Travel Team

Richie is late to the next practice and arrives in a bad mood. He puts the team through a series of drills then tells them, “The worst crime in sports isn’t losing. […] It’s not competing. In my whole life I’ve never been associated with a team that didn’t want to compete and I’m sure not going to start now” (131). He continues to yell at the players throughout practice. Ali sees, having stopped by on her way home from book club. She asks to speak with Richie alone.

Danny sneaks back to listen to the argument, overhearing his mom chastise him for being hungover. She tells him to either quit drinking or just leave, telling Danny doesn’t need to find out that he’s a drunk. Danny wonders what’s going to happen with the team. 

Richie is in a better mood for their next game. The two teams are tied going into the fourth quarter. Danny scores and they take the lead. The teams then trade points until Danny takes a shot at the scoring point. It misses, and the Warriors lose.

When he gets home, there is a message from Tess, but he ignores it. The narrator notes that Danny didn’t “want to feel better tonight. He wanted to feel like crap. He wanted to remember what this felt like so that maybe—maybe, maybe, maybe—he wouldn’t let everybody down the next time” (144). 

When Danny goes to meet Tess at the park that Sunday, he finds Ty instead. Danny apologizes for what happened, explaining how Teddy has been hitting him. Ty explains that he and Teddy are no longer friends. Danny also learns that Ty met Tess through a photography class his mom had signed him up for because she wanted him to try something that wasn’t a sport. Tess had told him how Teddy had been going after Danny. She set up their meeting that day. The boys talk, and Danny tells him about losing the game. They also talk about Ty’s dad and about how he tries too hard. When they play H-O-R-S-E, Danny wins. Tess finally shows up. 

Richie, Ali, and Danny spend Christmas together. Danny wonders for a while about money, not knowing what happened to his dad’s basketball salary and unsure of what his mom makes. With Tess’s help, Danny buys his mom a bracelet with a basketball charm. Ali cries when she opens it.

He opens a new laptop, and is shocked, saying that they can’t afford it. His mother assures him that it’s okay. She did some extra tutoring, and she says, “I knew that if I made enough money on the side I could buy myself the kind of Christmas-morning face I’m looking at right now” (155). His next present is a new pair of Lebron James shoes, just like the ones he saw on Ty. He thinks about how he happy he is, not just about his presents but about how his family will be together.

While Ali gets dinner ready, Danny and Richie play a videogame. After dinner, he opens his dad’s gift, an official Spalding NBA game ball signed by Jason Kidd and John Stockton, the two players on a poster inside Danny’s bedroom.

It’s snowing, and Richie leaves. Since it’s Christmas, Ali lets Danny dribble the ball in the house. 

The Warriors use the ball for their next game, but it doesn’t help. They lose by six points. However, Danny recognizes that they’re getting better. They’re also all getting along well.

They win the next game. Wanting to celebrate, Richie suggests that the whole team go out for pizza. He doesn’t show up though, and while they’re eating, the owner calls over to Danny’s mom. When she returns, she tells him that Richie has been in an accident.

Richie is seriously injured in the accident. Ali notices how similar it is to his first accident, which also happened on his way home from a game. This time, however, he was wearing his seat belt.

When they arrive, Richie is awake, joking with Danny. He also tells Ali that he hadn’t been drinking. When she tells him not to talk too much, Danny realizes that she “was the toughest one of all of them” (169). Richie soon falls asleep.

Danny goes to the school the next day despite being worried about his dad’s surgery. To distract themselves, Will and Danny talk about who will coach them if Richie isn’t able. They aren’t sure since all the other parents are so busy.

During his Spanish class, the principal lets Danny know that Richie is out of surgery and doing well. On Tuesday, the team comes to visit him at the hospital, bringing him a basketball that they all signed as a gift. Richie says he’ll be back before they know it, even though they all know he is lying since his recovery will take awhile.

When the nurse tells them that it’s time for Richie to get some sleep. Danny is the last to say goodbye. He starts crying and wonders, “Why does this crap keep happening to you?” (173). Richie responds that he’s “not a victim […] Even though I’ve been playing one for a hell of a long time” (173).