Diary of a Basketball Hero Read online

  This edition published in 2015

  First published in Singapore in 2014 by Sunbear Publishing

  Copyright © Text, Shamini Flint 2014

  Copyright © Illustrations, Sally Heinrich 2014

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publisher. The Australian Copyright Act 1968 (the Act) allows a maximum of one chapter or ten per cent of this book, whichever is the greater, to be photocopied by any educational institution for its educational purposes provided that the educational institution (or body that administers it) has given a remuneration notice to Copyright Agency (Australia) under the Act.

  Allen & Unwin

  83 Alexander Street

  Crows Nest NSW 2065

  Australia

  Phone: (61 2) 8425 0100

  Email: [email protected]

  Web: www.allenandunwin.com

  A Cataloguing-in-Publication entry is available from the National Library of Australia

  www.trove.nla.gov.au

  ISBN 978 1 76011 150 2

  Text design by Sally Heinrich

  Series cover concept by Jaime Harrison

  Set in 12/14 pt Comic Sans

  This book was printed in November 2014 at McPherson’s Printing Group, 76 Nelson St, Maryborough, Victoria 3465, Australia.

  www.mcphersonsprinting.com.au

  10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

  CONTENTS

  MY BASKETBALL DIARY

  BASKETBALL LESSON NO. 1

  BASKETBALL LESSON NO. 2

  BASKETBALL LESSON NO. 3

  BASKETBALL LESSON NO. 4

  BASKETBALL GAME NO. 1

  BASKETBALL LESSON NO. 5

  BASKETBALL GAME NO. 2

  FIRST QUARTER

  SECOND QUARTER

  HALF-TIME

  THIRD QUARTER

  FOURTH QUARTER

  TIME-OUT

  OVERTIME

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  MY BASKETBALL DIARY

  I actually know how to play basketball.

  You just need to throw a ball into a basket.

  No problem.

  Watch this!

  See how well I’m doing?

  SEE????

  ARRRGHHH!

  Why would Dad think that I could play basketball?

  I have trouble getting rubbish into the rubbish bin.

  Dad thinks I might be able to play basketball because I accidentally bounced a golf ball into a hole.

  That’s like thinking I can paint like Van Gogh because I once drew a stick figure of a man with one ear.

  Or that I’m ready to pilot a space shuttle to Mars because I once made a paper aeroplane.

  Or that because I climbed a tree in the garden, I’m ready to plant my flag on top of Mt Everest.

  It’s just ridiculous …

  You see, Dad believes that I have a gift for sport.

  It doesn’t matter that I have failed at so many, many, MANY sports.

  He just thinks that I haven’t tried the right sport yet!

  Seriously, Dad?

  Surely we can agree on just a few things by now?

  How about we agree that, I, Marcus Atkinson, aged nine …

  Am rubbish at sports involving balls?

  Am hopeless at games involving bats?

  Am bad on land … and in water?

  Talking to Dad is like talking to a brick wall …

  or a robot.

  Talking to Dad is like talking to animals!

  The problem is that Dad has written a book.

  It’s called Pull Yourself Up by Your Own Bootstraps.

  It’s full of useful advice. NOT.

  Even I could write a book with better advice in it!!!

  My advice:

  Dad’s advice:

  My advice: Dad’s advice:

  My advice:

  Dad’s advice:

  Good plan, Dad. And what about food and shelter and water and school and friends and LIFE?????

  So I give good advice and Dad gives rubbish advice but people queue up around the block to buy his book.

  All I write are these diaries that no one will ever read.

  Gemma, my older sister, reads my diaries and leaves me comments on Post-it notes.

  I used to try to hide the diaries but it’s no use ...

  Even if I dug a hole to the centre of the planet and hid my new diary there, she’d find it.

  Even if I swum to the bottom of the ocean and hid it, she’d find it.

  Even if I took a rocket to the end of the universe and hid it there, she’d find it.

  The good news is that Dad couldn’t find me a golf coach last time round.

  The bad news is that Dad decided to coach me himself.

  The only sure way to avoid any further failure is if Dad can’t find a coach.

  I need some luck.

  The only way to get some luck is to get some lucky stuff!

  I’m onto it!!

  Let’s see:

  I have a lucky number 7 …

  A four-leaf clover …

  A horseshoe …

  I’ll throw some salt over my shoulder …

  Okay, maybe they didn’t mean the salt shaker too. Oops.

  I just need a rainbow and then there’s no way Dad will find a coach …

  Good point!!

  Thanks, Gemma.

  I’ve got to avoid walking under ladders ...

  The number 13 ...

  Black cats …

  Anything else?

  BASKETBALL LESSON NO. 1

  It turns out that none of the coaches of boys’ teams would have me.

  Coach Jane is a friend of Dad’s.

  She agreed to take me.

  I’m playing basketball with girls.

  There’s only one way to survive this …

  no one must know.

  I must keep this a secret until I die.

  And it must remain a secret after I die.

  School the next day seemed all right. No one was laughing at me.

  My secret was still safe … PHEW!!

  BASKETBALL LESSON NO. 2

  What sort of names are those??

  It turns out they’ve named themselves after famous basketball players. I call that lame, so there.

  Slap? These girls? Does Coach think I’m stupid?

  Maybe a gentle pat to the back?

  Finger pads?

  Fingers on iPads?

  Is that like circle time? Should I be sharing my th
oughts?

  How is that even possible?

  Because I’m being laughed at by family,

  friends and schoolmates?

  I’m RUBBISH AT SPORTS!!!

  I’d like to build a brick wall around me.

  BASKETBALL LESSON NO. 3

  The next day was my big SuperChef for Kids moment (read my Diary of a Golf Pro if you’re not sure how I came to be taking part in a cooking contest).

  I’d practised everything with Mum from breads to burgers, cupcakes to casseroles, salads to stews.

  I could bake, boil, fry, grill and steam.

  Unfortunately …

  the task was to boil an egg!!!!

  To be more precise, a soft-boiled egg.

  I did my best.

  But my best wasn’t good enough.

  My goose was cooked ...

  Could things get any worse???

  Stupid question.

  Of course they can …

  BASKETBALL LESSON NO. 4

  Note to Dad –

  things I enjoy:

  Playing video games …

  Skipping school …

  Lying in a hammock …

  Things I do not enjoy:

  Playing basketball …

  Playing a basketball match …

  Playing basketball in a girls’ team …

  Playing a basketball match in a girls’ team against kids from my school …

  Playing a basketball match … against Hulk!!

  BASKETBALL GAME NO. 1

  How bad was it? Well, no one died.

  Aside from that, it was pretty bad.

  It started quite well.

  No one passed me the ball.

  I got out of the way as much as I could.

  The girls were amazing.

  Kobe hit a three (you get three points in basketball for shots taken from outside the D)!

  Magic blocked a shot that was definitely going in!

  Jordan passed the ball round her back to LeBron!

  Did I mention that I stayed out of the way as much as I could?

  And then Kobe clashed with Hulk. The ball popped out of her hands. It rolled towards me.

  I picked it up. And stood there for a while.

  There’s a shot clock?

  I looked around for a pass but no one was free.

  Phew! I remember when I thought ‘dribble’ was that thing baby Harriet did.

  But I knew what to do this time!

  We turned over possession.

  The boys were winning!

  I had to do something.

  Sadly, I got the ball.

  I looked up. The basket was so far I could barely see it. There was no way I could score from here.

  I ran forward.

  I had to get closer!

  Travelling?

  Where does he think I’m going?

  Mind you, I’d love to travel away from this game …

  How about to Alaska?

  Or the Gobi Desert?

  Or the Great Barrier Reef?

  Apparently, you’re not allowed to take any steps in basketball without bouncing the ball.

  Who knew that?

  We turned over possession. They scored.

  I went back to doing nothing.

  LeBron tried a three-pointer that came off the rim.

  The ball landed at my feet.

  I pretended not to notice.

  That was as clear as mud.

  Kobe came to visit the next day.

  Had she just come to rub it in?

  We sat in silence for a while. I still had no idea why Kobe had come around.

  Kobe left. I waved goodbye.

  I still had no idea why she had come to visit.

  Dad came home then. Phew!

  BASKETBALL LESSON NO. 5

  Has she been reading Dad’s book?

  If at first you don’t succeed, keep doing the same thing because it gives people something to laugh at …

  I missed the basket again …

  It really is pretty cool – if you’re taller than a giraffe!!!

  Does Coach think there’ll be tastefully scattered ladders on the court in our next game?

  I do not.

  Kobe taught me a few neat tricks …

  Oh! I knew that. NOT.

  Next, we tried shooting …

  But actually, I’m a bit worried about this Kobe thing.

  Why did she visit?

  Why is she giving me basketball lessons?

  Why is she laughing at my jokes?

  No one does that!!

  What if she wants to get married???

  I’m too young!!!!!

  Most weeks, I just need to run away from home because of sports.

  Now I need to run away because of girls as well?

  I’ll need to go somewhere without girls …

  The army?

  Prison?

  The South Pole?

  Maybe I’ll just adopt a disguise …

  As a spy?

  As a superhero?

  As a rebel without a cause?

  What am I going to do?????

  BASKETBALL GAME NO. 2

  I had that feeling of déjà vu all over again.

  Parents – check.

  Sisters – check.

  Friends – check.

  Banners – check.

  Coach – check.

  Team – check.

  Girlfriend – check.

  FIRST QUARTER

  LeBron scored a three-point jump shot.

  Magic dribbled the ball from hand to hand, through her legs, back again and passed for another two points.

  Kobe scored a lay-up.

  But the boys matched us point for point.

  Kobe kept trying to pass to me but I looked the other way.

  I only touched the ball once …

  The referee awarded them two free throws. He seemed to think I fell over the ball on purpose.

  I guess even he can’t believe how rubbish I am.

  Hulk made both free throws

  At the end of first quarter – the boys were winning by two points.

  SECOND QUARTER

  The first thing Kobe did was win the jump ball.

  The second thing she did was pass me the ball. PANIC!!!