Written by Justin R. Gaither

No. 2

The Chuck4Short series is dedicated to Liam K. Gaither and friends.

Lil’ Chuck is a dedicated New York Knicks fan. In “He Got Game”, Lil’ Chuck learns a thing or two about work ethic as he chases his dream of making it to Madison Square Garden.

Copyright © 2015 CHUCK4SHORT. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, transmitted, or stored in an information retrieval system in any form or by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, taping, and recording, without prior written permission from the author.

www.chuck4short.comfacebook.com/chuck4short

@chuck_4_short

@chuck4short

facebook.com/chuck4short

@chuck_4_short

@chuck4short

“Basketball is my favorite sport, I like the way they dribble up and down the court. Just like I’m the king of the microphone, so is Dr. J and Moses Malone.” - Kurtis Blow ,Ego Trip, 1984, Basketball

What’s Madison square garden? It’s the mecca, or center, of basketball and home to my favorite pro team, the New York Knicks. My “plan a”, or first goal, is to be the owner of the Knicks. Afterward, I’ll become a rocket scientist, a talk radio host, and finally the president of the

United States. I dream BIG! In class, my teacher asked, “What’s worth working hard for?” For me, that’s an easy question. Knicks tickets of course!

1

In the famous words of the legendary kurtis blow...

Carolina. My imagination takes me from the court in Chapel Hill to being a team owner in Madison Square Garden.

Where I’m from, every kid has a hoopdream. I pretend I’m in college playing basketball at the University of North

2

“Thinkin’ of a master plan, cuz ain’t nuthin’ but sweat inside my hand, so I dig into my pocket, all my money is spent, so I dig deeper but still comin’ up with lint...”- Eric B and Rakim, Paid in Full, 1987, Paid in Full

Give me court-side seats next to Spike Lee, the second biggest Nicks fan besides myself. I want to sit where legends like earl “the pearl” monroe, willis reed, clyde frazier, and bernard king played.

It would be epic, orgreat, to see patrick ewing. that sounds perfect...

3

4

Getting to the Gardenwould cost a lot of money. How can I afford to getthere, get game tickets, and a slice of New Yorkpizza? I have to have aslice of New York pizza! I need a plan.

but how?but how?

In my classroom a poster reads, “If you don’t try, you will never do.” I thought about what this means. It meant that I must make an effort to make my dreams come true! That gave me the motivation to put operation “Next stop Knicks” into action. I made two lists, the things that I do well and the things that people need.

My neighbor could use a car wash.Mrs. Jackson never walks her dog. All of my friends love my lemonade. I will do all of these things to earn money.

Let’s get to work!

Over the weekend I washed 10 cars, walked 5dogs, and built a lemonade stand. My customerssaid I had the best lemonade in town! For only$.50 they got a cup of lemonade and a knock knock joke.

5

6

“i have an idea!”

“Knock, knock.Who’s there?Needle.Needle who?Needle little money for the Knicks game.”

After a long week, I was happy with the amount of money I’d earned. I even helped Mrs. Smith bring her groceries inside for an extra $3. I earned a total of $133.50 and learned that good things come to those who work hard.

I felt like I’d hit the jackpot. Then, I looked up ticket prices. They cost more than I’d thought! I realized I had a lot more work to do.

That night, I watched the Knicks at home. Even though I didn’t raise enough money for my trip, I did make enough for a new basketball, a Kid n’ Play poster, and saved the rest for a rainy day. It felt good knowing that I’d worked hard to earn my own money. It was one of those days where nothing could go wrong. That

is until Michael Jordan scored 55 points and the Knicks lost!

Such is life for a Knicks fan, but i still love my team.

7

8

Here’s a preview of the next Chuck4short...

Like Father Like Son

I asked my Dad “Hey, what’s that horse shoe onyour arm?”. I didn’t quite understand his answer, but I remember other men with the same horse shoe doing funny dances to George Clinton’s Atomic Dog. The best part about these funny dances is that they usually happen at a cookout or barbeque. I love cookouts! I soon learned about college and fraternities. All the movies I watch about college make school look super fun! I’m going on my first visit to a university. My Dad told me to keep me eyes open for the Ques. I hope that means more funny dances!

To be continued...

www.chuck4short.com

Copyright © 2015 CHUCK4SHORT. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, transmitted, or stored in an information retrieval system in any form or by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, taping, and recording, without prior written permission from the author.

Produced By Powered By