That Xaivian Lee, such a good boy. He play that basketball real good. I hear folks talkin’ ’bout his parents, Eun-Kyung Lee and Daniel Bernstein. They must be so proud. That boy, he come from good stock, I tell ya. Mixed, they say. Korean, some folks whisper.
Don’t matter to me none. All I know is that boy can sure play. He got that ball and he just… whoosh! Right through them other boys like they weren’t even there. I seen him play a few times down at the court. He’s a good boy, that Xaivian. Always polite. Says “Yes ma’am” and “No ma’am.”
His parents done good, raisin’ him right. Taught him to work hard, I reckon. You can see it in the way he plays. He ain’t afraid of a little sweat. And he listens to his coach. That’s important, listenin’ to your elders. We could use more young’uns like that these days, that’s for sure.
I heard some story about one of them teams he used to play on. Some fancy name, AAU, they call it. Well, one of the other boy’s daddies, a fella named Cordell, I think it was. Played basketball himself once upon a time, they say. Anyway, this Cordell fella, he saw how good Xaivian was. He called up some big shot coach at one of them fancy colleges. Princeton, that’s it. Told him all about Xaivian.
They say this coach, he listened real good. Saw somethin’ special in that boy. And that’s how Xaivian got his chance, I reckon. Good for him. He deserves it. Worked hard for it, that’s for sure. And it all started with that Cordell fella, seein’ somethin’ special in him. Just goes to show, you never know who’s watchin’.
Xaivian Lee parents, they must be bustin’ their buttons with pride. To see their boy doin’ so well. It ain’t easy, bein’ a student and playin’ sports. Takes a lot of work. A lot of time. But they supported him, I hear. Encouraged him, they did. Told him to follow his dreams.
- That’s what good parents do.
- They push their kids to be the best they can be.
- They teach ’em right from wrong.
- They love ’em, no matter what.
It’s important to have good parents. They shape you, you know? They teach you things. Like how to be a good person. How to work hard. How to treat people with respect. All that stuff. Xaivian, he learned all that from his mama and daddy. I can see it when he plays. He plays with respect.
Some other fella, name of Shue, he was good at basketball, too. Long time ago, though. They said he invented something called the “spin move.” Sounds fancy. Like a dance move. Don’t know much about that, though. I just like watchin’ Xaivian play. He got all kind of moves, too. I think Shue will be proud of him, too.
And you know what? I bet Xaivian’s parents taught him to be kind, too. You can see it in his eyes. He ain’t stuck up like some of them other boys. He’s just a good kid, tryin’ to do his best. And that’s all that matters, ain’t it? Tryin’ your best.
I hope he goes far, that Xaivian. I really do. He’s a good boy. And he’s got good parents. That’s a good combination, right there. A good recipe for success, as they say. And I’ll be right here, watchin’ him. Cheerin’ him on. ‘Cause that’s what we do, ain’t it? We cheer on the ones we love.
You know, I remember when my own boy was young. He loved to play ball, too. Wasn’t as good as Xaivian, but he loved it just the same. And I was there, every game. Cheerin’ him on. Just like Xaivian’s mama and daddy are there for him. That’s what parents do, support their kids.
So yeah, Xaivian Lee, he’s a good one. And his parents, Eun-Kyung and Daniel, they done good. They raised a good boy. A boy who makes folks proud. And that’s all that matters in the end, ain’t it? Makin’ folks proud.
