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  Chapter Six. What a Battle!

  T.J. Battle worked his day job as a Chicago Police Detective. After his sons left high school, he missed teaching basketball to young people. He derived pleasure in contributing back to the primarily poor Westside community in a positive way. Basketball coaching provided the perfect diversion away from the gritty day-to-day encounters he had with citizens on Chicago streets and courthouses. Kerbe Shoe Company recruited him to form a travelling team on the Westside, an area where young basketball talent was aplenty, but the parents could not afford sports expenditures. Each player on his team was given team warm ups and uniforms. Of course, they received complimentary Kerbe shoes. Coach Battle received compensation with both in-season cash, and pay as a counselor at the elite Kerbe summer camps. Detective Battle probably would have coached free, but the money came in handy. A high school near the western border of Chicago provided the practice and game facilities for the team.

  Bobby G. kept his word when Marcus called about Jamal. Bobby G. had already talked to Coach Battle and because of their longtime relationship, Jamal was asked to tryout. When Jamal and his dad walked into the practice gym, they found a very organized team running through sophisticated drills. Jamal’s seventh grade team never was so well organized. Each player wore a pair of blue Kerbes. Half the players wore their workout jerseys blue-side out, the others showed white. Coach Battle greeted Jamal and his dad.

  Coach Battle turned around and saw that the boys had stopped their drills to look at Jamal. In an instant, his face became flush and he yelled to the team, “WHO TOLD YOU TO STOP THE CRIP LINE? All right, young men give me five minutes of suicides. Let’s go!”

  Jamal was flabbergasted, especially when the coach said, “Son, if you want to try out for this team, get your butt out there and run some suicides!”

  He joined the other boys at the end line. They ran a short distance and bent down to touch the free-throw line. Then back to the end line, to the midcourt to bend over and touch the line, back to the end line, to the far free-throw line, then back to end line to the opposite end line and back, sprinting and bending repeatedly for punishment and conditioning.

  At the end of practice, Coach Battle walked over to Marcus and said, “He’s got potential and size but he needs lots of work. He hoists his jump shots from his hips and his footwork is clumsy. Marcus, I can help develop your boy but he has to be committed to my team.”

  “That’s fantastic coach. Count him in.”

  “Not so fast brother. You need to understand my expectations for this NAU team. We practice two nights a week and Sunday afternoons during the school year. Games could be on any evening or weekend. We go to two away tournaments during the summertime. He must attend all team events – that is a big commitment for both of you or whoever will be driving him. Parents are allowed, even encouraged, to attend practices but cannot interrupt the players or me. I ask that his teacher sign off on his grade commitment. He needs at least a “C” average to be on this team. Kerbe handles all of the kids’ fees, but if you or anyone else comes to watch games or tournaments, you have to pay for yourself. Jamal needs to respect his teammates and me. I will not discuss his playing time during a practice or a game. If Jamal is concerned about anything relating to team matters including his playing time, he needs to make an appointment with me first. In case the meeting with me proves unsatisfactory to your son, then, and only then, I will have a discussion with you.”

  “I gottcha.”

  “Take this handout. It has my rules, philosophies, practice schedules, games and tournaments for you and Jamal to consider. If he still wants to be part of this team, call me before our next practice.”

  “He’ll want to join-up, count on that Coach”

  “Just make sure. It could be a great thing for him, but it most certainly is a huge commitment. Oh, another thing … if he comes back tell him to bring his swimsuit."

  Marcus asked, “What does swimming have to do with basketball?”

  “You’ll see.”

  Jamal was leafing through the handout during their twenty-minute car ride back to their suburban home.

  “What do you think, son?”

  “Dad, this guy’s like an army drill sergeant. It seems ridiculous. In addition, did you see how much better those kids were? They have skills. I can’t play with them.”

  “Coach Battle says that you’ve got potential. He knows you can become a competitive player. And the discipline stuff - part of it is for team unity, the excessive stuff is just to scare you. Don’t you want to get better?”

  “I think so, but…”

  “Look, in life you only get a few opportunities. I know it. You know my history. Don’t toss it away out of fear. “

  “I’m just not sure it’s for me.”

  “What else are you going to do? This is your chance to prepare to play high school ball.”

  “I don’t know if I want to …”

  Marcus could not comprehend his son’s reluctance. Basketball meant so much to his own future when he was a teenager even though he never had the opportunity to exploit NAU-quality training. He was not going to let Jamal back out of playing on this team under any circumstance.

  “Jamal, join the team. You’ll get some really phat Kerbe clothes and shoes, and I know you’ve got game, but Battle will help you improve. Here’s the deal: After a month, if you still don’t like being on the team, we can quit.”

  He was physically tired from practice and mentally worn down. He finally gave in and told his dad, “we will try it for a month”.

  Chapter Seven. The Legal Strategy

  Jon Handelair retained expensive downtown attorneys for business as usual at the Board of Trade. He used his leverage as President and CEO of the Board of Trade to lean on one of the firms to represent Marcus in resolving the legal mess associated with his gun incident at O’Hare Airport. The DA secured an order to temporarily pull Marcus Imari’s Illinois concealed gun permit until this matter was resolved. This order made Marcus frustrated because for all practical purposes, he could not perform his work duties unarmed.

  Jon arranged a meeting to discuss Marcus’ legal predicament. It began after-hours in the executive conference room at the Board of Trade. Jon Handelair, Marcus, Elizabeth and several attorneys participated in the strategy session. The legal team presented a complicated strategy to fight the prosecution.

  The attorneys would file intricate motions to delay the trial. Then the lawyers would ask the judge to recues himself because of some obscure conflict of interest claim. When the new judge resumed the preliminary motions, the legal team would ask for a series of continuances. Ultimately, they would ask for a change of venue away from the pool of Chicago jurors to, maybe, Peoria. All of this would hopefully wear the prosecutors down and force them to drop the entire matter.

  Marcus listened intently and felt pushed around by the attorneys and his father-in-law. He felt intimidated by the well-educated crowd. The attorneys were collecting documents and saying goodbye to everybody. Marcus had many questions and concerns.

  Sensing her apprehensive husband, Elizabeth slowed-down the proceeding. “Gentleman, this stalling strategy may ultimately be the way to go but I am really at fault here, not Marcus. I should have been punished for this, if anyone. Your solution doesn’t help him at all.”

  “What do you mean?” cracked one of the attorneys.

  “This all seems normal to you, but he will be out of work indefinitely because of prolonging the court proceedings. It is just not fair. He can’t carry his gun, he can’t work …” she stopped as she broke out crying. “It’s entirely my fault”.

  Marcus reached over and hugged his wife. He felt worse about her guilty feelings than the consequences of his in-limbo status.

  Mustering up his courage he said, “Look here, Jon. My firearms license has been pulled. I cannot go back to work unless my situation is resolved. This plan could take years. Beside the loss of income, if it ultimately does not go my w
ay, I’ll be a convicted felon. And another thing, how much do these guys charge for cases like this – I can’t pay much.”

  Jonathon replied, “As far as missing work, consider it a vacation. Elizabeth and Marcus, I can personally front you the lost income. Consider it a series of loans. You can pay it back when you are able. Marcus, you can take time to relax, work around the house and get more involved with Jamal’s school and sports.” He continued, “As for the legal fees, the lawyers are on retainer to the Board already. Their fees are covered.”

  Jonathon turned to the lawyers and said, “He’s right about the timeframe. Is there any other legal strategy that shortens the resolution time?”

  “Sure,” one of them said smugly, “you can plead this out on Monday, but they are insisting on a Class 3 felony conviction. After 9/11 the heat’s on at airports around the country. They want to show that they are able to intercept terrorists. They know you had no ill intentions, but they want to make an example out of you. They cannot let you go scot-free in this environment. Over time, yes, but right now they’re rigid.”

  Jonathon said, “Folks, we’ve got no choice.”

  “Daddy, this is really generous of you. Marcus you need a rest anyway. It is only a temporary thing. What do you think hun?”

  “I guess there is no alternative. OK,” the dejected Security and Compliance Manager said.

  Chapter Eight. Fixing Jamal’s Game

  Jamal arrived at his first NAU practice dressed to play, all six foot two inches. He was nervous and unsure that he could hang with these boys. Some of them started with Battle‘s team in fifth grade. They were way ahead of Jamal as he climbed the learning curve of understanding Coach Battle’s playbook: he liked to pressure opponent’s full court, double team the ball everywhere, and fast break always. Most city teams earned the stereotypical reputation by playing an up-tempo game, while suburban teams attacked more deliberately.

  “C’mon over Jamal, let me introduce you to your new teammates.”

  The boys surprised Jamal by the friendly reception the other boys gave him. He towered over all of the players. They were happy to get a big center on the team. He was ready to play, but Coach Battle had other things in mind.

  “Jamal, go in the locker room and put on your swimsuit. Find the door to the pool. You’ll be working in the pool with our shooting coach for the next three or four practices.”

  Jamal was in shock. He wanted to begin practicing with the other kids. He hung his head down and shuffled into the locker room towards the pool. When the pool door flung open, the shivering, lanky six foot two inch awkward boy stepped out. The assistant coach called Jamal over.

  “We are going to fix your shot. It is going to take practice, and if you work hard in the next couple of days, you will be on the road to becoming a pure shooter. Coach Battle likes many things about you, but he hates the way you shoot – you have a terrible habit of hoisting the ball from your hips. You throw it, but in here you are going to learn to shoot it.”

  A good jump shot starts with proper foot placement and balance. This is important to getting one’s shoulders square to the basket. Most shooters focus on the back of the rim. The ball starts on top of the shooting hand, off the palm and on the fingertips. The player should hold the ball directly above his elbow. This was Jamal’s major flaw in his shot. He hurled the ball from his waist. Although the amount of desired backspin is subject to debate among coaches, it generally helps the aerodynamics of the flight of the ball. In addition, on impact, the backward spin slows the ball down and increases the shooter’s margin of error.

  Marcus looked on in amazement as Jamal stood in the five-foot water. A poolside basketball backboard and ring was set up near the edge of pool. The ring setup measured the regulation height of ten feet from the bottom of the pool near Jamal to the hoop. It dawned on Marcus that from his position in the pool, his son could not lower the ball to his hips to use his bad shooting habit. The coach had Jamal shoot standing flatfoot in the water for the entire hour and half practice. Jamal was frustrated because he was shooting baskets from only a few feet away. He heard the rest of the team as they ran into the locker room after the team practice ended. Marcus understood the strategy – they were rebuilding his son’s shots from the most basic fundamental building blocks. In the pool, Jamal could not lower the ball below his chest while shooting. “Brilliant,” he thought.

  The coach told Jamal to come out of the water. He told him to practice holding a ball with his elbow bent at a ninety-degree angle, pretending that water was up to his armpit. They would break him of his hoisting habit, or he would not play on the team.

  ***

  “Dad, I don’t want to play on this team anymore. I’m the best player on the middle school team already. Shooting in the pool is bullshit,” he told Marcus on the way home.

  “Son, I love you to death. You’re my man, every day. However, I think you need to respect Battle’s judgment. He has sent a bunch of boys on to high school and college teams. If you want to play, you’ve gotta pay”

  “Ok, Dad.”

  At the next practice, Coach Battle sent Jamal and another player to the pool.

  “Imari, keep working on your shot. I can’t wait until you are ready to practice with us.”

  “Me too, Coach.”

  “Mr. Smith, you know why you’re back in the pool?”

  “’Cuz I’m throwin’ up bricks.”

  “Right on, Mr. Smith. Back to basics for your jump shot. Let’s get it fixed.”

  The two boys talked about the coach’s weird teaching technique as they made their way through the locker room to the pool.

  “Just wait until you see what else is up Coach’s sleeves!”

  Jamal spent the next three practices in the pool, graduating from flat-footed five-foot jump shots to using the water’s buoyancy to simulate elevating off the court. This gave him the feeling of leaping high and timing his shot to the peak of the elevation. He was finally broken of his bad shooting habit. Ultimately, he embraced Coach Battle’s training technique and his shot improved dramatically.

  After Jamal finally joined the team in practice, he sometimes wished he were back in the pool. One practice tried to improve foot speed, and drilled readiness to receive or pass without traveling. The medicine ball weighed about five pounds. Using a three-man weave, Coach Battle told the boys to move the ball the entire length of the court of course without violating travelling rules. The boys were adept at running this drill with a regular basketball, but the medicine ball was heavy and they could not dribble it. The first attempt hardly moved a few feet.

  “You are not going to be able to run this drill the same as you are used to. Use your noggins, boys. Let’s see if you can figure this one out.”

  Normally, the three players running a weave would spread out across the end line of the court, with the player in the middle with the ball. He bounced the ball to the player on the right and ran behind him. The receiving player caught and bounced it to the third teammate who had moved into the middle creating a weave – players simply followed the player who received the ball whenever they passed it. It was easy to avoid dribbling because you could make forward progress by passing up stream, with an inflated basketball, that is.

  Group after group either dropped the heavy ball on a long pass or travelled, stopped by Coach Battle’s screeching whistle. One group finally found a solution. Under normal basketball rules, if you catch the ball in flight your first foot down becomes the pivot. You can then step with your other foot and lift up your pivot as long as you do not slide on the other foot or replant the first one. In order to take only “two steps”, players have to snake up court in a tight helix-like formation. Quick steps and fast handoffs were required. After passing the ball, the players had to hustle to be in position to receive the ball after the other two have moved their short distances. This was much more grueling than the traditional weave. This drill was worst than suicides. It brought out the sweat and the gym al
ways smelled worse after the boys ran this one out. It was 15 minutes of hell for the players. Their arm muscles burned from the weight of the medicine balls. Groans echoed in the gym as the five-pound ball leached forward from stomach to stomach by quivering, weary arms. Coach was unforgiving about footwork. This drill made everyone light on his feet, even an awkward six foot two player such as Jamal.

  Another tough drill was Coach T.J.’s “no-hands defense scrimmages”. The boys divided into two teams and competed in an hour-long game. Losers had to run suicides to end practice. “No hands” meant that on defense the players could only use the positioning of their bodies and feet to deter the offensive players. Once a shot went up, all players could rebound with their hands. The only effective way to win this game was to draw charges or deny players the space to get close-in shots. The purpose, of course, was to force defenders to learn to use their bodies, not hands, to block-out. It was very unconventional, but certainly, this drill was effective.

  Coach Battle also used a ring reducer to refine the boys’ jump shots. The specification of men’s regulation basketballs required a diameter of about ten inches. The official basket ring measured eighteen inches. Two men’s basketballs could almost fit simultaneously through the basketball ring. Up close, the basket was surprisingly big. As forgiving as the official ring could be, the ring reducer enforced much sharper precision. It fit on top of the basket and forced the boys to shoot higher arcs to descend downward at better angles. It frustrated each player, but like shooting jump shots in the pool, the ring reducer drills helped everyone get better.

  If the ring reducer drill was not tough enough, Coach Battle often put a complete cover over each basket for a special rebounding scrimmage. Rules were simple. A team received a point for hitting the cover on top of the basket ring. In addition, for every time a point scored in this manner, two points scored for the team who secured the rebound. On every Coach Battle team, rebounds were valued as much as successful jump shots – in practice and in games.