Nike Team Narrative

My team and I had always been deemed by the title given to us from the very beginning. Our opportunities were cut short and we were portrayed as something lesser. This label supposedly defined who we were as individuals and collectively as a basketball team. The “National Team” was our name and continuously we were compared to the supposedly better “Nike Team”. Myself and my team did not let this name represent who we truly were as individuals and basketball players. Infused with determination, passion, and even anger, we strived to defy our title and outwork every single team we faced. Once our rubber soles hit and squeaked against the polished hardwood floor, we were on a mission to prove everyone wrong. The “Nike Team” was always handed opportunities on a silver platter, while we had to fight like hungry dogs to earn ours. We had minimal college coaches come to watch our games, while the Nike Teams’ court was filled with big time coaches from all across the nation. As I looked across the enormous fieldhouse, I saw the coaches lined up with their school names etched to their jackets. From UCLA to Syracuse, these coaches were on the look-out for their next recruit. What infuriated us most is that we knew we deserved that opportunity just as much as the other team did.
When I had laid my eyes on the tournament schedule pinned on the bracket-filled board, I came across who we played next in the championship, and it was the infamous Nike team. The moment we all had found out, you could see the fire and desire burning in our eyes. We craved this victory as if it were a drug. As we awaited our two o’clock game on the main court, the anticipation and excitement set in. We went through our normal rituals, lacing up our shoes, nervous toe tapping, stretching, and formulating our game plan. When the buzzer sounded of, ringing in my ears, I knew it was