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As I walked into the gym for practice, I couldn't help but feel a pit in my stomach. This wasn't just any practice; it was practice leading up to the playoffs and my mind was occupied with thoughts that were anything but basketball-related. Semaijah was just on my mind.
My teammates were scattered around, stretching, shooting baskets, and talking. I took a deep breath, trying to shake off my personal problems and focus on the task at hand. As I joined my teammates for warm-up drills.
"You good?" Dillon Brooks called out, slapping me on the back.
"Yeah. I'm just tryna get started." Ja replied.
The team huddled up, and Coach Jenkins outlined our strategy for the day. As we split into groups, I found myself paired up with Jaren. We were going to work on pick-and-roll defense, with Jaren playing the role of the offensive player.
"Aight let's get it." Jaren said, clapping his hands together as we took our positions on the court.
Jaren dribbled the ball towards me, and I readied myself for his next move. I knew he was going to try and throw me off with a fake, so I tried to stay focused and anticipate his next move. He faked to the right, and I moved to block his path, but he quickly switched to the left and drove towards the basket.
"Nice one." Jaren said with a grin. "But you not gon get me that easily."
I chuckled. "We gon see bout that."
As Jaren dribbled towards me again, I tried to stay low and keep my feet moving. I knew he was going to try and use his height advantage to his advantage, so I focused on staying in front of him and not letting him get past me. He faked left again, but this time I didn't fall for it. Instead, I held my ground and forced him to make a move.
Jaren hesitated for a split second, and I saw my opportunity. I lunged forward and swiped at the ball, knocking it out of his hands.
"Good defense, Ja!" Coach Jenkins shouted.
The next hours passed in a blur of drills, sprints, and sweat before we finished up and Coach Jenkins called us all together.
"Great work today, team," Coach Jenkins said, looking around at each of us. "I know playoffs are coming up, but we can't lose sight of the fundamentals. Defense wins championships, and that's what we're going to focus on. Remember, it's not just about the physical aspect of the game." Coach Jenkins continued. "It's also about mental toughness. We all have things going on in our personal lives, but when we step onto this court, we leave that behind. We focus on the game, we focus on each other, and winning."
