บท 142: Opening Night
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~~~(POV: Ulysses Kennedy)~~~
~~~(Date: October 20th, 2026)~~~
~~~(Location: Madison Square Garden, New York)~~~
~~~(Time: 7:15 PM)~~~
I'm sitting at my locker and looking around at my teammates. Jalen Brunson is sitting next to me, and RJ Barret is talking with Mitchel Robinson. Jericho Sims is also on the starting lineup for the main roster and coming up from G-league.
He made an impression in his performances alongside me in the Summer League.
Jalen Brunson is our PG, RJ Barret is our SG, Mitchel Robinson is our PF, and Jericho Sims is our C. I'm, of course, running the SF position. But, I'm actually the tallest guy on the team.
"You nervous?"
Brunson takes this moment to talk to me as I look around the room. It's more exciting than I thought it'd be. I'm having my first NBA game tonight. The season opener and the beginning of my career in the NBA.
"No, I'm excited. When I was a kid watching the NBA, the only thing I wanted was to be here. In the NBA. Now that the moment has come, I know it's the beginning of a brand new journey."
He chuckles and places his hand on my shoulder.
"Every guy on the Celtics will be gunning for you. We'll do our damndest to take the pressure off, but expect hard, uncalled fouls. It's the only known way to stop you. The refs aren't calling them."
That's something many people are concerned about tonight. Especially the medical staff and training staff of the Knicks. While I'm Uninjurable, thanks to a badge, they don't know that. They see players hard fouling me, and they get worried I'll be injured.
"You don't have to tell me about it. I remember the Summer League, ain't that right, Jericho?"
I get the attention of the teammate I had when I was playing in the Summer League. He was close enough to hear our conversation. Some of the hard fouls I was getting were spilling over to him. Since the teams were getting away with it in regard to me, they tried their luck with Jericho.
He walks over and leans against one of the lockers.
"Yeah, they beat me up any chance they get. I hope they call the fouls more than they did back then. But I doubt it."
It sucks being so good. Special players bring special exceptions and rules made for you. They're not written yet, but they'll eventually be addressed. This I know.
"Boston has two Superstar caliber players on their team and a former defensive player of the year. We'll all have our work cut out for us."
Robinson cuts into the conversation and makes his way over to us. RJ Barret comes with him. We spend the next 10 minutes talking. The game starts at 8:00 PM EST. We all head out to the court to start warm-ups.
I look over and see my two biggest supporters, Ellie and Hannah. But I also see two very familiar faces. William and Bianca Jones are here. The siblings that I helped in LA. I kept my promise of having them here.
Helping them that day meant a lot to me. And having them here now means more.
~~~(POV: Ellie)~~~
~~~(Date: October 20th, 2026)~~~
~~~(Location: Madison Square Garden, New York)~~~
~~~(Time: 7:45 PM)~~~
The game is starting in 15 minutes, and Ulysses is doing casual warm-ups. The fans of New York are here to support him. MSG is already packed to the brim and ready to burst.
"This is going to be awesome!!"
The young and excited William can't contain his smile. Now that he's Cancer free, he's enjoying his life. It was great news when we heard it. Bianca was balling her eyes out when Ulysses kept his word about bringing them to wherever he was drafted.
Ulysses has money to burn now. Bianca and William are people he trusts. Friends of his.
"You're not the only one who's excited!!"
Hannah catches the enthusiasm coming from William. It's spreading quickly among us, and this is when I'm in that moment every parent finds themselves in.
Where they see the one they raised starting a life of their own. I've had this moment before, and this won't be the last. Before I know it, tears are streaming down my face. And Hannah is handing me a tissue.
She's crying the same as me.
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