Up, Up and Away

Up, Up and Away

Basketball wasn't my first passion, football and baseball were. One of my elementary school friends, the late Sebastian Greene, encouraged me to play for the Collinwood Community Team under Coach Buddy King. Buddy as everyone affectionately called him, would come from crosstown, pick us up twice a week in his van and take us crosstown to play in league games. He'd also make us bring toothbrushes, deodorant and other toiletries as he was teaching more than basketball. Although I had few tangible skills, I dominated in my first game with height, hardwork and hustle. This put me on the basketball map. But due to Buddy's decision of demoting me to second-stringer I decided to opt out of playing hoops. It wasn't until Kevin Windham needed another player for halfcourt basketball during Rec time, that I even thought about playing again. I played so well that day, he made sure I played basketball instead of playing tag. It was then that I decided to give hoops another chance. I rejoined Buddy's team as a second-stringer. The next year rolled around and we had a basketball team at Margaret Spellacy Junior High School which caused some excitement on my behalf. The only problem was I didn't go out for the team. I decided playing basketball wasn't worth being chased home, jumped and called derogatory names by white folk. So, I decided to continue to play with Buddy while my other friends made the Spellacy team and took the abuse and other things that went alongwith going to school in a white neighborhood. Since the Speallacy team was new and about to start the season in a few weeks they decided to scrimmage the Collinwood Community Team in the old church on Aspinwall. I lit up the nets from deep with long J's and destroyed them with dribble drives on that Saturday morning. On Monday morning the Spellacy coach, Coach Fazekas asked me if I was interested in joining the team. Within a week I became a starter. I went on to become Co-MVP that same year. That summer I worked hard at polishing my game and ever since then it's been up, up and away.