Alright. First, some context. I love basketball. I love sports in general, and though I probably watch football more and have studied football more over the years, I think as of now I understand the game of basketball more than any other sport. I love it, and I love interacting with it in any way, I played it for close to a decade, and...well, damn it all, I want to write a fanfiction with it.

So yeah, I'm just gonna say this ahead of time. This fanfiction will feature copious amounts of basketball games, basketball practices, and basketball discussion. There will be a story and plot, and elements that have nothing to do with basketball, but this story will be loaded with basketball. If you can not stomach the idea of that, then this story is simply not for you. I'm not saying you have to like or understand basketball to like this story (that's arguable), but if you don't think you can take reading basketball related things, it probably won't work. Just thought I'd clear that now before we start. So yes, you don't need to tell me that this is a basketball fic masquerading as a Digimon fic. I already know.

Now, if you don't think you'd mind reading about basketball but simply don't understand the game, fear not. I will be taking time, in story, to explain the game in laymen terms through an audience surrogate. So, by reading this story, you might even be able to learn how the game works. Maybe not immediately, but as the story goes along, the basketball terminology will be explained in the flow of the game.

Other than that...well, I like TaKari and it generally finds it's way into everything I write, so if you can't stomach that, the exits are located in the top left corner of your browser, top right corner of your browser, and top right corner of your browser tab. Other than being about basketball, this fic will be home to good, well-written dialogue, humor, friendship, bro moments, team-building, and character development. Or so I hope.

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Chapter One:

"It's still so weird, man," Davis said, looking up at TK. "Does it hurt to grow that fast?"

"Nah. It takes awhile to get used to moving around. Leg length, that sort of thing. Takes awhile," TK said, letting his long arms dangle at his sides.

"Officially six feet tall now," Ken added, coming up to the pair, having to look up even a bit more than Davis to look at TK's face. "I'm honored to know you. No, seriously. A six-foot tall fourteen-year old. It's an honor."

"Guys, it's really not as cool as people say. I mean, there are problems being six feet tall at fourteen." TK shrugged. "I mean, it sounds great, sure, but it's really not."

"Problems? What problems?" Davis bounced the basketball on the asphalt a couple times before placing it back at his side again. "What's hard about being six feet tall?"

TK smirked, looking around the sparsely populated outdoor basketball court. A thin fog hung in the mid-morning air, creating a chill. When the three teenagers stopped moving long enough, they could feel goosebumps forming on their arms, t-shirts and shorts doing little to guard them from the elements.

"Fine, I lied. It's completely awesome. You guys can't even imagine. It's the best." TK looked up at the basket, an orange rim hanging ten feet in the air on a white backboard with chipped black paint, held up by a metal pole.

"Boooorr-iiinnnggg!"

The three looked over at the metal bleachers against the chain-link fence surrounding the court, where Kari was sitting, wearing blue jeans, a red sweater, and pink converse sneakers. She had her hands up to her mouth to amplify her announcement.

TK smiled, giving her a dismissive wave.

"She must be thrilled too," Ken commented, looking over at their long time friend. "It's like she invested in a stock that just tripled in value."

"I dunno about thrilled." Davis looked TK up and down. "If I were her, I'd be worried. You might be out of her league now."

"And what's that supposed to mean?" TK asked, reaching down to poke the ball out from under Davis's arm and grab it.

"C'mon. Six feet tall, dashing good looks, basketball star...you may as well be Zac Efron at this point. Freshman or not, you know the Junior and Senior ladies will be making their moves on you any time now. You're taller than most of the Junior and Senior guys anyway. It's gonna happen." Davis watched TK turn towards the basket.

"Maybe it will," TK said non-chalantly, lining up into his shooting motion. Right hand on the back of the ball, left hand against the left side, right elbow pointing straight down, feet aligned with shoulders.

"You're telling me you'd turn down a Senior Cheerleader to stay with Kari? Because man, I'm telling you, I know these things, and it's only a matter of time before it happens." Davis glanced over at Kari, far enough away to not be able to hear.

"The whole cheerleading squad could throw themselves at me," TK said simply, tossing the ball up towards the rim, watching it fall right through the cylinder and through the white nylon net hanging from it, a perfect twelve-foot jumpshot. "I'm a one-woman man. And, as you know, Kari is an angel. Find me another girl who would not only come to all our games last year, but keep track of our individual statistics."

"One-woman man? C'mon, you're a quarter french!" Davis chuckled. "Deep down, like it or not, you are genetically inclined to forever pursue the dream of a Menage A Trois-"

"Davis, if you're trying to clear the way for you to make a run at Kari, I thought I'd let you know that even if you pulled it off I will never let you forget that you took TK's sloppy seconds," Ken interrupted. "Seriously, you will never forget it. I will call you twice a day for the rest of your life to remind you."

"Yeah yeah. It's nothing like that, I'm just saying it's gonna happen. Besides, me and TK are cool, if things don't work out with him and Kari he'd be fine with whatever I wanted to do." Davis grunted.

"Touch her, and I'll give you a paper cut on both your nipples," TK deadpanned, slowly moving to pick up the ball, which had slowed to a roll after bouncing a few times.

"Well, either way," Ken said before Davis could retort. "We're both very grateful for your growth spurt. Gives us a chance to take care of unfinished business."

All three looked down at the asphalt. So many great memories, and then one bad one to cap it off. Like an amazing movie with a disasterous final five minutes, or a spectacular television show with a crappy finale.

Needing to pick some sort of physical activity, and bored, the three had all signed up for the Junior Varsity Basketball team at Rakunan High last year. The three had figured that they could hold their own by practicing together a lot and learning to play off one another, particularly on a typically terrible team. They were more right than they expected.

By running an organized offense based on precision, the three ended up being leagues ahead of not only the rest of their team, but all of their opponents. It was a glorious season, accomplished almost entirely on the strength of organization and teamwork.

"Twenty-eight fifteen ten," TK said, looking at Ken. They all nodded. The memorable games had been discussed so many times, it took only a short phrase for them all to immediately know exactly what game was being talked about. Twenty-eight fifteen ten. The sixth game of that season. The opposing Point Guard couldn't dribble without looking down at the ball, and Ken decided to take full advantage. Twenty-eight points, fifteen assists, ten steals. It was a sight to behold. Ken never stopped harrassing the Point Guard on defense, poking at the ball and swiping errant passes. Fast break after fast break. And when running a set, they had no idea how to defend the pick and roll. None at all. Twenty-eight fifteen ten. They'd never forget.

"40 points on 15 shots," Ken looked at Davis. Game nine. Davis had a fireball coming out of his butt. In two minutes, it became obvious that the game was going to be all about getting the ball to Davis on his spots. The other Shooting Guard couldn't deal with his speed, couldn't get off the screens Davis ran through, couldn't recover in time to effect Davis's lightning fast shooting motion. And Davis just wasn't missing. He hit midrange jumpers. Later, he took a few more steps out and hit threes. Even later, he had the defense on a string, and pump-faked his way to the free throw line. 40 points on 15 shots. The basket may as well have been a mile in diameter that day.

"50 and 25," Davis passed the discussion on to TK. But of course. Probably the greatest game in the school's JV history. The best memory in a heap of great ones. Ken could run the offense, Davis could shoot the lights out, but this game helped confirmed the truth. TK was the star of the show. The stars aligned in game twelve. Just five feet five inches tall back then, TK still towered over the poor sap trying to defend him by almost six inches. Why the other team tried such a matchup, no one could guess. But it didn't stop Ken from getting TK the ball on the low block just about every single possession.

TK shot over him. TK backed him to the rim and laid it up. TK went around him after getting him in the air with a fake. TK got nearly every single missed shot, regardless of which team was doing the missing. It became almost comical and depressing after awhile, and it might have stopped in the second half if the unfortunate player hadn't made the mistake of trying to ask Kari out before the game. TK wanted to humiliate him at that point. Innocent mistake or not, TK just thought it was appropriate to embarrass him on the court for the next hour and a half. Just to cap it off, TK spent the second half using a series of fakes to force his diminutive defender to foul him, getting him to foul out with a minute and a half left in the game, just to add to the complete humiliation. And when it was all over, somehow, TK had accumulated 50 points and 25 rebounds.

29 wins and 1 loss. 13 more wins than the JV squad had ever had. Genuine excitement for the games that had never happened at the school before. They cut through the district tournament, gaining more confidence and momentum with each victory.

And then...

"How's the ankle?" TK said slowly, looking down at Ken's right ankle.

Ken smirked. "Fine. Of course it's fine. It was fine 48 hours later, it's been fine for over seven months."

District Junior Varsity finals. One last game to seal a memorable season. Everything laid out for it to happen. And Ken turns his ankle six minutes in. Of course.

"Good. Good," TK said absentmindedly.

That was that. Ken ran the offense. He got the ball to TK and Davis in their spots. He knew exactly how everything was put together, and put it together. They couldn't even remember the guy who had tried to fill Ken's void, but he just didn't have the timing down. He was one of the seven other players on the team who had taken a back seat to the three stars, settling for setting screens, playing defense, moving the ball, hitting the occasional open shot, and cheering. The offense just didn't move, Davis and TK didn't get the ball in their spots, and time eventually just ran out.

Fourty-something to thirty-something. They didn't really remember the score. Some really low scoring game like that, something embarrassing, something that made them feel positive they'd win by twenty if they could just run their offense right.

"C'mon guys, it happened, I thought we agreed to forget about it," Davis said, as TK swung the ball back up towards the basket from underneath the net, banging it off the backboard and rimming it in.

"Well, it's not like someone died. I really don't think we need to pretend it didn't happen." Ken shrugged. "I mean, we lost a game, but we had a lot of fun and got a lot of attention before that. It's not all that morbid, really."

"Still sucks."

So that was that. Ken's ankle was fine two days later, the school was very proud of their accomplishments, and all in all it was a fun way to kill the first four months of the school year. Nothing more.

And then, TK grew seven inches in four months.

Suddenly, it wasn't just a matter of being smart than everyone else. TK was bigger than everyone else. He spent some time in the gym, and he was stronger than everyone else. He looked like someone who should be playing basketball. It would have almost been a shame if he didn't. He had a real physical advantage. And it wasn't like the three had any better ideas for a high school physical activity.

"We'll finish what we started in four months," TK grabbed the ball off the ground again, this time slowly bouncing it to Ken.

"Well yeah, it's great to talk like that, but there's a difference between JV and Varsity. These guys...they might actually know how to defend a pick and roll, or how to run a zone. Totally different. 80 percent of the players in JV just don't understand the game." Davis bit his right cheek. "It's really too bad."

"Well, clearly you guys are completely lost out here without me," Kari announced, pushing her way past Ken and stepping between the three guys. "C'mon, you can stand around at home."

"Hey, we're talking here," Davis replied, arms out at his sides. "Come on, let the men talk."

"Let's do two-on-two. Something, anything that's not just standing around." Kari tried to poke the ball out of Ken's hands.

"After your growth spurt," Ken teased, circling the ball around his back to keep it away from Kari.

"God, you are such an ass," Kari huffed. She didn't particularly enjoy her four foot ten inch stature, and enjoyed barbs about it less.

"I'm getting some real Yoko Ono vibes here," Davis said, watching Ken play keep-away from Kari. "Seriously, stay in your lane."

"W-well, we could just work on the pick and roll. C'mon, we're gonna need it down pat, and we can do it with four people." TK suggested. "She can at least be a defensive stand-in for that."

"Alright, sure," Ken backed off away from the basket, stopping about twenty five feet away from it. "Okay, Kari you can...come up and play defense on me, and TK will-"

"I know what a pick and roll is!" Kari said, coming up to Ken and crouching down slightly. "You guys suck, I watched all your games last year and kept track of statistics!"

"Yes, and you're totally awesome for doing that, but that doesn't mean you know what a pick and roll is-"

"Well, I do. Also, before we leave, you need to shoot some free throws. If you don't improve your free throws, you're gonna be afraid to drive to the basket at the end of games, you gotta get at least competent."

Ken looked at Kari blankly. Kari took the opportunity to turn around and point at Davis. "And you. You need to extend your range out to the three point line. All you're good for is shooting, you may as well learn how to shoot threes."

Davis looked over at TK. "O-okay, can you put a leash on her? How did this happen anyway?"

TK shrugged sheepishly. "I got her some books from the library, she watched the playoffs with me May and June, she looked up articles online...and it just kept going!"

"I'd make fun of you, but I actually really wish Yolei would take this kind of interest. I mean, that'd be cool, I'm actually sorta jealous." Ken shrugged. "Yolei spent ten minutes trying to figure out the purpose of having the net hanging from the basket." He pointed up at the hoop. "I eventually convinced her it didn't have a purpose and she lost interest."

"Alright, alright, c'mon!" Kari called out, motioning towards TK. "Set the screen. Me and Davis will defend it in a bunch of different ways and you guys have to react."

TK ran up next to Kari, Davis following behind, emulating a real game scenario. TK went up to Kari's right shoulder, pressing his chest up against her.

"Hello there," TK said dully, smiling down at her. Kari rolled her eyes as Davis came up next to TK, between him and the basket, as if he was defending TK.

"Oh, and you need to start playing defense," Kari added, looking up at TK. "Seriously, you're embarrassing me."

Suddenly, Ken dashed to his left, dribbling the ball in his left hand, going around Kari and using TK's body as a shield to prevent her from stepping in front of him. Kari quickly spun around, going around TK to get back to Ken. Davis instinctively stepped out a little bit as well to block Ken from going towards the basket. On cue, TK spun towards the basket and took off towards it.

It was a simple play. One of the easiest and most basic plays in the game. And yet, it continues to work and continues to be very hard to defend. Ken quickly swung the ball over Davis's head and beyond Kari's grasp to TK, who caught it. Four steps later, he easily laid it up against the backboard and into the basket, Davis giving half-hearted pursuit.

"Other teams are gonna start having a third defender cheat towards your side," Kari called out as TK jogged back towards her with the ball in hand. "Be ready to pass to the center if it happens."

"I can't believe you let her talk to you like that, man," Davis said, standing between TK and the basket again as Ken started to dribble.

"You laugh now, but at least she'll keep pushing me to excel. And you can't put a price on that." He again went up to press his chest against Kari's right shoulder. "Isn't that right, sweetie?"

Kari responded with a light elbow poke into TK's ribcage. Ken took off to his left again, Kari going behind TK to try to cut him off. This time, Davis stayed where he was, keeping between TK and the basket. Without Davis stepping out in front of him, Ken had a free lane towards the basket, and darted towards it. TK turned and took off in parallel with Ken.

Davis turned to run himself, running between Ken and TK, not committing to either. This was the rock-and-a-hard-place conundrum the play was all about. Davis could keep with TK, giving Ken a free run at the basket, or step over to Ken, leaving an out-of-position Kari to try to defend TK, even though TK was literally fourteen inches taller and weighed nearly twice as much.

Davis hung back towards TK a step too long, and Ken simply blew to the basket, easily laying it up through the rim.

"Very good, Ken. You can not be afraid to go to the rim if you get the lane!" Kari yelled out as Ken scooped the ball off the floor. "If they give it to you, take it! That's what the pick and roll is all about!"

"Maybe you should apply to be the coach of the team this year, Kari," Ken said, bouncing the ball hard a couple times. "I can just imagine you chewing out poor Mister Stewart the first time he tries to put TK at center or something."

"I promise I'll be a good cheerleader during games," Kari said haughtily. "I don't want to show you up in front of everyone. But out here, you'll hear it from me all day. Let's run through it again."

.

"You know this team won 9 games and lost 23 last year?" Ken said, looking over an old school newsletter from his seat on the floor. "And they were actually happy with that?"

"Of course we know. You've said it like twenty times in the last month. That team didn't have us, it's a totally different thing," Davis said from his spot on the other side of the room, laying stomach down on the carpet.

"Do they have anybody worth noting? Anything going on?" TK asked, sprawled out on Kari's bed, looking up at the ceiling. "C'mon, they gotta have something, you don't win 9 games because everyone on the team sucks, there's gotta be something."

"I've asked around, nobody watched most of the games," Ken insisted. "I'm not even sure they actually played games last year. If a High School basketball team plays a game and nobody's around to watch it, did it actually happen?"

"Ken, I am disappointed. You're a freaking...boy genius, wunderkind, whatever they call you now...and you didn't research what we're getting into? You're not already planning lineups and stuff?" TK snarked.

"Well, I'm sorry, I couldn't exactly watch the games last year. I was busy carrying you guys to the district finals." Ken shrugged. "We've got another six foot guy that they talk about in the newsletter recaps a lot, but...that's all I can say. We'll start figuring this out tomorrow."

At that moment, the door to the room swung open. Kari came in, carrying a tray with four large mugs on it. "TK, for the last time, I sleep on there, get off!" She demanded as she walked over to the floor area between the three and set the tray down. "You're going to kill the springs, get off."

TK shrugged. "I'm gonna be sleeping on this bed in a couple years anyway."

"Hmph," she grunted, sitting down on the edge of the bed heavily. She looked down at Ken and Davis, who were still looking at her with mildly awed expressions. "Come on, is it really that weird? TK asked me last year if I wanted to come to the games last year, and I decided as long as I'd be watching, I wanted to know what I was watching. That's all."

"I think it's great, like I said. Really, it beats Yolei insisting that the free throw line is four inches closer to the basket on one side of our court than the other, and then arguing about it for half an hour," Ken admitted.

"I'll get Yolei into it this year," Kari said quickly, folding her legs in front of her. "She's smart, and it's really a pretty simple game."

"Not possible. No way. I tried. Don't even bother trying." Ken shook his head.

"No, I'll do it! You'll thank me later. Now don't let it get cold." She pointed down at the series of cups on the floor in front of her.

"Kari, honestly," TK slowly pushed himself off the edge of the bed. "I don't know what I did to deserve you. But whatever it was, it could not possibly have been enough."

Kari gave a small smile. "The feeling is mutual. And those are always the best sorts of relationships."

TK leaned in and they rubbed noses before he gave her a quick kiss on the right cheek.

"I'm getting strong Doug Christie* vibes from you right now," Davis said, fighting the urge to roll his eyes. "Seriously, not good, you're freaking me out."

Kari sighed. "Well, I'd offer to get your girlfriend into basketball too, Davis, but that'd be pretty hard. I mean, I'd never be able to tell if she was even listening to me or not, what with her being invisible."

"Ohhh," Ken intoned, looking over at Davis's frozen expression. "Oohhhh."

"You've got a mean streak to you now, Kari," TK bent down to pick up one of the four white mugs. "I kinda like it."

"Ow," Ken added, waiting for Davis's reaction.

"I'm going home," Davis finally muttered, pushing himself into a standing position.

"Do you need me to walk you home?" TK called at his back as he started a quick march over to the door. "That was a pretty nasty assault you just took."

"Yeah man, you sure you can walk alright?" Ken added.

"W-whatever." Davis slinked out of the room, shutting the door behind him.

"That was definitely a flagrant," TK said, lifting the mug to his lips.

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* - Doug Christie was an NBA player who played for the Lakers, Knicks, Raptors, Kings, Magic, Mavericks, and Clippers in his career. Although a fairly decent player, he became most well-known for his relationship with his wife, Jackie Christie. His wife famously did not allow him to even look at most other women, insisted on travelling with the team for almost all of his games, and arranged a full wedding every single year on their anniversary so the two could renew their vows. Doug went down as being probably the most whipped player in NBA history.