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Read an Excerpt of The Hoopster

“Foul! I got one right here on the man who can’t laugh.”

“What’d you say?” Andre asked.

“I said, I’m suffering internal bleeding cause you ain’t got no funny bone.”

“You’re the one who’s gonna be bleeding if you keep talking trash.”

“Oh, I’m shaking, Jealous Boy.”

“Jealous Boy? Man, you got it so wrong.”

“No, I’m dead on. See, I’m not ashamed of who I am,” Cedric fired back. “I’m not embarrassed to be black. The only reason you don’t like my jokes is cause you feel guilty laughing at ‘em.”

“You need to shut up cause you don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Oh, I don’t, huh?” Cedric scoffed.

“Let me tell you something,” Andre said as he moved so close the two were face to face. “You don’t make jokes about black people. You make jokes about…”

BANG! All of a sudden the tension burst and Andre threw an overhand left that cracked Cedric in the jaw. Cedric retaliated with a right that popped Andre in the eye and before anyone could react the two were brawling at center court.

It took six ballplayers to separate the cousins.

“Let me go!”

“I’ll kill him!”

Shawn finally managed to get between them. “Cool it! Both of you!”

The two warriors heaved, taking deep, angry breaths. Cedric spit and checked for the source of blood. Andre felt a lump forming on his head. Finally, in disgust, Andre scooped his keys off the bench and stormed away.