Summer Ball

“It didn’t matter where he was or who he was playing with, he was always the last one on the court.” 

Danny Walker’s effort sets him apart from other players. Being shorter than the other players, Danny takes after his father, always pushing himself to practice harder, always finding a way to win. Danny understands the connection between winning and hard work: winning is a product of how much effort he puts into basketball. In addition, Danny loves basketball; even though he works hard, he loves the game and wants to play as much as possible. 

“But in either session, Right Way was all basketball, all the time—clinics and instruction in the mornings, games in the afternoon and at night.” 

Danny and his friends attend Josh Cameron’s basketball camp, Right Way, an intensive clinical camp for elite basketball players from across the county. Right Way focuses on using intelligence, ingenuity, and sportsmanship as foundations to improve each player’s skills. The camp allows boys to imagine themselves as soon-to-be professional athletes: the counselors play elite college basketball and the coaches come from competitive basketball programs. Even their lodgings bear the name of famous basketball venues. Right Way emphasizes a serious approach to basketball, something Danny will find both challenging and rewarding. 

“‘I know you, Walker. The way you look at things, there’s basketball games, and there’s killing time.’” 

Tess says this to Danny before he heads off to basketball camp. This demonstrates how well Tess knows Danny. Danny does not just play basketball, he perceives everyday life in basketball terms. When he misses a chance to impress Tess, Danny refers to it as the classic miss in basketball, an air ball.