Charles Barkley: A Tragic Hero

I first had a glimpse of him in the early morning of summer in the old gymnasium where the cold hardwood meets the soft rubber, where the boys are plucked out and pushed to the side to wait for their turn. But this ambitious kid was different he had a certain swagger to him, confidence oozing like the sweat from his body a fearless aspect about him at first he was conservative but soon they would meet the real him

As the veterans of the court the world’s best Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, Hakeem Olajuwon, Scottie Pippen, Karl Malone, John Stockton just to name a few would choose their usual suspects with big broad shoulders, chiseled rock bodies and fully developed athletic abilities in the midst of them there he was a baby face ,long body, lanky kid with his arms hanging off him like a arangatang awaiting to be chosen his abilities to be unseen then with a southern accent hesitation in his voice “your with me kid” as he would run over to join his teammates I couldn’t be helped but be drawn to him.

The first game was about to start Charles Barkley yelling out “first to 5” with one arm wrapped around the ball and his other armed raised in the air hand opened.

Each of the teams would be huddled on one half Charles Barkley, John Stockton, Scottie Pippen, Hakeem Olajuwon guys I was around regularly and the kid down the other side of the court Allen Iverson college player of the year who I met different on occasion’s Karl Malone, Grant Hill, Dennis Rodman and the world’s greatest who I was around all day Michael Jordan but on this day thing were about to be

different.

The game begins with a jump ball Hakeem and Karl Contest for it before getting tipped into the kid’s hands Michael is loosely guarding him as a sign of disrespect the kid begins to dribble down the court Michael Jordan swiftly steals the ball streaking down the court and finishing with a thunderous dunk the kid begins to runs down the court to inbound to John who quickly brings it up the court crossing over Allen Iverson into the rock solid screen set by Charles, John then fires a pass back to the kid who rises to shoot a deep 3 pointer on the cocky Michael Jordan “swisssshh” the net echoes in the gym. As the game continues I get the sense of the kid his swagger is starting to ooze into his play, with every dribble on the hardwood I find I am closer to him awaiting his next move. After back and fourth lack lustered plays the game is tied four all you can feel the tension in the room heavy breathy from the teams they give the ball to the kid with Michael Jordan now heavily guarding the kid, he begins to signal to the team to spread the floor the kid id not shying away from the moment he begins to pounce crossing between his legs staring into the eyes of Michael like a black mamba ready to take down a lion he crosses between his legs again Michael tries to steal it the kid ferociously rips it pass his arms rises into his shot, the ball is rotating in slow motion in the air beginning to descend in the rim “swissshhh”. The game is over I’m hovering of the kid The players are in ore of the kid they ask him “who are you” he replies “I’m Kobe Bryant”.