Little kids with big dreams

UCLA's new point guard

"Welcome to UCLA". Ma uit la tabla aceea cateva secunde dupa care intra unul din autobuz in mine si inca el nervos zice.
Guy: Move white boy!
Eu: What is wrong with being white?
Guy: You're gonna see on the court.
Cand am auzit ce a zis nu i-am mai zis nimic si am asteptat preselectiile. Vine antrenorul principal, Steve Alford, ne intampina si ne spune:
Steve: Hello everyone, welcome to UCLA. I hope you are ready for the preselection. I am happy because we have a player with pure talent and big potential from Europe. Now enough with the easy talk. You should go to the court. I'll meet you guys there.
Toti ne indreptam catre sala de basket a scolii. Intram in vestiar si ma pun singur pe o banca. Dupa cateva clipe apare Kevin.
Kevin: You are ready for this?
Eu: Definitely. How about you?
Kevin: Yeah. You should watch out. The guy that screamed at you, he will not be so kind with you on the court.
Eu: Don't worry. I can manage to shut down guys like him.
Kevin: It's not like in Europe. Here it's a little harder. Don't be kind is all I have to say.
Eu: Don't worry. I won't be.
Kevin isi aduce lucrurile langa mine si ma asteapta sa mergem pe teren. Tipul care a strigat catre mine si acum se uita urat spre mine. Tipul chiar si-o cauta cu lumanarea. M-am dus pe teren si m-am uitat in jur. Terenul e mai smecher in realitate decat in poze. Suntem deja toti in pe teren si apare si antrenorul alaturi de o femeie care pare a fii directoare.
Steve: Listen up. She is the principal of tje university, Norma Silva.
Principal: Ohoh a lot of you came here for preselection for the basketball team of our college. But unfortunately, only 10 of you will remain here to play basketball and study at UCLA. The rest of you will got back home. Understood.
Toti: Yes!
Steve: Alright, if everything is clear and no one got a question we should start.
Toti ne pregatim pentru probe dar am auzit ca vor fi 3 probe dupa care vom juca. Prima proba este detenta. Proba are 2 parti. Prima data vom sari de pe loc iar a doua oara ne vom lua elan.
Steve: Alright you( aratand spre mine), you are the first. Let's see how good the guys from Europe can be.
Ma ridic si merg spre el. Imi spune ca v-a trebui sa sar de pe loc cat de sus pot. Trebuie sa ajung cel putin la inel.
Ma pregatesc sa sar si palma mea ajunge peste inel.
Steve: Not bad kid. Let's see how you will do when you run.
Kevin: Come on Max, you can do better.
Tipul care a tipat: He can't. He is a white.
Kevin: What's your name?
Tipul care a tipat: Andre.
Kevin: Andre, that white guy over there is something if he got here from Europe.
Andre: He is only lucky. He is no match for me. I am taller and stro ger than him.
Kevin: He has the size of a point guard not a small forward.
Andre: That is why he is weak.
Eu: I am not weak, you are a fool.
Steve: Alright enough! You are going to settle this on the game. You finished your tasks. You are pretty good for a new recruit. I don't think that any past rookie point guard of ours have done better. Alright let's keep going.
A trecut 1 ora si ceva. Urma sa jucam. Eram in echipa cu Kevin(post de shooting guard), Tyler(Small Forward), Axel(Power Forward) si Mike(Center). Tipul acela Andre e Small Forward. Incepe meciul. Jucam cateva minute si vine o faza de contraatac. Andre incearca sa ma opreasca.
Eu: You have a big mouth. Let's see if you can back up your trash talk.
Incep sa driblez. Ăsta nu mai are mult si pica. Trec mingea pe la spate dupa o trec din nou inapoi tot pe la spate si acesta pica. Ma pun sa arunc de la 3 si marchez. Ma uit urat la el si dupa vin in aparare. Aveau ei faza de atac. El primise mingea la linia de libera. Face fenta de aruncare si continua pe doi pasi. Vin din spate si pe cand sa dea de sus ii pun capac si recuperam mingea. Primesc mingea si vad ca el vine inapoi in apararea. Asta vrea sa il omor aici... Continui sa driblez in viteza si el se baga in fata mea. Merg si pornesc sa dau dunk si el sare sa ma blocheze dar nu ajunge. Dau dunk-ul pe el si acesta pica ca un lemn. Ii intind mana sa il ajut sa se ridica dar nu vrea sa il ridic. Atunci ma intorc in aparare. Vin ei in atac si unul de la si arunca de la 3 si marcheaza. Avem din nou faza de atac. Folosesc o gramada de screen-uri pana ajunge Andre sa ma apere din nou. Deja vedeam frica pe el. Nici nu stia ce sa faca. Pornesc sa arunc de 3 dar el nu reactioneaza la timp. Ma impinge putin si antrenorul fluiera fault si eu marchez de 3. Mai am o libera de aruncat. Arunc dar o ratez asa ca fug repede sa o recuperez si dau dunk de pe loc. Asa am obtinut 5 puncte intr-o faza. Mai jucam cateva minute dupa antrenorul ne opreste si zice sa ne aliniem.
Steve: Alright everyone. All of you proved what you needed to prove and now I will choose 10 of you to play for the UCLA Bruins. The 1st overall pick on our team at the point guard position is Max Jefferson. So a guy from Europe was selected the 1st overall. Who would've guessed it?
Deci sunt in echipa. Cine ar fii crezut. Si Kevin a fost selectat. Atunci e bine. Se pare ca si fricosul de Andre.
Dupa ce a zis cine sunt selectati merg in vestiar alaturi de Kevin si ne punem pe banca. Andre vine nervos catre mine si ma impinge in dulap. Ma ridic catre el si ii zic:
Eu: What is your problem?
Andre: Who do you think you are? Come here and rule everyone.
Eu: You are just a fool. Get lost.
Andre: You don't tell me what to do.
Ma uit urat catre el si ii dau un pumn de i s-a destramt maxilarul in 10 parti.
Se ridica si nervos vrea sa ma loveasca inapoi dar il opreste antrenorul.
Steve: Enough! What is the problem?
Andre: This white boy is the problem! Just because he is from Europe and now everyone is like " O my God he is a god" and stuff like that. And what about me? I can do better than him at the point guard position.
Eu: Then come on. 1 on 1 here at court. Let's settle this on the court.
Andre: I don't play with losers.
Eu: You got blocked, you got posterized, you got your ankles broke, you got chose with the 4th overall pick. Who is the loser?
Toata lumea incepe sa faca zgomote de faptul cum am aruncat tot adevarul pe el. Nici nu a mai avut ce sa zica. S-a dus inapoi la banca unde isi avea lucrurile si s-a pus jos. Ma continuam sa ma schimb si antrenorul mi-a zis unde imi sunt lucrurile. Am primit o camera la un apartament. A zis ca eu si Kevin vom sta acolo. E foarte aproape de universitate. Eu cu Kevin am pornit catre apartament. Intram in el si ne uitam in jur.
Kevin: Man this is good stuff.
Eu: Hell yeah is good stuff.
Kevin: You cand talk like this too?
Eu: I've grown being a hood team guy.
Kevin: Damn man you earned my respect. Let's open up the bags and make us comfortable.
Eu: Alright dude. Meet you in a sec.
Merg sa imi despachetez lucrurile si imi scot telefonul. O sun pe Kira.
*Convorbire telefonica*
Eu: Alo?
Kira: Alo?
Eu: Care e faza?
Kira: Max ce s-a intamplat cum a fost?
Eu: Am fost selectat primul si sunt in echipa.
Kira: Sunt mandra de tine. Si cand te vei intoarce?(spune pe un glas mai trist)
Eu: Inca nu stiu... Voi vedea.
Kira: Sa vii cat de curand.
Eu: O voi face.
Kira: Ma bucur ca ai reusit.
Eu: Mersi. Acum te las ca am niste lucruri de despachetat vorbim mai tarziu.
Kira: Bine ai grija de tine. Pa.
Eu: Pa.
*convorbire incheiata*
Kevin: You are from Romania?
Eu: Yeah.
Kevin: Talking with your girlfriend?
Eu: She's not my girlfriend.
Kevin: Even if you hide it I will find out the truth(razand).
Eu: Don't worry. She isn't. ( razand )
Kevin: Yet.( razand )