How does the poem “Free Throws” develop the meaning of the story in The Crossover?

Dad once made fifty free throws in a row, so Josh decides to try for the same. He starts naming the shots—the years of his life with Dad, to start. On the forty-ninth, he is only slightly aware of how close he is. He feels closer to Dad, and that is all that matters.This is a theme where basketball meets life. His father lives through memories and the moves of basketball, even the free through.