NBA Celebrity Shootout Page 2

Suddenly the arena plunged into darkness and spotlights spun crazily as the announcer incited the crowd to cheer ever louder during player introductions. The excitement reached fever pitch as Erik, Trevor and Dan ran onto the court to greet their teammates and receive last minute instruction from Coach Chambers.

Both Dan and Trevor were in the starting lineup for theng tip-off, which pitted Frankie Muniz against crowd favorite (no longer Li'l’) Bow Wow. Bow Wow quickly set the tempo, drawing first blood with a basket for the Blue Team. Dan made an acrobatic play resulting in the loss of a shoe – just a momentary setback, as he quickly re-shod and got back into the flow. After knocking down jumper after jumper in warm-ups, Dan spent most of the first half playing solid defense and setting up plays. His court vision proved excellent as he connected with teammates time and again, delivering passes with pinpoint accuracy. In the vein of the NBA’s Sam Cassell or Derek Fisher, he also contributed on the defensive end, sacrificing his body to step in and take the charge whenever necessary.

Erik-Michael surprised many with his hoop skills, scoring a handful of points and grabbing several rebounds. With play reminiscent of NBA stars like Malik Rose, Erik swarmed all over the court affecting the game in ways that never appear on any stat sheet. His intensity proved infectious – this may have been “just a charity event”, but you would never know it by watching Erik and his teammates protest one of the referee’s calls!

But make no mistake about it – this game belonged to Trevor Penick. He was the first O-Boy to connect offensively, launching two stellar three-pointers in the first quarter. True to his prediction, he played smothering defense on Flex Alexander – arguably the best player for either team. From coordinating his team’s defense to diving after loose balls to leading the fast break, Trevor put on a clinic that would have made – dare we say it? – Kobe Bryant himself sit up and take notice.