In the end, he thinks of a dunk. Of that moment when he seizes the ball, and it’s fully in his
control, and his body transitions from analysis to pure movement, not thinking about anything,
everything automatic, dribbling, almost free-floating, his legs feel like nothing, moving along at
a speed he can’t quite comprehend, a clear path to the basket, and at some point, without
knowing it, he’s airborne, his eyes focused on the rim, focused not on scoring, not on putting the
ball in the basket because his body will do that, but focused on maneuvering toward a space that
is his own, a path without interference, above everyone else, because at that point, at the apex,
he’s free of everyone, free of the crowd, of the fans, of the coaches and players, free from his
trademark and logo, free from responsibilities brought on by the organization, free from
everything that put him in this moment, because now, it’s all fun, remembering how this is not
his job anymore, but his life, his joy, and when he descends at a rate similar to the rate of takeoff,
his mind turns on and he remembers what he must do next after he scores these points, after the
ball goes into the basket, and he determines who he will guard, what play will run next, his mind
forever turning between analysis and movement, movement and analysis, how badly he wants
the ball in his hands when he inevitably takes the last shot, his last shot, and finally, the ball goes
in, and from there, a rush of sound enters his ears, like engines catching up with an airplane, the
sound of his teammates, cheers, clapping, yelling, all mixed together, his engine decelerating as
the world around him accelerates, and he hangs there feeling the cold steel rim in his hands, no
longer in control of the basketball, only his body, for his soul has stayed above him, and he
hangs there for a few seconds more, enjoying everything at that moment, because he knows at
some point, his feet must touch the ground, he must return back to earth, but he stays in the air a
little longer, because why would he want to come down from a feeling so high?