Basketball Monologue

Coach came to me after practice was finished and told me I did well. I played hard, and showed my talent. He said that Luol Deng wanted to talk to me after I got changed. Luol Deng! I knew he was the one who organized the camp, but I didn’t know he’d be here. I hadn’t watched too much basketball growing up in Juba, I was more interested in soccer, like most kids. However, when I was given a chance to come to basketball camp I scooped up the opportunity. It’d be fun! My friends had always told me I should play basketball, I was tall, and strong, and even if I didn’t have the best skills I could always bully my way through my opponents when we were playing. So when one of the greatest African basketball players wanted to chat with me I was a little surprised. I changed

Man, this is like one of my first times playing real basketball.

“I’d think about it if I were you, you’ve got the potential. Let’s stay in touch.” said Deng. I gave him my number and didn't really think too much of it. I’m sure he says that same thing to anyone who has the athleticism to play ball. That is until a few weeks later, after I came home from high school my dad said that there was a message on the answering machine for me. I asked him what it was about and he just told me to check it out. It was a call from Basketball without Borders. They wanted me to come to Johannesburg to a basketball camp. Should I go? I hadn’t played basketball since Luol Deng’s basketball camp, and I’d probably be rusty anyways. These kids would be the best players in Africa, I’d have no chance. I wasn’t going to go until my friends were asking me about it. I don’t know how they heard that I was given the opportunity, but they ended up convincing me to go. I guess it wouldn’t be so bad. It’d be a free trip to South Africa, and my first time out of South Sudan, all I’d have to do was play some