Saturday night basketball at the Stadium was a once-a-week event. Every Saturday night. It began with a white driven trolley van to Colored Town. When they arrived at the Stadium, it was, as usual, filled to capacity. Surroundings were carnival-like. There were colored lights blinking everywhere; cheerleaders with painted faces already dancing and screaming when they entered the Stadium. Kids permeating the stands like invading soldier ants coming and going to their hives. Meanwhile, the ever present aroma of buttered hot popcorn impacted the nasal passages, only to be interrupted by the never-ending blaring of microphonic voices -so many and so loud that no single message was decipherable. As the colored team began their warm-ups, the entire Stadium shook with boos.
Their opposition was fearsome. Every white player was over seven feet tall. The shortest one, about seven even, moved as easily as Barney. BO: "Think we'll win?" BARNEY: "Naw. They always win. One way or the other, we always lose."
It was a typical beginning. Jump ball. A little feeling out. Trying to find the rhythm. Getting the sweat going. Testing the floor. Testing the shoes... As the second half started, the crowd really came alive. Gunshots were fired into the Stadium ceiling. Fireworks were ignited. Graffiti littered the playing area. Naked women and men occasionally ran onto the floor -to be subdued by uniformed policemen swinging batons and chains.
Lots of back and forth. All Stars up by 5, down by five. Coloreds up by 10, up by five. Then there was the score shown to the crowd on the three giant scoreboards. All Stars up by 2, up by five. Coloreds even. Down by two. As always, it got most interesting when it got close to the end...
The score was tied at 120 all. According to Mr. Goody, his team was up by ten. Within two minutes, the official scoreboard prevailed. Time out. The Pacan All Stars retired to loud cheering. The Coloreds didn't dare return to their bench. It was surrounded by fist-shaking and knife-wielding Pacans up to no good.
Looking at the crowd, Bo couldn't believe the hysteria he saw. Mr. Goody, Leroy and Pruett were enclosed in a steel cage,. guarded by five giant dogs on leashes. The general announcer, overcome with emotion, had been replaced by a woman the likes of which he had never seen nor heard before. When she took over the microphone, the entire Stadium wrenched. They loved this game!
Score = 128 apiece. One minute remaining in the game. It was the Colored's ball. The place was 50% chaos, 50% pandemonium. Bo, in anticipation of a possible dump off, drove the baseline, then sprang toward the hoop as high as his aching ass would allow, catching the lob from Barney in mid-air and stuffed it just as the time clock ran out.
Before he again felt court beneath his feet, Bo heard what he thought was the explosion of two fire crackers. Police quickly surrounded the Colored's team. In two winks, they were in the waiting trolley van, heading for Colored Town. One, two, three, four, five, six players and a coach. Some one was missing...MORE
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