I was introduced to basketball by a person who could be considered my first best friend. I mean, I recall having frineds before him, but I don't remember their names. His name was Daniel and I went to primary school with him and he was a fan of basketball. I remember watching Space Jam round his house.
I remember liking basketball and being jealous that he liked it too, so I pretended I didn't like it. I remember a particular incident in which we were taken to McDonalds (other fast-food brands are available) and got Happy Meals. The toy in the Happy Meals were these little plastic figures of monsters playing sports.
The basketball one was a vampire. His name was Slam Drac. (I had hoped to find a picture of him, but the internet appears to have forgotten about him). I definitely remember he existed.
So we got our Happy Meals and opened up the package.
I got some werewolf doing something rubbish like cricket or something.
He got Slam Drac.
And I was jealous.
I tried to think of a witty putdown, but this is the best my year 2 brain could muster:
"I think they should have called him Slam Drunk...because he looks drunk"
He didn't look drunk.
It didn't even make sense.
So after that (not specifically because of that incident) I became obsessed with basketball.
I used to watch NBA games on the TV and played a little game.
I would listen out for a name I didn't know and then I write the name down and draw a picture of what they might look like. I don't know why I did that, but I learnt a lot of players names that way.
In year 4, Daniel and I went to different schools. Well, more technically I moved school. My mum and his remained friends/business-friends so I saw Daniel irregularly.
The first time was perhaps a year or so after I'd moved, and I tried to have a conversation with him about basketball and all the players I knew.
At this point my knowledge dwarfed his.
The student had become the master.
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