I will be the first to admit that Pete Maravich is a fantastic player. Incredible is a fair term for him. He's funny and really great at some wild moves, but those shorts have got to go. My mom is becoming obsessed with him.
I hear his voice in the morning, the middle of the afternoon, and sometimes I swear I can hear my mom talking to him.

Every practice she shows us a new move. At night she practices the move, then gets either me or one of the other guys to show how it's done. Sometimes it goes well, and other times, well, we look like a blind dance troop.

Now Billy Snelling is getting obsessed with the guy. I heard him ask the librarian if there were any books about him in the library.

As if on cue, Billy raises his hand and asks my mom the question I knew was coming. "Mrs. Weston, are you going to show us a new Pistol Pete move?"

"Why, yes I am, Billy. This is called the pump and fake, " she says, then with everyone looking, she tries it herself. It doesn't make any sense when she does it, but I get enough of an idea to know what it is supposed to look like.

"Jack, can you show them how it's done?"

Even though, Aaron isn't around to make fun of me, I feel like a fool. That Pete Maravich guy sure makes it look easy.

The first time I try it, my feet get tangled up, but on the second attempt, I nail it. Even Trayvon looks impressed.

"Okay. Beautiful, Jack," Mom says, clapping her hands together. "Now, I'm going to run and grab Coach Parker and I want half of you at this goal and half at the other. Practice free throws, five each then hand off to the next person in line. Remember to get an arc on the ball...and follow through. When I get back, we'll practice the pump and fake."

I take the ball and start to shoot. Billy stands under the basket and retrieves the ball for me. "That was really cool," he says, excitedly.

I am about to wave off his comments when Trayvon steps up behind me and taps my shoulder.

"You just learn that?" he asks.

I shoot my last free throw and turn around. "Last night," I answer.

He raises his hand, and I wonder if he is about to pop me on the top of the head or if he wants a high five. When I don't do anything except stare at his hand, he lowers it.

"It's pretty cool," he says.


In the brief seconds Trayvon seems approachable, I venture to ask a question that's been on my mind for a couple of days.

"Is Aaron coming back?"

Trayvon shrugs. "Sure, just not this week. He and his dad think this is going to scare your mom."

I wonder if they're right. Will my mom cave and back down?

"I would like to see it backfire in his face, personally." Trayvon takes the ball and with perfect form, fires his first shot. It goes in soundlessly.

Did he really just say that? I must be dreaming, because it sounds like Trayvon doesn't really care if Aaron comes back. "You would?"

He nods, as he goes for his second shot.

"My mom will probably let him back on, I mean, we need him, right?"

"He's a good player and all, but he ain't all that."

Here I thought Trayvon, Mac, and Aaron were best friends. They were like the Three Musketeers of basketball.

"Do you even like him?" I ask.

Trayvon takes the ball and bounces it three times before shooting his fifth perfect free throw, then looks at me with a half smile on his face.

"My mom says, keep your friends close and your enemies closer. That's good advice and it's free, my man."

I watch him go to the back of the line and nod my head in silent agreement. Hopefully he's talking about Aaron and not me, but part of me is left to wonder.

It seems to take Mom an awfully long time to get Coach Parker, but eventually they come back on the court and we start to learn the pump and fake. This practice is quite the learning experience.