Hook Shot Hero Read Online Free PDF

one slice at a time?” Dick pressed.
    “A slice at a time.”
    Dick sat back with a satisfied smile. “Exactly!”
    Tim stared at Dick, completely baffled. Then, slowly, he figured out what Dick was trying to say.
    “My problems are like the pizza, right?” he ventured. “I can’t tackle them all at once any more than I can eat a whole pizza in one bite. But if I take the problems one at a time—like slices of pizza—I might be able to deal with them.”
    “And the first problem you’re going to take care of,” Dick said, rising clumsily out of his chair, “is your shooting trouble. I haven’t forgotten about my promise to teach you a shot that could help.” He stopped at the door and looked over his shoulder. “Well? You coming or not?”
    With hope rising in his chest, Tim jumped up. “You bet I am!”

9
    D ick led Tim to the indoor gymnasium. He produced a key, unlocked a side entrance, and ushered Tim inside.
    The gym was empty. Patches of late afternoon sun gleamed on the shiny wooden floor, dust swirling in the beams. Their footsteps echoed and squeaked as they moved to the bleachers.
    “Wow, this place is so different when there’s no one here!” The cavernous space amplified Tim’s voice so that it sounded as if he’d yelled rather than whispered. “Is it okay for us to be here?”
    Dick waved away his concern. “You’re here with me, so it’s fine,” he said. “Now, as to why we’re here. You ever heard of a hook shot?”
    “Sure,” Tim responded. “Lots of NBA players use it. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar of the Lakers was the master. Magic Johnson learned from him. Nowadays, Tim Duncan is—holy cow!” His eyes widened. “Is that the shot you’re going to teach me?”
    Dick laughed. “That’s the one. Even though I can’t demonstrate it,” he added with a gesture toward his cast, “I can talk you through it. Head to the upper-right corner of the key.”
    “Should I take a ball?”
    Dick shook his head. “I want you to practice the motions first.”
    He continued talking while Tim went to the key. “The hook shot gets its name because the shooter’s arm hooks over his head during the shot. But that’s just a small part of the whole move. Proper footwork, body position, and well-timed release of the ball are equally crucial to getting the shot to fall.
    “The hook shot is difficult to block,” Dick went on, “because the shooter’s body stays between the ball and the defender. The beauty of the shot is that you can do it any time the defense is covering you tightly. And, if for some reason you decide not to send it toward the hoop, you can convert it into a pass to an open player instead. But for now, practice it as a shot.”
    He instructed Tim to turn so his left shoulder was aimed at the hoop. “The next steps happen all at the same time, but we’ll go through them one by one.”
    “Like slices of pizza?” Tim said with a smile.
    “Pepperoni pizza, to be exact,” Dick replied. “First, the ball. Pretend you’re holding one in your right hand. Now bring it up in an arc from low to high until your elbow is about shoulder height and the ball is above your head.”
    He and Tim went through the motion together. “Obviously,” Dick said, “you’ll be moving a lot faster, so the momentum will keep the ball stuck in your hand. When the ball reaches the top of the arc, flick your wrist and shoot.”
    Tim pretended to shoot.
    “Good,” Dick praised. “Now for another part. The ball’s in your right hand. So use your left arm as a barrier, like you’re protecting your dribble.”
    “Like this?” Tim raised his left arm so it was nearly parallel with the floor. He made sure his elbow was jutting out, ready to defend against an attack.
    “Yes. You look at any picture of Kareem as he flicks in the hook, you’ll see his non-shooting arm in a position like that,” Dick said. “Now the footwork. Your left foot is your pivot foot and so stays nailed to the floor. As the