The first time I played basketball, I was 8 years old. I played in my community where I grew up, and there were never referees（裁判）. I didn't know the rules. ____ I always wanted to stay after the game and continue to play basketball.

    I grew up in a single-parent home with no father around, no brothers or sisters. ____ Sports gave me an opportunity to forget all that I had gone through during my childhood.

    ____ One was the trust of the guys who were playing. It was passing the ball to friends and seeing their joy after making a basket. The other was competition, which is different from opposition. When I was in fifth grade, I wanted to be in the NBA.____

    When I was 14, my coach would tell others that I was the best kid he had ever seen, and that I had NBA potential（潜力）. From then on, I got bigger and bigger. I loved the game more and more. I had the greatest time of my life playing basketball in high school.

    ____ There are no shortcuts（捷径）. My teammates and I come from different walks of life and in different shapes and sizes, but we all put in the time. We do that for the joy of being out on the basketball court. And we've achieved a lot in the field.

A. It's a natural habit.

B. But I knew I loved it.

C. We always had difficulty paying our bills.

D. I thought, I guess I'm doing the right thing.

E. You have to dream something to make it a reality.

F. I fell in love with basketball mainly for two reasons.

G. In basketball, you get back what you give to the game.