Going in for a layup as he had done thousands of times before, Manu felt confident in his ability to make the shot. He couldn’t get a clear look at the identity of the defender, but it hardly mattered; he could shoot it over almost everybody.
Feeling some significant contact on his arm, he hit the floor hard. However, the expected whistle from the referee never came. Play was continuing. He got up, intending to give the official an earful, but looking to the sideline, he couldn’t find one.
In confusion, he looked back onto the court. He could now see who had fouled him, and to his horror, he found that it was a giant version of the bald spot which resided on the back of his head.
“You can’t get past me, Ginobili!” the bald spot yelled. “I’ll be with you until you die!”
Ginobili shook his head. This couldn’t be happening. “You’re not real!” he shouted back.
“lf I weren’t real, would I be able to do,” the bald spot started, before pulling out a large, bloody axe. “THIS?” The bald spot immediately began to give chase, clearly with murderous intent.
Ginobili turned and began to run down the tunnel to the locker rooms. He was sure he would be able to outrun the unwieldy bald spot, but very quickly he realized that his legs weren’t working as well as expected. Struggling to make any forward progress at all, he looked over his shoulder to find his pursuer only a few feet behind him.
Falling to the ground and shielding his face with his arms, Ginobili tried to yell for help. However, his voice made nothing but a pitiful squeaking noise. Soundlessly, he watched as the bald spot brought up the axe, then swung it down towards his prone chest.
Ginobili woke up with a start, hand massaging the spot where the axe should have gone through. Cinnamon Bun, his cat, mewed hopped off the bed, indignant at having her sleep disturbed.
“It was just a dream, Cinnamon Bun,” he reassured himself. “Just a dream.” He grabbed the notebook and pen he kept on his nightstand and wrote himself a note.
“Talk to Boozer about spray-on hair.”