Burning Jerseys

Kevin Durant signed with the Golden State Warriors three years ago. The exact date was July 4, 2016. This story is inspired somewhat by that event on that day, but also by other events during that week in July.

The bean bag, filled with cornmeal and prairie dust, spun high in the air and, for a moment, threatened to blot out the sun. Then, just as quickly as it had risen, the board’s black hole stretched as wide as any sea and consumed its Icarus-stitched soul. An impossible shot — it had in its trajectory navigated the bean bag barricade before the hole’s entrance and morphed into a whooshing ray of sudden victory.

One of the players let out a deep moan, followed by a compliment: “That was some KD shit right there!” To which someone else corrected him: “More like Steph Curry!” Fist pounds and high fives all around; the waitress returned with another pitcher of Shiner Bock.

“Can you believe he’s leaving?” The man wore a denim-colored button up, with the sleeves rolled, and trendy-colored sunglasses. Around his head was an American flag bandana that made him appear, despite his five o’clock shadow, as the Karate Kid playing corn hole; little crane kick on the prairie.

No one answered the question. Instead, they divided the pitcher’s contents evenly into glasses.