When it comes to fitness, you can spend a lot of money. There’s an endless array of exercise equipment that ranges in the hundreds of dollars that would go well in your living room and you would enjoy for a
When it comes to fitness, you can spend a lot of money. There’s an endless array of exercise equipment that ranges in the hundreds of dollars that would go well in your living room and you would enjoy for a few weeks. If you want to try the wonders of cycling, you could spend thousands on a road bike before putting it away in the garage. If it’s water sports you’re after, well, kayaks and surfboards and paddleboards can be extraordinary, but also expensive. Even my favorite sport of running, worth every penny, can get pricey when you buy new running shoes, generally in the $100 range.
In my quest for fitness at a bargain, I turned to the Black Friday ads. Had to be something I could try, something that could help me stay in shape, something that wouldn’t cost too many greenbacks and something I wouldn’t put away and wonder later why I bought it.
I flipped through the fliers, searching, hoping — and then I saw it. There, at Kmart. Perfect. An offer for a basketball for $7.99. Exactly what I was after. I zipped up after work, wound my way through the crowds, weaved down the aisles, skidded to a stop in sporting goods and scanned the shelves lined with basketballs. One of those on sale remained. I ripped it away like LeBron James snatching a rebound. Done. Ready to do some serious dribbling, shooting and scoring. The next question, was where?
The answer came quickly. Each day on my way to and from work, I pass Kalena Park on Rice Street. There are a couple baskets there, a nice court. That’s all I needed. I love shooting hoops. I grew up playing with brothers, cousins, friends and enemies, battling for every loose ball, throwing unnecessary elbows, demanding someone just once call their own foul.
More than anything, though, I enjoyed shooting alone. Just dribble, chase down the missed shot and shoot again. Launch long range bomb. Slice through an invisible defense for the lay-up. Flip up the left-handed hook. And then, there are free throws. When it comes to free throws, I don’t mind saying I’m pretty good. It’s the simplicity. Set, aim, shoot. Once, and I swear this is true, I made 72 straight in my uncle’s barn in Montana. Then, my kids rebounded for me so I could hold my spot on the free throw line.
“Are you done yet?” they would ask.
“As soon as I miss,” I answered.
And so it would go. My kids, bless them, waited for that miss.
Friday night, no kids, I found myself at Kalena Park, tossing up shots, for the first time since I moved to Kauai eight months ago. Felt awful. Couldn’t buy a bucket. More air balls than anything. If I clanked it off the loose rim with the ripped net, I was going good. Then, it started raining. Pouring. We’re talking monsoon-type conditions. Felt wonderful, a reminder of childhood, shooting for hours in the rain. Adults, when it rains, we tend to run for cover. Don’t like to get wet. Ah, I said to myself, this is good. The winds whipped the rains across the court, into my face. In minutes, I was soaked. I kept shooting. It was a warm rain. The ball splashed in puddles. I kept retrieving it, kept shooting. For 20 minutes or so, the rain came down in buckets. For 20 minutes, I dribbled, rebounded, shot and scored. Just like old times. Still had it.
Finally, I turned to what I do best: Free throws. Can’t leave, I said, until I make 10 straight. Should be easy.
It wasn’t. Rusty. Shots were too long, too short, off to the left, off to the right.
For the next half-hour, I had plenty of stretches with three or four straight. Then six straight, miss. Seven straight, miss. Don’t be nervous. The rain was returning and this time, bringing darkness along with it. Got to get this done. Eight in a row. Miss. Finally, nine straight. Relax. Got to hit this one or this could be a long night. Let it roll of the fingertips, nice, high arc. I knew when I let it go. Swish.
OK. I could go home. But I’ll be back. Fridays, most likely, after work, you’ll find me shooting hoops at Kalena Park. Feel free to stop by and we’ll play some one-on-one. Just have let me have my outside shot. If it’s raining, even better. Feels like I’m a kid again. And there is nothing quite the joy of a kid playing hoops.
All that for $7.99. That might be the best Black Friday bargain ever.
