บท 178: Flying For Milwaukee

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~~~(POV: Ulysses Kennedy)~~~

~~~(Date: October 24th, 2026)~~~

~~~(Location: Team Jet, New York Airport)~~~

~~~(Time: 8:41 AM)~~~

The New York skyline is below the team plane. Ellie and Hannah are staying in New York, and this will be my first road game. Tomorrow, I'll be facing the best player in the league at the moment. Arguably, that is.

Giannis is a top guy in the league, along with Luka and Embiid. Not to mention Jokic. These guys are the ones I'll be having the most fun against. Sure, Jayson Tatum was great. A genuine Superstar. A top 5 player. But I don't think he's better than the other four I mentioned.

He's got a loaded team, partnered up with another Superstar talent in Jalen Brown. Boston has the best team; that's no debate. But the best players are somewhere else.

"You excited for your first road game?"

Tom looks over the top of the seat in front of me. It sucks, in some ways. I'm on a minutes restriction now, and that's from failing the last mission I had. It goes to show even if I'm winning games; I'm not guaranteed a Mission success.

"Well, you know how I feel about being put on a minutes restriction, Tom. I want to play as much as I can. Not sit out more than I play."

I don't know how many minutes I'll be benched for. But I do know that I won't be able to play the entire game. That's the way I prefer it. That's how we beat Boston, and we narrowly won our game against Chicago when I was benched an entire quarter.

He takes on a disappointed expression. He's not happy about the decision. Even though he's the coach, the front office has made the executive decision to have me sit out.

"You know how it goes, Ulysses. The front office would rather you sit out excess minutes the next five games than risk serious injury. Those fouls you endured against Chicago have left a bad taste in their mouth."

I get where they're coming from. In the end, I have a contract, and if they say I'm on a minutes restriction. Then that's what I'm on. I'm still starting in the game, but I don't know how long I'll be in for certain quarters.

I'll insist on staying in the entire 4th quarter; that's non-negotiable. I don't care what anyone says; that's the most critical quarter of the game.

"I'm okay giving up minutes in the earlier quarters, but I'm staying in the entire 4th. That's not changing, and I trust everyone will understand that. The coaching staff and front office."

The words coming from my mouth are causing a headache from the old coach, but I'm not moving my ground on that.

He sits back in his seat, and I use the plane tablet. Each seat is given one. It doesn't interfere with any connections and allows us to browse the internet. I click on the ESPN app, and First Take is about to start.

The time passes, and the initial intro ends. There, today is Jay, Stephen A., and of course. The always beautiful Molly.

"Should I even watch this..."

I'm not really into watching segments about sports. Especially the one I'm a professional player in. Something weird and egotistical about hearing what others say about you.

"Let's start today with the most controversial topic that developed yesterday. The NBA Refs Union was fined for their calls in the Bulls vs. Knicks game two days ago. Let's see what Stephen A. and Jay have to say about this."

I'm frustrated with the refs, don't get me wrong. But I'm not gonna bitch about any blown or intentionally bad calls. When you're as good as me, you have to expect that kind of stuff. So much for the ego, I wanted to avoid, but this is the truth.

"First of all, I think the NBA is doing the correct move. Not only is it dangerous for Ulysses, but also for the other players. I'm an advocate for the 80s and 90s of basketball, but that missed flagrant isn't allowed to happen."

Stephen A. is a firm believer in how soft the NBA is, and I agree with him. But for every negative, there is a positive. The NBA is more fun now than it was before, but again. It is pretty soft.

"I also want to point out that Ulysses is being very professional about this situation. He's not calling for action, only moving forward with whatever results are given. A hallmark of a Hame Of Famer in the making."

This is becoming hard to listen to, and I shut off the ESPN app. Heading for youtube, and checking out some of my favorite channels.