On November 30th, 2009, the Newark Pride became the first Northern Division team to visit Alpo Arena, the brand new venue for the defending Western Conference Champions, the Stanislaus Thrust. In a dazzling performance, star point guard and last year's MVP Buck Hopper racked up 36 points, leading his team to a 15-point victory.

What was his secret that night? For good luck, he had a '7' tattooed to his right foot, the same way his beloved Uncle Lucky had. It was a lucky fan who managed to snap a photo at just the right time to see it.

****

This picture has quickly become one of my very favorite images of B-Hop. I love the action in the arms and legs, the slightly abstract background that perfect hints at a giant sports arena, the glare from the ceiling lights, the whipping net from the powerhouse dunk-- and the Polaroid-picture framing just adds another layer of story to the pic.  emorottie did a phenomenal job on this picture.

Even more, this was a gift from the wonderful and generous  jerotter who I got to meet at FC this year! There's no way for me to thank you enough, J-Ott!