Leather Basketball

D’Andre’s basketball is a symbol of aspiration and pride that changes into an illustration of grief and senseless death. When D’Andre leaves that community center he has his basketball snugly tucked in his arm to keep it from falling to the pavement. He uses it only on the hardwood court of the center. He has dreams of becoming a professional basketball player and is proud of the way he helped the older boys’ pickup team win their game. When D’Andre is hit and killed by Trejo’s car, the basketball bounces on the pavement and rolls into the gutter, and illustration of the senseless loss of life that is the result of Trejo’s actions. Just like D’Andre’s basketball has been knocked into the gutter, a place where trash and wastewater collect, D’Andre has been run down on...