A Fleeting Image

New Delhi

India

2-0.

The crowd roared in approval to what was one of the most sensational opening plays in the history of the tournament. It was evident from the huge crowd as they cheered Team Karnataka on, that something special was unfolding in the history of basketball in India.

Indian basketball was about to change, forever.

Marcello Rodriguez wasn’t aware of that, however. Staring at the undersized center of Team Karnataka, a thought flashed his mind.

An idea that his career, and his team’s fate were also about to change, forever.

Never before had a crowd so large shown up to watch the national collegiate basketball tournament in the history of the sport in India. In a nation largely obsessed with cricket and slowly shifting towards football (what Americans call soccer), a crowd that large with such a high magnitude of enthusiasm for a game relatively unheard of in the pages of Indian sports was truly something to cherish.

Marcello smiled and sat next to a bunch of college students who he had picked a conversation with. He wanted to watch this kid play for the longest time he possibly could.

He knew it was going to be an incredible game.

And he wasn’t wrong.

*

The Punjab squad was only mildly startled by number 64’s incredible defense and transition offense. They quickly regained their composure and started piling point after point on Team Karnataka’s heads. They were well and truly a championship squad who had never known defeat. The relentless onslaught only ended when the first quarter ended.

Team Punjab led Team Karnataka 38-20.

“Good lord, looks like it’s over!” exclaimed one of the college students. “That team is just too tall for those undersized guys! It’s been an amazing journey for them, though!”

“Hmm,” said Marcello, lost in thought.

But Marcello knew, real fighters blossomed in difficult situations such as this. If number 64 couldn’t fight his way through this predicament, it would be wrong to place any expectations on the guy.

But what was about to happen, nobody would have guessed.

The second quarter commenced with Jyot Singh scoring two easy buckets. The crowd was now starting to get bored. The exciting Karnataka team just couldn’t seem to withstand Team Punjab. The disappointed crowd prepared to leave. Marcello was with them. He couldn’t believe how sadly Karnataka was going out to Punjab.

On the court, Lokesh Kumar called his teammates and set up a plan. He knew his team needed to score, and fast. The only way to do that, was to get wide-open looks at the hoop. And he had a plan to make it happen.

Ashish Mehra ran towards the corner to set a screen for Lokesh Kumar to shoot a three-pointer. The Punjab players couldn’t fight through the screen as there was a risk of being called for a foul.

“Wait, he can shoot?” thought Marcello.

But, in a twist of events, Lokesh escaped from his place in the corner. As the defenders ran to stop him. He suddenly stopped and set a screen for someone standing at the opposite corner. The two men couldn’t move at all. With a thrill of horror, the Punjab team realized that it was Karnataka’s best shooter, Ashish Mehra at the corner.

The switching screen strategy had worked.

Ashish was wide open, and he scored the three pointer.

Marcello stood there, transfixed.

“That was an NBA-level play!” he thought. “How did he think that up?”

*

By the end of the third quarter, the tables had turned.

Karnataka incorporated a switching defense to match Punjab. While Lokesh shut down Jyot Singh completely, Ashish kept on hitting his wide open threes. Lokesh centered the entire defense around him, as he was the most dominant scorer on his team. This allowed all his teammates to score the ball more easily.

As much size, strength, and expertise as Punjab had, they were absolutely outmatched. Outmatched by a talentless player who worked day and night on his game, got better, and through just pure grit and grind, had destroyed every team that came in his path.

Karnataka took the game and the championship, 100-88.

And it was one of the best fightback victories anyone had ever seen.

*

Marcello pulled some strings to allow himself to have a chat with Karnataka’s number 64. He managed to catch up with the team just before they left. At the request of his coaches, number 64 hopped outside the bus, still decked in his medal, and grinning.

“Hello, I’m Marcello Rodriguez,” began Marcello. “I really love your game! Mind introducing yourself to me?”

“Lokesh Kumar, sir. I’m from Bangalore. I’ve loved the game since I can remember,” came the reply. “Some really special people have helped me reach this stage,” he added.

Marcello felt something special in this young kid. “You enjoy playing with this squad?”

“Best team I could’ve asked for, sir.”

“Do you ever feel that, on a better team, you could do better?”

Lokesh Kumar frowned. “Not really, sir. This team and I share a bond that nobody else can ever understand. Every team needs that one guy to step up and be their best player and lead them, and I’m happy to be that guy!”

“Well answered!” thought Marcello.

“What’s your goal in life, kid?” asked Marcello again.

Lokesh thought long and hard. “There’s a girl, sir. She really helped be develop the basic set of skills required to play this game. One day, I aim to transform myself into a man who is worthy of her, then confess to her!”

Marcello laughed loudly. “Quite a lofty goal! But that’s not it. What’s your goal for your basketball career?”

“That’s an easy one, sir. I want to play in the NBA someday. I want to compete with and win against the world’s best basketball players!” he paused, then went on. 

“I want to win the NBA Championship, sir.”

“Well, this is my number. Keep in touch with me,” said Marcello, handing Lokesh his business card. “I hope to see you in the NBA soon. You probably won’t have to wait that long either!”

Lokesh grinned. “Thank you, sir.”

He turned back and boarded the bus. Instantly, his team crowded around him to ask what the American fellow wanted from him.

Marcello knew exactly what he wanted.

The guy had not just impacted his team, his coaches, or Marcello himself. Within a few weeks, he’d set his entire country on fire and gripped them with basketball fever. He was the best player on his team. He was their leader, mentor, and guide. He motivated them to work hard and long. He was the one who’d have the ball in situations of pressure. No, thought Marcello. His entire team would want him to have the ball.

“I believe,” he breathed. “I’ve found our franchise player!”

Marcello had felt it the minute he saw that number 64 jersey on Lokesh Kumar.

He was a great scorer, defender, and playmaker. He was competitive, intense, and confident. He radiated the pride and charisma of being the team’s best player.

In this kid from halfway around the world, Marcello had seen it.

He’d seen the fleeting image of NBA legend Terry Parker.