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Daniel L.

The Game

The best way to describe our relationship is to say that we are competitive. You couldn’t find anybody more competitive than the two of us no matter how hard you tried. Sam and I are brothers and are best friends. Sam is the oldest child in our family and is fourteen years old. I am eleven years old and Sam constantly picks on me. I never beat my brother at anything. Even though I lose a lot of basketball games against him, I never give up because I love basketball. We’ve played every Saturday night since I was five. I thought that tonight would be just another normal Saturday night, but I didn’t know what was in store for me.

The ball game is tied with the score eighty-seven to eighty-seven. It is time for a one minute timeout. Who is going to make the shot? Thoughts are running through my head at one hundred miles per hour. I know I can make the shot, I can. His defense can not stop me. I have been denying him on defense and going right through him on offense. All of the pressure is on me. It is all in my hands now. Why would something so simple, be so hard? I will drive baseline. No, too risky. I will find the open man. No, too big of a risk to turn the ball over. I will just pull up and shoot a three-pointer. No, I only need one point. Okay, I am ready, let’s go. The crowd is out of control. Just pass it in. I got it, no steal. The clock is ticking down … two, one, I have to throw up the shot. Swish!!! Yes!!! We win, we win, we win!!!

“Sam and Greg, it is time to go to bed. Shut the game off,” said Mom.

“Do I have to?” I replied.

“Yes, you have to,” said Mom forcefully.

“Okay, fine Mom,” said Sam after being disappointed.

“Well that was a good game anyway. I wish we didn’t have to go to bed. It’s okay, I’ll get you tomorrow,” said Sam who was angry after losing to his younger brother for the first time at videogames.

I thought to myself as I walked up the stairs to go to bed, that this has to have been the best day of my life. I will never forget this.

A lot of time has passed and many changes have happened in my life since high school. I remember Sam in high school. Those were the good days. Sam is and always has been a big fan of basketball and videogames just like me. Sam got onto the varsity basketball team as a freshman. Ever since then he has been popular and was notorious for getting poor grades and just playing videogames and basketball all day. He didn’t hang out with me, his own brother, after that. With his hectic schedule I’m very excited to see him again.

“Good thing you got here before I warmed up, Greg,” said Sam confidently.

“Yeah, it’s sure to be a great game. Just remember it’s only a game. You have been obsessing about beating me since high school. I don’t think that it’s good for you. Just play fairly.”

“I’m going to beat you, don’t worry.”

“That’s what you think.”

It has been a close game all the way to the very end. Now it’s the fourth quarter and the score is tied. I know exactly what he is going to do this time. He’ll try to beat me with a three-pointer at the buzzer.

“Just me and you, little bro. One on one,” said Sam.

“Who are you calling little?” I said.

The ball was passed in. Right where I thought it would go. He’s trying to take advantage of his speed. He fakes to the left, then to the right. He goes up for the shot… Slam!!! I block the ball straight into the ground. Game over. We win!!!

“Things can’t always go your way Sam.”

“Yeah, whatever.”

“Hey mister, I think you are the best player in the whole league,” said a little kid and very excited fan, “I want to be just like you when I grow up.”

“Thanks kid,” I said as I walked back to the locker room to celebrate with my team after winning the NBA championship.

This was the first time that I had ever beaten my older brother on such a big stage. Sam had won the previous six NBA championships and I was zero for four before tonight. This has to have been the best day of my life, without comparison.

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