pass to an open Hill on the wing. Hill caught it in rhythm and immediately launched a three-pointer. Swish.

Eight seconds into the game, Birmingham was on the board. Harper scored shortly after on a midrange fadeaway. Then Cheatham joined in, draining a corner three off a feed from Young and turning to pump up the fans. 8–0, Squadron.

That burst of momentum would fade, however. Abrupt swings are common in the G League, in part due to rule changes that speed up the action and allow points to be scored in a hurry. For example, when G Leaguers are fouled in the act of shooting, they take only one free throw worth the value of total free throws that would be allotted under standard NBA rules. So, if Harper gets fouled on a three-pointer, he goes to the line for one free throw—worth three points.

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