Comeback Season

Chapter 1: The Unlucky Point Gaurd

Derrick Howard used to be one of the best point gaurds in the NBA. Now, he is 27 and stuck at home with a broken foot. Over his career he has had three injuries which have put him out of the seasons he was in.

"His body just isn't ready to play basketball yet." says former Commissioner David Stern.

Though going through all of these hardships Derrick still believes he can become the player he wants to be.

Derrick is now living in Atlanta, Georgia, where he was raised and taught how to play basketball. He has two sons, The oldest's name is James and the youngest's name is Sebastian. "Dad, can we go to the Hawks game tomorrow?" asks James.

"Sure!" says Derrick, who said yes just to get out of the house. "Anything for my number one man in the world. Now, finish your dinner and head up to bed."

"Ok Dad," James says as he walks up the stairs to his bedroom. "Sebastian, you better go follow him because you guys have to get up early tomorrow and I don't want to see you tired in the morning." "All wite Daddy, I go bwush my tweeth," says two year-old Sebastian as he walks up the stairs after his brother.

Before Derrick goes to bed he calls his former head coach Scott Johnson to ask how the team is doing without him.

"Not good. We lost our last game 105-82." says Scott with grief.

"I will try to be back as soon as I can Coach," Derrick promises.

"Well hurry up!" Scott shouts.

"Man I'm working my damn ass off to get back on the court but you won't give me the motivation I need!" Derrick shouts back angrily.

"Sorry," Scott says filled with sadness.

"It's ok, I understand. I am just so damn pissed because it feels like my career is falling apart," says Derrick.

"Tell you what," Scott starts, swing by practice tomorrow and me, you,and the team will talk it out, ok?"

"It will have to be another time Coach. I promised my son I would take him to the Hawks game tomorrow.

How about Thursday?" Derrick finishes.

"All good for me. See you Thursday Derrick."

Derrick hangs up before Scott can say anything else. Derrick falls asleep silently before he can crawl himself up the stairs into his own bed.

                            ~

Derrick awakes the next morning to his alarm going off upstairs. Derrick gets his crutches and slowly makes his way up the stairs. He wakes up James and tells him to get ready for school. When he gets ready he walks him out the door and sees him get on the school bus.

"Daddy what about me?" says Sebastian who followed them downstairs. "Wait for Mommy to wake up and she will take you to pre-school okay?" Derrick says quietly.

Jessica, Derrick's wife was upstairs sleeping so he tried to be as quiet as he could. Derrick was raised in the streets of Chicago so he had always had a bad childhood. He heard gunshots outside his house, screams of people getting killed in the night, and something that really affected him was getting on drugs. Derrick has tried to put the past all behind him and focus on the future. So, he promised himself that if he ever had kids and a wife he would keep them in a nice neighborhood where they would not be around all that violence. But after his injury it is becoming hard to keep that promise. After a couple of hours of watching TV and doing nothing he remembered that he had to take his son to the Hawks game.