Night Hoops

“Yeah, well, Nick shouldn’t be there either. You know who hangs out there? Do you? Gang wannabes. Zack Dawson and Trent Dawson and that whole crew.”

Dad’s comment about the Dawson brothers demonstrates The Contagiousness of Bad Behavior. He’s worried they’ll negatively influence Nick, as he sees them as “gang wannabes.” At the same time, Dad’s quote is manipulative. His main aim is to build a basketball court so that he can pressure Scott to focus on the sport despite his lack of interest in it.

“In a way [Steve Clay] was like all of Ericka Dawson’s boyfriends. You could see from the deep lines in his face that he’d smoked too much and drank too much. The skull-and-crossbones tattoo on his forearm told the same story.”

The imagery depicts Steve as a threatening character; thus, the portrait is a red herring—a false clue. Steve’s menacing look belies his healthy influence. Soon, Nick realizes that he’s a beneficial father figure who’s trying to keep Trent away from the harmful life Zack embodies.

“Five buckets is a big lead, but every one of his scores had come from outside. Lazy man hoops. He thought he could win easily; I knew I’d have to work.”

The one-on-one game between Scott and Nick creates a juxtaposition, with Nick playing hard and Scott settling for outside shots. The dynamic anticipates criticism of contemporary NBA culture, with select basketball pundits and former players claiming current players shoot so many threes because they’re too “lazy” to drive to the basketball hoop.

“[Scott] doesn’t look at me with hatred in his eyes. At least not yet. But if you don’t back off, he’ll end up hating both of us. You’re poisoning this house.”

Mom creates a juxtaposition. She’s the mindful, accepting parent, while Dad is the overbearing figure. Mom also shows how bad behavior can compromise people, further emphasizing The Contagiousness of Bad Behavior. Mom believes Dad’s heavy-handed conduct will eventually make Scott detest Mom as much as Dad, so she wants Dad to change his behavior.

“Not that Trent was stupid. Every once in a while he’d shock everyone by raising his hand and saying something decent, but most of the time he did nothing and said nothing. “

The scene complicates Trent’s characterization: He’s not completely opposed to participating in class, something that shocks his classmates. This quote demonstrates that there’s the potential for him to become a part of the greater community and reject the dangerous environment Zack creates.

“Pass all you want throughout the whole game, lead the world in assists, make your coach and teammates happy. But when it’s crunch time, when the game is on the line, you take the final shot.”

Dad’s advice shows his negative influence. He wants Nick to act like Gary Payton and overpower the game when the outcome of the game hangs in the balance. The quote uses foreshadowing; during the first game, Nick follows Dad’s guidance, leading to a loss.

“But I feel if [Trent] could make the varsity, it might turn him around. He might learn some discipline, dedicate himself to something.”

Steve cedes The Off-the-Court Impact of Basketball. He attaches Trent’s chance to play varsity basketball to his opportunity to “turn around” his identity and become an admirable person.

“After that Trent ran the court like a demon, crashed the boards harder than ever, and swished the jump shot I’d seen him practicing in the moonlight.”

Nick uses a simile to illustrate Trent’s dedicated play; that is, he uses a connecting word (“like”) to compare Trent to something else (“a demon”). The simile is ironic, as many characters think of Trent as a “demon.” At the same time, the passage shows Trent’s dedication and concern for basketball.

“Nothing’s wrong with me. But there’s something wrong with you. You act happy to see Zack get arrested.”

The dialogue between Scott and Nick creates juxtaposition. Scott shows no sympathy for the Dawsons, while Nick withholds judgment. The quote also reveals how the characters act as foils; that is, they have opposite characteristics. Scott’s lack of compassion for the Dawsons makes him an unsympathetic character.

“[Jefferson] was all over me. I couldn’t jump, couldn’t even see the basket. All I saw was his hand. Still I released the ball. It went about an inch. Then Jefferson stuffed the ball right back in my face, stuffed me so hard I fell flat on my back, the ball landing on my belly as I fell.”

The imagery reveals Matthew Jefferson’s intense defense. Under Dad’s influence, Nick refuses to pass the ball. He tries to take the game-winning shot, but it ends in a scene he describes as comical: Nick falls on his stomach, and the ball hits him in the face.

“[Trent] was playing imaginary games in his mind, the same way I had on many a summer afternoon at Canyon Park. Only for him it was different, because when I’d played my imaginary games, it was only Scott I destroyed. Trent was taking on the world.”

Nick connects himself to Trent because Nick would play “imaginary games” on the basketball court. At the same time, Nick points out Trent’s fraught situation. He feels like no one in the world is on his side. Yet Steve is an ally, and so are Nick and O’Leary.

“[I]t seems like you’re trying to do everything yourself when you’re out there. You’ve got to remember you’ve got teammates who can score too.”

Luke’s evaluation of Nick’s game reveals that Nick might not always be a reliable narrator. However, Nick isn’t trying to trick the reader, as he readily admits, “[Y]ou can’t see your own game, or at least not clearly. You never know what you look like to a coach” (109).

“There are moments in your life when you know you’ve got to go in one direction or another. I took a deep breath, exhaled. Then I pulled myself off the bed, changed into my sweats, and tramped downstairs and out the back door.”

Nick describes the simple yet momentous dialogue between him and Trent. Hearing Trent playing basketball, Nick gets ready to join him. As Trent lets Nick play with him, they begin a bond that neither severs. The moment is also ironic—Nick must ask to play basketball on his basketball court.

“Zack took a couple of steps forward. He patted the pocket of his jacket. ‘I got them.’”

Deuker uses imagery to enhance the mystery of the scene between Zack, Trent, and Nick. Deuker shows the older brother patting his pockets, but Nick doesn’t know what’s in the pockets or where Zack wants to take Trent. Presumably, Trent knows, which is why he stays with Nick.

“And from now on, as far as you’re concerned Trent Dawson doesn’t exist. You see him, you treat him like he’s a ghost. I don’t want you to have anything to do with him. Not play basketball with him, not talk to him, not even nod hello to him. Stay completely clear.”

Dad’s hyperbolic diction spotlights the theme of The Contagiousness of Bad Behavior. Using sweeping words, Dad orders Nick to cut any connection with Trent. Dad turns Trent into a communicable disease—the slightest touch would infect Nick.

“At five in the morning I headed downstairs […] A few minutes later we were both in the kitchen. I stuck some English muffins in the toaster oven and found some vanilla yogurt in the refrigerator. He ate everything I put in front of him.”

Nick highlights his dedication to Trent by giving him a place to stay and feeding him. In this scene, Nick isn’t just a friend but a caretaker, providing shelter and food.

“You think anybody would sweat it if I got myself in trouble? Because I don’t. They’d just say: Oh yeah, those black guys. What do you expect? Trent’s had his chances. I’m not spending my life worrying about him.”

Luke looks at Trent’s situation from the perspective of race. He implies that Nick cares, sweating it about Trent and wanting to save him because he’s white. If Trent were Black, Luke believes he’d dismiss him. At this point, most of the Bothell community already labels Trent guilty and disposable.

“‘He’s not a bad guy, Mom. I know that.’ ‘That’s not the question. The question is whether he’s done bad things.’”

The dialogue between Nick and Mom bolsters the theme of Judging a Person Based on Their Present and Not Their Past. Nick focuses on the present, vowing that Trent is a good person now. Mom’s response is cryptic, implying that Trent has “done bad things,” which should influence how people view him in the present. Yet Mom doesn’t banish Trent. She gives him a ride to the game against Franklin.

“For the first time, the celebration carried into the locker room. Guys were howling with joy, drumming on the lockers, laughing and laughing. Even Trent joined in.”

Using imagery, Deuker shows how the team comes together after they upset Garfield, “howling with joy,” “drumming,” and “laughing and laughing.” Deuker creates a festive atmosphere, and Trent, belying his previous isolation, is a part of the joy.

“The call was coming; I just prayed to God that his phone wouldn’t ring until the season had ended.”

Deuker subverts the symbolism behind “a calling.” Typically, “a call” is a positive development. Thus, a person finds “their calling.” Yet “the call” here is negative for Trent, as it means Zack has found a secure location and wants Trent to join him.

“I was three years old, and it was morning, and I was hungry. I went into my mom’s room and found her lying naked on the bed next to some guy I’d never seen before.”

Trent’s “earliest memory” highlights his traumatic childhood. Trent uses imagery to bring Nick into the precarious atmosphere. Later, however, Nick rebukes Trent for letting one memory potentially “mess up” his life.

“Three months earlier I’d have been glad to have him leave—in fact, I would have bought him his ticket. But now I knew him.”

Nick highlights his and Trent’s development. Their characters are dynamic, so they grow and come of age. Their change bonds them together. Nick learns Trent isn’t a toxic person. Trent learns to separate himself from Zack, evidenced by his refusal to buy his brother a ticket and his desire to embrace more positive, sustainable relationships moving forward.

“This has been a hard year for Scott, you know […] [P]ut yourself in his shoes. His younger brother becomes the big star on the team he quit. That’s tough.”

Pragmatic and charitable, Mom shares a sympathetic perspective on Scott, attributing his surly attitude to jealousy. However, Scott chose to quit basketball, and even if he regrets his choice, he shouldn’t take out his anger on Trent.