there aren't any left prepared to take the risk.
The whistle is blown. Uh-oh. Bad call ump. The crowd perk up expectantly as the official shakily reads the breach to the appropriate authorities at the scoring bench, all the time regretting his inability to make a retraction. And there it is. A drop of sweat picks up pace as it rolls down his face and off his chin. The veins pop. Kepler has erupted like a Hawaiian volcano, spraying expletives, profanities and obscenities all over the helpless umpire, who is now but a few inches from a really cheesed-off Godzilla. One of the statisticians adds more technical fouls to an already saturated record, as he finishes crossing another four dashes, in but one game.
And so it goes, another game in the life of Kep. What looks an often gentle and harmless exterior, lies hostage to a vicious and volatile interior. But don't you think for a minute that all this venom is a compromise for talent, for he is rich in that too, it is just masked by the appetite of the spotlight greedy temper.
Many believe his temper is the reason behind Kepler not being mentioned among all the other prominent superstars in this league. The top brass do not wish their image to be tarnished by all that's wrong with the corporate West these days. But they can not deny the fact that he is one of the all-time great PG's of this league and soon enough he will be gracing the halls of the Naismith Memorial. He and team-mate Yochem own an on-court relationship reminiscent of the great 1-2 combos of Jordan and Pippen, Malone and Stockton, and Kemp and Payton.
All one has to do is come to terms with Schumann's unpredictable nature is to truly appreciate the skills this man possess'. He can drop a long bomb, set up his team-mates, drop the dime, and hit the high pressure jumper whilst maintaining as cool as a Lebanese cucumber.
Johan agrees, "when he gets his game on, he is unstoppable. He is worth more to this team than anyone realises. And as his mentor, I am happy to have taught him everything he knows. Whatever honours he may receive in his career, and he will get many, it would not surprise me one bit. He's just got to know who he owes it all too" chuckles the always cheerful Yoch.
Coach van Leeuwen echoes these thoughts, adding "he is an invaluable member of this team. Night in, night out, we need him to step up if we are to have any chance at winning. I just can not think what the team would be like without him. He is a great guy off the court, and his several mistresses can attest to that, but on the court, when the whistle blows, I can tell you I sure would not want to be playing on the other team."
But don't you, whatever you may do in life, ever call a bad call against the Kep, or he will never forgive you and you will never forget.
