Storytelling for Week 5: Ball is Life

Ball is Life

            The game of basketball can mean the world to some people; it was no different for Scott Smith. He played basketball his whole life, starting when he was four years old playing in the community recreation league to when he was 36, entering his last season in the NBA. The sport of basketball was Scott’s escape from life, the thing where he found peace and could be himself. He dedicated his life to basketball and it was all he knew. He even played at the YMCA after he retired from the NBA because he loved basketball so much.

He was most comfortable when he was at the gym putting tireless amounts of work trying to make it to the National Basketball Association. Scott did the same thing when he made it to the NBA. He never wanted to be behind the pack in terms of skill. This is why he spent all of his time in the gym when he was not at home doing homework or at school. He knew that all of this hard work would pay off when it came the time for colleges to start recruiting him, and farther down the road when the NBA came calling his name. Scott had a very successful NBA career, making six All-Star Appearances, won one NBA Championship, and was very well respected throughout the league. But his time in the NBA eventually came to end and Scott had to retire. Scott still filled his void of basketball in various ways, whether it was shooting outside in his driveway with his children or playing at the YMCA when he had the time to.

Year after year passed, and Scott got older and his body began to break down from the extensive amount of mileage he put on his body during his entire basketball career. It finally caught up to him and Scott was forced to have surgery. In his case, it was for reconstructive knee surgery. He went through the surgery process and everything went smoothly for him, but they needed him to stay in the hospital for a little longer to do some rehabilitation therapy on his knee. A few days passed, and many people came to see Scott while he was in the hospital; they brought him all kinds of gifts to bring him comfort. The next to last day before Scott was going to be released from the hospital a complication arose in the form of an infection that somehow came about. The infection was in the knee that had been through surgery. The doctors were worried. They decided to take him back to clean out the infected area to try and heal it. Another day passed. The knee was doing good and had no major complications regarding the circumstance. The next day, the infection returned, but with more vengeance. The doctors tried to do the same thing again, but this time the rinsing of the knee did not work and the infection was spreading. Scott was extremely terrified at this point and did not want to have to suffer through this anymore. The doctors prepared Scott’s family and friends to say their goodbyes and informed Scott that he only had a week to live.

Scott began to reminisce about all of the great memories he had from playing the game that he surely loved, basketball. He had one request before his last few days; Scott wanted his wife to get his basketball that he kept all these years. This is the only ball Scott would ever do anything basketball related with. He used it from the time he first stepped on a collegiate court to his last days before entering the hospital.  He even named the ball “Magic” after his favorite player of all time, Magic Johnson. His wife brought him his basketball so he could hold it for his last few days to live. A few days passed and the infection got worse, spreading farther through his body. Scott had one more request; he wanted to get a basketball goal in his room to take a few more shots before he passed away. They granted his request. It was his last night as he could tell his body was on its last few moments, but he was determined to shoot all night. He began to shoot and with every make Scott gained comfort and happiness. He eventually fell asleep, holding the ball during what he believed to be his last night alive. 

Magic Johnson, former PG of Los Angeles Lakers

 

Scott woke the next morning as energized as ever, and the doctors took him back for one last scan to see if anything had happen to the infection. The scan went through its process and printed out a sheet describing what was taking place in Scott’s body. They looked at it thoroughly and came away surprised! The doctors could not believe what had happened, but somehow miraculously the infection went away and Scott was going to live a long and healthy life. Scott was enthused by the doctors’ news, but he knew his ball would provide him with a little “Magic.”

Bibliography: Santal Folklore, Cecil Henry Bompas (1909)

Author's Note:

The Hyena Outwitted: 
        I picked this story because I found it easy to relate to because there is always something we love in life that turns around and gives us trouble in the end, but that single thing can also help turn around any situation for the better. In this story, the tiger became extremely ill after digesting a man and making a huge meal from him, which led to very bad indigestion. The tiger was the Raja of the jungle and wished all of the animals would come say their farewells before he passed away. He put trust in the hyena to be the messenger for this, but the hyena believed he should find another messenger in the crow, while he stayed at the side of the ailing tiger. The crow relayed the message to all of the animals, but the jackals showed up late. The hyena verbally attacked the jackals, but the jackals outwitted the hyena by telling the tiger of the medicine they discovered on their way. The medicine needed for a hyena to be flayed alive, which was the end of the hyena and the jackals got their revenge.