The Nod

Coach N blew his whistle and gathered the team at mid court for a quick talk on what was expected of them this season as far as commitment and such. Coach was giving his no nonsense speech and as a member of the NYC Police Bomb Squad for over twenty years his words always had a "stand at attention and listen" flavor to them. Everybody was chomping at the bit to get going, especially since they've heard this type of speech so many times before. The Lightning team had been together since they were eight years old, intact, with no changes. Before the team got ready to break out into their drills, Coach N had one little bit of info for the boys. There was going to be an addition to the team this year. You could hear a pin drop and Coach N surely had the team's full attention now. Coach explained how Jamaal Braxton had moved from Brooklyn to Levittown and how his dad had contacted him about playing for the Lightning. In a meeting they had months earlier, Jamaal's dad, Keith, had explained to Coach N that his son played "angry." He said, "He always has a scowl on his face and he isn't the easiest kid to keep happy. " His dad continued that Jamaal wasn't a racist at all but didn't open up at all to white people, blaming it on the fact that when Jamaal was seven years old, his mother, who was white and a crack addict had just left him on the corner of Flatbush Avenue and he never saw her again...No one ever saw her again. His father elaborated, "He does have somewhat of an attitude and you will have to work to keep him under control but I promise you, he's a good kid. And basketball wise..." he just stopped and smiled at Coach N, "the kid can really ball! Six foot two, jumps to the moon, has an incredible handle, sticks the three and plays D like a gorilla." Coach N laughed, "Might be able to find a couple of minutes for him." The two exchanged handshakes and cell numbers with Keith Braxton pleading to Coach N to call him regularly to let him know how his son was doing and more importantly, behaving.