A Fan’s Note

Once upon a time when people still watched basketball, there lived a player whose game was so beautiful that the other players, who had seen so much, were astonished whenever he stepped on the court.

When he was bored, he took an orange ball and threw it in a hoop sometimes from afar, but often very close, and this ball was his favorite plaything.

Then one day the player discovered it was much easier to put the orange ball in the hoop if he jumped real high. He jumped higher and higher, so high that it looked like he was floating, and the fans began to call him “Air.”

In time his team won many championships, traveling around the country to do so, and wherever they went, fans bought so many tickets that there was no where left to sit.

Now it so happened that on one occasion the player’s orange ball did not fall into the hoop, which he was aiming for but on to the court beyond, and it bounced straight into the stands.

The fans followed it with their eyes, but it vanished. At this they began to cry, and they cried louder and louder and could not be comforted.

In the meantime the player decided to take on new challenges. He began to hit a ball, much smaller than what he was used to, with a stick. He worked really hard, but the ball was very small and difficult to hit.

His new team traveled around the country, and again wherever they went fans bought so many tickets that there was no where left to sit.

Then one day the player realized he missed throwing the orange ball at the hoop and wanted to do it some more, only this time with a new team.

The fans were very happy, and so was the league because now people wanted to watch the games again.

The player and his team traveled around the country again and all the people came out to see him float through the air, but his new team was not very good.

The player told everyone that his legs were tired, and he was going to leave the orange ball to younger men so they could throw it at the hoop.

The fans began to cry, for they were afraid of the new league that they did not like to watch and that was now broadcast to their cozy, little homes.

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Nov 11 2005. Filed under Sports. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry