(16) Fukumi (Protégé):? (ePub)

Terrence Good is a Tennessee native who grew up in a broken home. His step mother (Lynn) split from his father (Harrison Good) who struggles with alcohol addiction. Defiantly, Terrences popularity as a California high school basketball prospect is cut short when; he walks out on his SAT exam, and his team is knocked out of the first round of the CIF playoffs. His NBA basketball career doesnt pan out and he has to pursue an entry level job. Chad Fukumi is a 35 year old devoted Asian American husband and bright sales agent in a cutthroat electricity firm. He asserts himself as a basketballoholic who is very overprotective of his daughter Candace Fukumi who has the IQ of a rocket scientist. Chads sidekick Bob, whos overzealous and not afraid to speak his mind, acts as a mediator between the two of them. Terrence struggles to make ends meet and cope in the ninetofive world, hes evicted from his apartment and hes left to sleep in his dysfunctional car in slum neighborhoods in downtown Los Angeles. No longer able to cope with his failure of becoming a professional basketball player, he sells his pride and joy (a profession grade leather basketball given to him by Harrison when he was a kid). This shameful reality brings Terrence depression and guilt. He finds a powerful amateur basketball coach (coach Mayday) who provides him an opportunity to make a good living by training his basketball prospects. He begins pursuing his dream of making it as a basketball trainer. He crosses paths with Chad who propositions him to train Candace, who has been regarded by coach Maydays association of basketball trainers as an inept prospect. Terrence doesnt think much of girls basketball. She lacks athleticism, and shes too short at 5 feet. However, Terrence accepts Chads handsome offer and she becomes his sixteenth protg and Terence teaches her some stunning basketball skills. But, when a gritty confrontation befalls Terrence involving coach Maydays highly sought after blue chipper, he quits his job with nowhere to go. He later reunites with his off and on ex-friend, Tina. Eventually Terrence comes to grips with the fact that he has anger management issues. Despite his family troubles when he was a kid, he realizes that Candace has a mysterious talent-gift that stems far beyond the game of basketball, hopeful she will redeem him as a basketball coach.