Dragon Hoops: Chapter 9–Epilogue

by Gene Luen Yang
In this nonfiction narrative, told in graphic form, Gene Luen Yang follows the Bishop O'Dowd High School basketball team during one eventful season and reflects on his own work as a storyteller.

Here are links to our lists for the book: Prologue–Chapter 3, Chapters 4–8, Chapter 9–Epilogue
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. prestigious
    having an excellent reputation; respected
    The team is going to Springfield, Missouri — to play in one of the most prestigious high school tournaments in the nation.
  2. unnerve
    disturb the composure of
    But it's still unnerving to hear it in person.
  3. debrief
    elicit a report from someone about a mission, job, or event
    The team debriefs in the locker room, then we find seats to watch the tournament's final game of the day.
  4. missionary
    someone sent to a foreign country to spread a religion
    Missionaries from the YMCA gave them one.
  5. prowess
    a superior skill learned by study and practice
    Incapable of physical prowess.
  6. provincial
    associated with an administrative district of a nation
    Provincial sports bureaus measured infants to predict their adult height.
  7. respective
    considered individually
    Their respective teams, the Bayi Rockets and the Shanghai Sharks, played against each other for the CBA championship in 2000 and again in 2001.
  8. auspicious
    indicating favorable circumstances and good luck
    He ended the game with three fouls and zero points. Not an auspicious start.
  9. derision
    the act of treating with contempt
    American commentators exploded with derision.
  10. ineligible
    prohibited by official rules
    California has a rule that high school transfer students are ineligible to play varsity for a year after they transfer.
  11. collegial
    having authority vested equally among colleagues
    We expect each of you to model good sportsmanship in a spirit of collegiality!
  12. heckle
    challenge aggressively
    The kids behind me continue to heckle for the rest of the game, but their hearts just aren't into it.
  13. caricature
    represent a person with comic exaggeration
    I know I'm a lousy caricaturist, okay?
  14. confirmation
    information that verifies
    We held our collective breath, waiting for confirmation either way.
  15. melodramatic
    having excitement and emotional appeal
    That's a bit melodramatic, don't you think?
  16. pall
    a sudden feeling of dread or gloominess
    To this day, a pall of uncertainty hangs over the entire situation.
  17. cognizant
    having or showing knowledge or understanding or realization
    You see him doing that wrap-around we're in the zone. Be cognizant, all right?
  18. demeanor
    the way a person behaves toward other people
    Don't let his cool demeanor fool you!
  19. retaliate
    make a counterattack and return like for like
    Coach Lou wants to run the clock out before his team makes an attempt to deny the Monarchs the chance to retaliate.
  20. savvy
    marked by practical hardheaded intelligence
    Maybe their unwillingness to share their backstories with me has nothing to do with being "media savvy."
Created on Thu Aug 13 16:14:13 EDT 2020 (updated Thu Aug 13 16:19:04 EDT 2020)

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