Chapter 61: Leadership

The quarter was reaching it's halfway mark. Danilo could tell that his defender was exhausted as Jason was breathing heavily with sweat streaming down his face.

'Even I'm feeling tired. There's no way this stick of a kid is doing any better. Hehe I can smell the blood in the water. It's feeding time.'

Danilo began dribbling as he stared down Jason. He hit him with a quick crossover to the right before pulling the ball back into his left with a through the legs dribble.

Jason stepped to the left on the crossover and was about to push off his foot to go back right when he heard something tear. His knee buckled before giving out on him as he fell to the floor.

Luckily Jason managed to swipe at the ball on his way down so although it was still Verde Gardens' possession it was a dead ball.

Coach Swendel smartly called for a timeout before they could inbound the ball. Kyle ran over to Jason "Oh my god Jaya! Are you okay!?"

Jason had managed to get himself into a sitting position. He looked at his knee and smiled as he lifted the leg of his shorts "I'm okay. The tape just ripped."

Kyle helped Jason hop over to the bench. Coach Swendel rushed to him "Oh my god Jason! I knew we shouldn't have let you played! I was stupid to listen to you. Why did I agree to tape you up!?"

Jason laughed as Kyle helped him sit down "Everything is okay Coach. It wasn't my ACL or anything. The tape just gave out and ripped while I was defending Danilo.

Just tape me back up and I'll be good to go." Coach Swendel was hesitating on what he should do when he heard a voice speak up "No."

Everyone turned in the direction of the voice and saw Trell standing up. He put his jersey back on as he looked at Jason "We'll hold things down. Just go get some rest."

Jason was shocked. He just stared at Trell not knowing what to say. Trell stepped forward "This don't mean that everythings good between us. We gon have to talk after the game.

But UD was right about one thing. I don't know what y'all think of me. But I think of y'all as my team. And it don't sit right with me to just give up on everybody like that.

So go ahead and rest. I can't promise that I'll shut down that number 1. Hell I might not even be able to do half as much as you.

But for three minutes we won't let them get ahead of us. So rest up and make sure that you'll be ready for that last minute of the game."

Jason nodded his head. He told Trell the basics of the defensice scheme for guarding Danilo. Jason emphasized forcing him to drive at an angle instead of straight even if it means giving a little bit of space.

The clock buzzed indicating that the timeout was done. Trell was about to walk back out on the court with the rest of the guys when he turned back around and extended a fist toward Jason. Jason smiled before extending his own fist forward to bump against Trell's.

Danilo smiled as he saw Trell making his way toward him "What happened to chopsticks? He get too tired to play?"

Trell got into a low defensive stance and ignored Danilo's taunting. Verde Gardens' Center inbounded the ball to Alex out on the perimeter who then passed the ball to Danilo on the left wing.

Trell didn't try to guard Danilo as tightly as he was before. He gave him an arms length of distance 'Focus Trell. You don't need to stop him. Just slow him down.'

- - -

Jason watched as Trell did his best to work with Kyle to defend Danilo. It was sloppy in comparison to what Jason was doing earlier but he was following the basics of the plan and his team work with Kyle was smooth as they seemed to know each other's rhythm.

Jason shook his head and turned towards Udonis "I don't know what you said UD but you did a hell of a job."

Udonis laughed "What makes you think I did something? Maybe Trell decided to let things go after watching you play so hard."

Jason cracked a smile "Come on UD. We both know that Trell is hella stubborn. He would need a ton of convincing to do anything. And besides, I saw you guys talking while I was on the court."

Udonis smiled as he shook his head "How the hell you manage to see that while guarding that dude?

I guess the cat's outta the bag. I did talk to Trell but it wasn't nothin too special. Just a quick chat. But I was being serious you know.

When I said that maybe Trell changed his mind after he done seen you play. Because no matter what I said it wouldn't have been enough if you weren't playin your heart out on the floor."

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Jason was silent for a moment "You know what UD? Sometimes I just can't help but be jealous of you."

Udonis almost fell of the bench when he heard what Jason had said. He was caught completely off guard as he wasn't expecting him to say that.

"Come on man. You ain't gotta pull my leg like that. You jealous of me? You got it mixed up dog. It should be the other way around.

Some of the shit I done seen you do on the court is like the stuff out of sports movies man. I couldn't even dream of pullin off half the shit that you do on a daily basis. How the hell could you be jealous of me?"

Jason laughed after hearing Udonis' response "You gotta take another look in the mirror and reevaluate yourself UD.

Don't sell yourself short. You're a decent basketball player all around but the most amazing thing about you is how you seem to know just the right thing to do or say in every situation.

I know for a fact that I wouldn't have been able to convince Trell to get back in the game if I was the one in your shoes."

Udonis smiled as he put his hand on Jason's shoulder "Everybody got things that they good at and things that they bad at.

Sometimes instead of forcing someone into a role that they don't fit it's better to just find them a new role.

Kyle's in charge of blocking shots and protecting the paint, I'm in charge of running the offense when you're not here, and Matt and Nick are in charge of providing some shooting out on the perimeter.

It wouldn't make sense for me to try and have Matt rebound and protect the paint right? But that don't mean that you can't grow into a new role either.

K-Love was used to being the man in Minnesota. He was putting up big numbers and getting all the praise. At that time he was considered to be one of the top Power Forwards in the league.

But eventually he got tired of putting up empty numbers without any success behind them. So he asked to be traded and ended up with LeBron and Kyrie.

But things didn't click for him right away. He had to learn how to be lower on the totem pole. He had to grow into his lesser role.

The same thing goes for you. I know that you are a hell of a talent. For how long you've been playin I don't think that there is anyone else that can come close.

But don't try to do everything on your own. Don't try to force things to speed up. I'm sure you'll learn how to be a great leader if you let yourself grow into that role the same way K-Love let himself grow into his."

Now it was Jason's turn to be surprised. He thought that as someone who had lived life once and had years of life experience that he would be the one giving out wisdom to these kids.

He never expected to get such deep and meaningful advice from someone who was still in middle school 'I guess everyone really does have their own unique talents.

Udonis might not be anything too special as a player but as a leader and a locker-room presence he really is top notch.'

- - -

It was rough for Trell and the whole team to play without Jason. Even if he wasn't in his peak condition with his legs taped up he still helped the whole team by directing their defense.

Without his on the floor coaching everyone had to expend more energy on the defensive end of the ball.

But with that said Trell stuck to his words. Although it was hard they managed to stay in front of Verde Gardens up until the last minute, even if just barely.

With a score of 65-62 Jefferson was clinging on to a sliver of a lead as Coach Swendel used up his last timeout.

DJ wobbled to the bench before collapsing onto the seat. Jason extended his fist forward and the two of them exchanged a fist bump.

Jason stood up and started slowly feeling out the condition of his legs and the new tape that Coach Swendel had applied "Thanks for sticking it out DJ. I'll take care of things from here."

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