The Boy Who Never Gave Up

Have you ever had a dream that you wished would come true? Well my name is Jamal and my dream was to make it to the NBA.  I live in a poor town in Akron, Ohio. I have one brother and his name is Jared. I love to play basketball at the park. And I am going to tell you how my dream came true for me.

One sunny day in Akron, Ohio I was walking with my dad to go to the park and practice basketball. Well when we got there, there were gangs over by the fence. And the gang member asked my dad if he had any drugs on him. My dad said that he doesn't do any of that stuff. So the gang member pulled out their guns and shot my father. After they shot my father then ran as fast as they could so the cops couldn't get them. I ran to my dad and screamed DAD ARE YOU ALRIGHT?! He then whispered in my ear saying that you are going to be in charge now, that I am going to have to take care of my little brother and my mother. Then when he closed his eyes I knew he was dead. I ran to the first house I saw and told them to call 911. Then the ambulance and cops came. They called my mom to come down to the park. She started to cry her eyes out when she say my father laying on the ground with five bullet marks in my dad’s chest. I told my mom that everything is going to be alright I will take care of you guys. We then went to our apartment and called everyone to let them know that my father had been shot and killed by a gang.

So then starting every day I walked to the park and shot hoops for 5 hours a day. I told myself that my dad would have wanted me to keep with my dream and make it big in basketball. I was a freshman at St. Mary High school and I started for the high school team. In my first year I averaged 26 points per game. My team and I led St Mary High school to a state championship. Many colleges were looking at me from all over the United States. So after the basketball season was over I always went to the park and shot with my little brother. I told him that he should practice every day so he could get a scholarship from a good college. Every day when I went to the mailbox I got over 10 letters from colleges asking me if I would come up there to visit. So when summer came I practice every day at the basketball court. Sometimes I would play pick-up games with kids that were already there. So then after practice I walked back to my apartment to see my mom and my brother. My brother was sitting there crying. I asked, “Why are you crying Jared?

Jared said, “These kids at the playground were making fun of me because I was black”.

I said, “Alright I will get this taken care of.”  So after we ate dinner we walked to the playground to talk to the kids.

I said, “Why do you kids think you can just make racial threats to my little brother?”

The kids said, “Because we can say whatever we want to him!”

I said, “If my little brother ever tells me that you guys are saying this again I will make sure you guys won’t be having any teeth when I hit you in the mouth.”

The kids said, “alright we won’t call your little brother anymore racial threats.”

Jared said, “Thanks Jamal you’re the best big brother ever!”

So then I began my sophomore year at St. Mary High School. When the first practice started I knew we will make another run to the championship. The coach loved what our team was doing in practice. Then after practice A Cleveland Cavalier coach came up to me and asked if I would come up to Cleveland to visit. I said, “Sure! I would love to come and visit.”

The coach said, “Alright ill get an airplane set for you and your mother and brother to come up.”

I then went to my house and told my mother and my brother. They couldn't believe that the coach from Cleveland wanted them and me to come up and visit. I told my mom if I would ever make it big in the NBA that I would buy her and my little brother a big house that they could live in. I would have never thought that a NBA team would scout me when I was only a sophomore at High School. Then the next day at school everyone was asking me if I am going to Cleveland. I said, “I’m only going there to visit, I don’t know if I’m going to get drafted by them”. So then after basketball practice my brother, my mother and I went to the airport to meet the coach there. Then when we met him there we went on the airplane. It was a private jet plane. My mother and I couldn't believe that we were going on a private jet plane. When we arrived at Cleveland there was a limousine waiting for us. When we arrived at the Cavaliers basketball arena the coach showed us around. When we went to the locker room I thought I was in heaven. The coach told me that the empty locker would be mine if I joined the team. The locker room had carpet, and it had a flat screen TV and a snack area. My mom and little brother were amazed by how nice this locker room was. Then we went to the basketball court. The basketball court was twenty times bigger than the St. Mary gym. This basketball court could hold over 40,000 fans. The coach said I could be playing on this court in a couple of years. So after we looked around we went back to Akron, Ohio. Everyone in school was asking me in school what all happened when I went to the Cleveland Cavalier game, but I wouldn't tell them what I all did up there. Now I had only two things on my mind, and they were going to the championship, and getting drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers. The next day I returned to practice. The coach told me I better work hard every second I am on the court. Next thing I knew the season is finally starting.

Our first game we played our rivalry. Our whole team was pumped up in the locker room. When we stepped on the court I knew I was going to have a big game. When the first quarter was over I already had 12 points. It was the second quarter and we were down by 5 points with 1:33 left on the clock. I hit a three pointer to be only down by two points. Then when they were dribbling up the court I stole the ball and went up for an easy layup with 2 seconds left on the clock. The other team threw the ball half court and bounced off the rim and missed. Going into halftime the score was all tied at 30. When we went in the locker room the coach told us that keep playing like you are. The third quarter began and I was dribbling up the court. I shot the ball in the defenders eye and made the three point shot. The third quarter was over and I had 25 points and 7 assists. We were losing 85 to 80 going into the fourth quarter. I dribbled up the court and passed it to my teammate for a wide open three. He made the three and we were only down by 2 points. There was 50 seconds left and we were only down by 3 points. I was at the foul line shooting two foul shots. I missed the first one, but I ended up making the second one. There was 25 seconds left and we had to foul them. The player on the other team was shooting two free throws. He ended up missing both of the free throws. I grabbed the ball and ran up the court. The clock was ticking and I got the ball and threw up a three point shot. The ball bounced off the rim and landed in the net. I ran up the court screaming because I just won our team the game! All of my teammates were jumping on me. When we went to the locker room the coach congratulated me with the game ball. He told me that I have talent that all the coaches want to see in a basketball player. After the game I got a text message from the coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers coach. He told me that he heard that buzzer beater I had. He said that I have a lot of talent that his organization wants to have. My basketball team ended up going undefeated and making the playoffs. I made it to the championship once again. My team ended up winning the championship by over ten points. We popped champagne in the locker room. The coach told me that I was the reason that we won this championship.

         When the season was over the Cleveland Cavilers coach called me up and told me he was going to draft me in the 2013 NBA draft. I couldn't believe I was going to get drafted by a NBA team when I was still only in high school. I told my mom that they were going to draft me. My mom cried and hugged me very tight. I told my mom that I can buy her whatever she wants and I am going to buy her a big house. When I got my first paycheck from the Cleveland Cavaliers I was so shocked. I couldn't believe that I was getting paid 1,000,000 dollars.

I went back to Akron, Ohio and gave the mayor a check for 100,000 dollars to make the park courts I used to shoot on really nice, and for modeling the school I used to go to. I then went to my mom’s house and took her to find the house the always wanted. I couldn't believe that my dream came true. If my dad was still alive he would have been proud.