“I got the ball again and shot and shot until I was too tired to shoot anymore. Then I took the ball over to the track and ran laps until I could see the sky start turning gray between the buildings.” 

For Lonnie, basketball is a physical release of emotions and thoughts that he is unable to express. In this instance, he is processing difficult feelings about his father’s departure through basketball. Lonnie is also deeply in touch with the physical world and how his body interacts with it; he frequently observes the light in the sky as a marker of what is going on around him.

“You need somebody to tell you how good your game can be.” 

As Cal challenges Lonnie to better himself and rise to a new challenge, Cal also explicitly sees and values Lonnie. This is an important feeling for Lonnie, and it gives him the courage to start trying out new experiences. Cal’s initial faith in “how good” Lonnie can be is the foundation of their relationship and of Lonnie’s path towards becoming a better player.

“I was glad that he was back, and I felt funny about that, too.” 

At the beginning of the novel, Lonnie has a negative association with fathers and father figures; he is still reeling emotionally from his father’s decision to leave. When Cal initially disappears after agreeing to coach the team, it triggers Lonnie’s feelings about abandonment. Cal’s return prompts Lonnie to have a complicated set of emotions: Although he is happy that Cal is back, he is unsure how to feel about the unresolved anger he experienced.