I was sent out the other day to take a photograph of a basketball player trying out for the school. It was for an article being written by NECC sports editor Christian Stone. He couldn’t have made the first sentence any clearer, or better for that matter.
” A group of eight men play a four on four basketball game across one half of the NECC gymnasium. On the other half a man practices solo.”
The article starts of perfect, and ends it for that matter. I digress…
I was walking down into the basketball court, more formally known as, the gymnasium. I immediately saw him as well, with the practice jersey, #278 on the back; He was playing like number one. He was at ease within himself, and the game of basketball. Concentrating on not flashy moves, or pretty fadeaway’s, but his game. I found myself watching his moves for a good five minutes, before I realized I had my camera on my neck, waiting for me to press the button, and be done with the assignment. I tried to wait until he got near me, as not to through hame off of this magical experience i was watching, and made a fool of myself after picking up the basketball for the first time since i was fourteen. I asked him if I could shoot him for a few minutes, and he just nodded, not willing to sacrifice his game for anybody, keeping himself concentrated. It was admirable. I shot for a few minutes, his buddies laughing and giving him a hard time that the “press” was all over him, as the sports writer had just left. He just smiled. Some people just know their it. I have a feeling he was one of them.
Leo Liriano dunks the ball in the NECC gymnasium.
