Author: Daydreamer
Posted: 20 January 2003
Notes: In keeping with the spirit of the Crystalship
challenges, this contains 20 (Jan 20 - birthday of
basketball) basketball terms. Can you find them all?
(Answers at bottom)
Hoops
He was barefoot. Stripped to the waist, his shirt and tie and suit coat lay draped on the bleachers by the wall. He dribbled the ball once, twice, three, times, then shot and watched as it swished through the hoop. He raced after it, ignoring the painful impact of his bare feet and the wooden court. It didn't matter. He couldn't play in his dress shoes, and he'd slide all over the damn place in his socks.
He jogged back to center court, bounced the ball twice, then drove for the basket again, weaving left and then right as he plowed through imaginary opponents.
Only he never made it to the hoop. Instead, he ran straight into the infamous immovable object in the form of AD Skinner who had planted himself on the court, in his way. The impact with the larger man made him forget the pain in his feet.
"You're blocking," he said, when he got his breath back.
"And you're charging," Skinner replied. "And I have reason to be blocking. Charging is just a foul."
"Fuck you, Skinner," he said as he stepped back and lobbed the ball over the older man's head. "If I can't get what I need through standard channels, I have no problems with charging."
Skinner turned and watched the ball bounce off the backboard and then drop into the basket. "Nice bank," he offered.
Mulder snorted. "You should know banks. What'd they pay you, Skinner? How much does a life go for these days?"
Skinner stepped off the court and stripped off his coat and shirt and tie, laying them next to Mulder's. His shoes and socks followed. "You're so fucking predictable, Mulder," he said without rancor. "And you fouled me." He held out his hand for the ball. "I get a free-throw."
"I think you've already gotten your free-throw," Mulder said. "You didn't get caught." But he passed the ball over. "You're the shooter."
Skinner stilled, holding the ball but staring at the ground. "My gun, Mulder, but I didn't shoot anyone."
Mulder shrugged. "No officials here. You don't have to explain to me. And besides, I was talking about the ball."
"Yeah, sure," Skinner murmured as he lined up his shot and took it. The ball swished through and Mulder jogged over to retrieve it.
They played in silence after that, hard and fast and mean. One flagrant foul after another, elbowing and body slams that bordered on tackles, hard shoves and harder falls and neither really knew why they were so angry -- only that they were, and this was one way to work it out.
Mulder grabbed the ball on the rebound and stopped, then dropped it and watched as it rolled out of bounds.
"Dead ball," Skinner said, as he chased after it and picked it up.
He nodded. "She's not getting any better," he said softly.
"The period's not over," Skinner replied. "The game is far from done." He tossed the ball to Mulder. "And you're in possession now."
The younger man just stood there, staring at the ball. "I'm not sure I want to play."
"If you don't play, you'll be open," Skinner said in a deadly quiet voice. "No one can help you -- or Scully -- then."
Mulder nodded then turned and tossed the ball through the hoops. "'s all we do -- go through hoops," he said in a dejected tone.
"It's part of the game." Skinner stepped forward and laid his hand on Mulder's shoulder. "You all right?"
"My feet hurt," he answered.
Skinner snorted and looked down at his chest. "Yeah, tell that to my ribs. I'm gonna have a rainbow along here." He traced the red marks where Mulder had slammed into him.
"Sorry," the younger man said shortly.
Skinner shrugged. "No pain, no gain. It's all part of the game."
End
Please send feedback to: Daydreamer
Backboard: the rectangular structure to which the basket is attached
Bank shot: a shot where the ball is bounced (or banked) off the backboard and then drops into the basket
Basket: consists of a metal rim with a corded net hanging off of it; attached to the backboard
Blocking: the use of a defenderīs body position to prevent an opponentīs advance
Charging: when an offensive player runs into a defender who has established position; this is an offensive foul
Court: the area in on which a basketball game is played; bounded by 2 sidelines and 2 end lines, containing a basket at each end
Dead ball: any ball that is not live; occurs after: each successful field goal or free-throw attempt, after the whistle is blown, or if the ball leaves the court
Dribble or dribbling: repeatedly batting or bouncing the ball toward the floor with one hand; used to advance the ball
Drive to the basket: to move rapidly toward the basket with the ball
Elbowing: throwing your elbow(s) during play in order to hit another player or push him away; it is a foul if contact is made
Flagrant foul: unnecessary or excessive contact against an opponent
Free-throw: an unguarded shot taken from the foul line by a player whose opponent committed a foul; worth 1 point
Guarding: following an opponent around the court to prevent him from getting the ball, taking a shot or making a pass
Officials: the people on the court wearing black and white striped shirts who control the game
Open: when a player is unguarded by a defender
Out of bounds: the area outside of and including the end lines and sidelines
Period: any quarter, half or overtime segment
Possession: to be holding or in control of the ball
Rebound: when a player grabs a ball that is coming off the rim or backboard after a shot attempt
Shooter: a player who takes a shot at the basket