 For his eighth birthday , Stevens received a new basketball <unk> . " It ’ s so much fun to dream in your <unk> , " he later remarked . " That ’ s where my friends and I hung out . It was a lot of fun to grow up in that era . " When a friend , Brandon <unk> , had a basketball court installed in his back yard , Stevens " appeared <unk> . " He was so dedicated to the game that he would bring the unprepared ingredients for <unk> cheese sandwiches over to <unk> 's house , so that he would not waste time waiting for the sandwiches to cook . 
