She's Got Next

by Melissa King

  I wouldn’t pretend to have the answer to Plato and Clem’s argument about where talent comes from, if you’re born with it or if you get it by working hard. What I do know about talent is that it’s characterized by ease. As Steve at Never Too Late might say, I know what talent looks like. Some people are talented at love. And maybe love is easy for some people. Like basketball, it hasn’t been for me, still isn’t, but being remembered is important to me now, even by someone I don’t know, maybe especially by someone I don’t know, someone who was just shooting around, waiting to see what would happen next.

  And so I’ll keep trying to show my son—and anyone else who might be watching—some of the moves I picked up on the court; tricky balances of resilience and flexibility, courage and serenity, confidence and humility, moving and stillness. I’ll try to represent always looking for the open man. And love, the kind that makes you feel taller, the kind that remains even when you’re by yourself. Most of all, I’ll try to teach him that.

  About the Author

  MELISSA KING has written for Sports Illustrated, Chicago Reader, and Sport Literate, among other publications, and her work has been featured in The Best American Sports Writing. She lives in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

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