Chapter 148 - Final-Day Game; Part-Four (2/2)

Ivan caught the ball and jumped without turning towards the basket, or even moving a step from his position.

Gilbert was once again startled.

Gilbert: ”What are you trying to do now?”

Ivan's right hand was towards the baseline and his left hand away from the basket.

Initially, the ball was in his right hand, mid-air he switched the ball between his hands and swung his left hand upwards to the limit, he cranked his neck to get a brief look at the basket and shot a bank shot to the basket.

The ball bounced from the baseboard into the net. All the while, Ivan hadn't moved from his position and wasn't even facing the basket.

On another part of the court, Shun smiled as his eyes recorded every single moment of the play.

Shun: ”Good. Good! Show me more.”

-*-*-*-

In the lower post, Ivan and Gilbert were going against each other.

Ivan was dribbling towards the basket, but Gilbert was trying to force Ivan out of bounds from the baseline.

Ivan glanced at Gilbert and decided his moves. He stopped just under the start of the backboard and got into the shooting motion.

Shun, who saw that thought.

Shun: ”Oye-Oye! Is he seriously trying to do that?”

Ivan jumped backward behind the backboard and shot the ball from the outside the court boundary.

Gilbert clicked his tongue in irritation when he saw Ivan shooting the ball.

Gilbert: ”Shit!”

Shun chuckled and commented to no one in general.

Shun: ”A fadeaway shot from outside the court, that is seriously nice.”

-*-*-*-

Ivan got the ball outside the three-point arc and charged inside on his own.

Near the mid-range, he was met by Gilbert, who tried to block him.

Gilbert: ”You stay here.”

Ivan did a pump fake to ward off Gilbert.

Gilbert did fall for the fake and jumped for a shot contest.

Gilbert cursed himself in his mind, but he wasn't going to give out so easily.

He got to the ground and did a sharp side-step to get into Ivan's way.

Ivan, for a split-second, was surprised. He lost his balance because of said surprise, but he regained his calm almost immediately.

He threw the ball towards the backboard and immediately regained his balance, and ran towards the basket.

The ball bounced in the upward direction, Shun recognized what Ivan was trying to do.

Shun: ”A self alley-oop.”

As Shun predicted, Ivan caught the ball in the air and slammed it into the basket.

An impressed smile surfaced on Shun's face, and a compliment escaped his lips.

Shun: ”What extreme court awareness and the ability to work on that. Indeed a talent for basketball.”

-*-*-*-*-*-*-

Shun watched Ivan and Gilbert playing on the court, he even analyzed the other players.

This game was a dream come true for Shun.

The ten-minute stretches that they played during the camp were good for Shun. Everyone tried moves that they wouldn't try in real games, and they were relaxed and played calmly.

But, a game like this pushed everyone to work their hardest, and they played in their true playstyles. They used moves that they knew would work and played efficiently.

Shun felt like he was amidst of tornado of basketball information.

These top players, playing on the same court pushing each other to play harder and harder.

A smile of pure enjoyment surfaced on Shun's face.

Shun: ”Ah, this is so good.”

Shun moved on the court and moved the ball around, he screened, he tried to block, he tried to get rebounds, he even tried to score.

Shun moved all around the court.

And, when only five minutes left in the game, something changed.