“Do you know how to play defense?” Paul asked.
Isaiah shook his head. Paul tried again, but he couldn’t lure Isaiah on the court to guard him. So he came up with a different idea.
“Okay, give me a pass and I’ll make the basket, get you an assist,” Paul said.
He gave the ball to Isaiah, who heaved a pass back to him. Paul gathered himself on the “LAC” logo on the court, took an extra moment to concentrate, then elevated and took a jumper that dropped through the net.
Paul wasn’t finished.
“Do you know who Grant Hill is?” he asked Isaiah.
Another head shake.
“Grant Hill is one of the greatest players ever to play basketball,” Paul said. “I’m going to have you pass to him to see if he can make a basket.”
Isaiah fed Hill, who took his familiar, wide-legged jump shot and made it.
Hill ran over, looked down at Isaiah’s feet and noticed his Fila shoes, the same brand Hill wore during his glory days with the Detroit Pistons.
“It’s the Fila connection!” Hill said as he slapped five with Isaiah.
