Wow, has it beethat long already? This exciting event happened about 18 years ago. We are about the age of sixteen years young. Our coach Hughes happens to teach—I don't think he teaches any more but works at the High School, next door to where my kids go to school at.
Occasional we bump into each other, be it at the car park, walking to and from the school ground or as he stand guard and direct kids to their school bus. We would talk about that day. That one VICTORY that is still alive in Coaches mind like it only happened yesterday.
A video, and seems may be the only video of existence. He asked me one day if I wanted a copy of it and of course I said yes. But before he parted, he asked me to take extra care of this video. As this is his only copy. This was our Championship game. DLSK 1992 Championship game!
Our last year of school together. Our final year together, our school. My beloved schoo—yes I loved this school. We made a commitment. For our last year together, to win this year's basketball competition. This was our present to each other, our parting gift to one another. The one we could talk about years to come if or so when we see other again.
The season went well for us, charged with emotion, the last year of being together. We fought and won. A game each week, a game won. We were undefeated! Nothing could stop us. We we're determined. The only thing that spoiled our winning games, was that one...one draw (I think) to an otherwise perfect all win season!
Today, I'll take you back to this time. Time of Glory. The D-DAY. The Finals. I was in a nervous wreck! I have never been in the finals ever in my life! This was the first for me and I believe the first for many of us. To make it worse, I was sick as hell! Asthma. But I wasn't going to let coach Hughes knows about this, but maybe he already knew. I just knew I couldn’t breathe and I was trying to hide it so I could gain some court time!
The game starts. We played at the Bankstown Sports stadium. We put our best players, Andrew, Robert, Paul, Paulo, Hussein (this should have been me! But he's taller and stronger and ermm better and well more skilful now than when he started) to front the other team. The Lakemba Boys. One of their players there. Their point guard, whom I've forgotten the name. I knew this person, he's an old buddy of mine from the tennis club over at Dulwich Hills. Actually, that first Sunday after the finals I got hit with a tennis racket because the club talked about the game, how his team lost and how my team won. It was meant to be a tap on my sheen but it went a bit harder and that hurt!
Both teams playing the best they could to win this final. Point after point. A very close final. We jumped shot, took shots from town, ran the ball inside, driving it through, steal the ball. We downed more points, we haggled for points. We did everything we could to win, did every single thing possible to get ahead from the other team. We fought like we never fought to win.
The boys on the other side, got the message. They got it. They knew we were going for it and weren’t taking any prisoners. They knew we were going for the kill. They knew the only the only thing in our minds were to slaughter them, kill them and go home with the most prized possession. The title and the trophy. They knew there's only one thing they can do now. To give up or front up. But giving up was not in their agenda either. They chose to front up. They chose to fight back. They turned up the heat. They turned it on us. They shoot, they scored, they stole. They brought their best in them. The game was on. It was really on. Heat was on! The roof was on fire!
Round after round, battle after battle. Clock counting down, more scores on the board. They lead by a point, two points even three points. We would catch up. Lead by a point, two even three and square off again. They were fired up, we were fired up. We were all fired up! Fouls started raining in.
Here I am, a bench warmer on our very last game! Bench warmer on the LAST GAME!!! Can you believe that? I was a bench warmer on the last final game! I was getting depressed, I was still in a wreck, nervous and sick.
I normally play centre position. Until the year before that—and that was year 9, when we rocked up at school for the first time of year and I wondered why every body was taller than I am, heck they all looked down at me and said what happened to you? I didn't grow, they did! I lost my position as a centre and so became a power forward instead. I could shoot but can only take the ball on one side. Though I was still in the first five. I wasn't always.... that was sad.. but none the less...
I was getting depressed, I wanted to play, but the best team is already out there and I was sick as anything. It wasn't a minor asthma that I had, my puffer wasn't working, that's how bad the asthma was! Whiz here and there.
Came the last few minutes, Andrew got fouled out. He amongst the rest of the best team were main scorers! Yes, the team that fronted our enemies, the Lakemba boys can all score, gain high scores! They were all awesome and were at their peaks! He was fouled out. The last minute and I think we were trailing by one point. Coach called me out and told me to get out there!
I was stoked! Have you ever seen anybody played who was sick and depressed and very excited at the same time? That was me! I was depressed I was only going to get few minutes worth of court time. I'd rather not play I told myself. The finals and only few minutes of court time? No thanks, I said to myself, I'm too proud for this, I had to much of an ego for this. I was depressed that I am going to be in that court and will most likely spoil everything for us because I couldn't think straight. But I was excited at the same time, I get to have some court time!
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| That's me! Number 20. Sealing the game! |
The last dying 12 seconds. I managed to make steal. The steal of the year. Was fouled and taken to free throws. Paul Wi.. was psyching me up, everybody was supporting me. Telling me I can do this, I can do this, I can do this! To a point that I'm believing that I can do this! Take that damn 2 shots, make them count. One shot! IN!!!!! Crowd goes wild, second shot IN!!!! Crowd goes wilder! Twelve second to go and we were at front! That game is sealed! It is ours! We were winning! My two, only two shots of the game. The crucial shots. The one that counted the most, the one that won the game! WOW!!! Something to remember by. But of course the team did all the work.. all day, minute after minute they sweated it out.
Then Paul gets fouled. He's taken to the free throw lines. Each foul given, any of us from any side of the team will go to the line, there was no more fouls to give—it was long gone. Paul, the amazing Paul who can shoot from anywhere, who can drive the ball and claim a foul was at the free throw. He shoots, scores!!! and shoots another scores!!!! He bagged the win! We couldn't care less any more if the opposing team scores! With that last dying seconds and five points difference, there is no way the can catch up even with a three pointer! Paul bagged the trophy for us! The last dying seconds! The key to our victory, it was all close game until that last seconds, we won!! And that's how be became the 1992's Undefeated champions!
Lastly, This is only one version of the story. Feel free to write one up, so we can all share our experiences based on our own stories.Related Video Content
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