Hoops

Lonnie and the team begin practicing, under Cal’s supervision, at a new, fancier gym. Cal has Lonnie stay to work with him one-on-one. After some scrimmaging and drills, Cal coaches Lonnie on how to “use [his] talent” (43). Later that day, Lonnie stops by to see Paul, but Paul is busy with some new friends.

The team starts the Tournament of Champions that week by playing a team with only one star player. When the game starts “sloppy” (48), Lonnie loses his cool. Cal yells at the team. After they lose the game, Cal lectures the team: “We got young black men here who choose to lose instead of winning” (52). The tension eases after the teammates start relaxing post-game. They have a few drinks and then Lonnie walks Cal home.

Lonnie tells Cal that one of the basketball scouts offered him a college opportunity. Cal chides Lonnie, explaining that he should expect to get scammed. That evening, Cal tells Lonnie about his romantic past and about his history as a basketball player who was almost successful but lost it all by intentionally altering the outcome of a game for gambling purposes. Lonnie listens to the sad story and doesn’t “know what to think about” (61).