WHO GOT GAME? // Steph Curry

Chapter 2 - The New Kids New Shoes

Steph
Fall 1999

When my mom told me we'd be moving to a new neighborhood, I was actually really excited. Our old neighborhood was infested with drug dealers, prostitutes and junkies... Not really the type of neighborhood you'd wanna raise little kids in.

After I saw the new neighborhood, I knew I was gonna love it. It wasn't the fanciest place in the world, but it was way better then what I was used to. It had a neighborhood park, basketball court and even a !poolhall! The best part was, it had millions of kids my age, and everyone seemed to get along...

So I thought.

My attitude about the neighborhood quickly changed when I realized I was everyone's new target. I guess it was because I was way lighter then everybody, so they started calling me names like "Highlighter" and "Lightbright". On top of that, I had really light brown eyes so they'd call me "Pretty boy" and the "Weird-Eyed Devil".

It wasn't long before I figured out... it didn't matter if you lived in the hood, or middle-class... People were mean everywhere. Especially kids and ESPECIALLY Lebron.

I didn't know what he had against me, but the first couple of months he tortured me every chance he could. After a while, I learned to just stay in the house and play video games. It actually hurt me a little because I was obsessed with basketball and the whole summer of 1999, I was cramped in the house in front of a TV instead of practicing my jump shot.

AND THEN SCHOOL STARTED.

Not just any school either. Middle school. And the middle school was only two blocks away! Which meant I had no choice but to walk to and from school... Which meant Lebron and his friends also walked to and from school... Which basically meant I would be tormented... Every single day.

"Lightbright thinks he's somethin' 'cause he got the new Jordans!" I heard Lebron's sidekick Carmelo exclaim from behind me.

Lebron roared with laughter as I began to walk faster. It was the first day of middle school and like a dummy, instead of waiting for Lebron and his boys to walk to school first, I'd decided to walk ahead... Thinking they wouldn't catch up to me.

Boy was I wrong.

"Aye Lightbright, what size are them shoes?!" Lebron called from behind me.

I sighed, adjusting my backpack, "A seven." I called back, calmly.

"Shit! I wear a ten." I heard Lebron chuckle.

"Yo' Bigfoot lookin' ass." Carmelo laughed, and from the corner of my eye I could see him playfully punch Lebron. "I wear a seven though!" Carmelo shouted, making me pick my pace up even more.

"Yo, Lighty! Why you walkin' so fast?!" Lebron exclaimed, making his boys laugh. I ignored him and continued walking. One block down and one block to go.

"You thinkin' what I'm thinkin'?" I heard Lebron ask Carmelo.

Carmelo must have nodded because I didn't hear a response. Which made me nervous. I looked back just in time to see Carmelo and Lebron make a full sprint towards me. My eyes widened as I began running as fast as I could.The other two boys were much taller and bigger then me though, so their strides closed the gap between us faster then I thought it would.

"If I lose my breath ima take your shoes and beat yo' ass!" I heard Lebron threaten through clenched teeth.

I wasn't about to cave that easy. I began zigzagging through the street, trying to juke them out. I began pretending a basketball was in my hand and I was Michael Jordan, spinning and crossing people over - Anything to not get caught by Lebron or Carmelo.