Basketball had been a passion of mine since my childhood years. I grew up watching players like LeBron James and Kevin Durant. My dream was to live their life: be a talented and rich NBA superstar with multiple championships and MVP awards to my name. It was my dream to lead the team I had been a fan of my whole life, the Brooklyn Nets, to an NBA title. This is the story of how I made my fantasy a reality. I became enthusiastic about basketball late in high school. I wanted to play for my high school varsity team, but because of my lack of experience and my 5’9 stance, I did not make the team.
By facing such an obstacle early in my career, I was able to learn from it to build my talents. I began working on my game for 4, sometimes even 5 hours a day, while also focusing on schoolwork. By maintaining my grades, I was able to win a scholarship to Princeton University. I then proceeded to try out for their basketball team, and I made it. My dream took one step closer to becoming reality. Even though I made the Princeton basketball team, my training was far from over. I continued to work endlessly, sometimes long into the night, until I was satisfied with my game.
Also, fortunately, I hit a major growth spurt and grew a foot in a matter of 3 years between my junior year in high school and my sophomore year in college. This gave me a lot of confidence when stepping onto the basketball court. During my sophomore year in college, my life changed. Princeton basketball just barely qualified for the NCAA March Madness tournament. The best collegian players in the country play in this tournament, and scouts from NBA teams come to watch some games. If I wanted to make it to the NBA, this tournament would be the only chance I had to prove myself to the scouts.
However, it was not easy. Two of the top collegian prospects, Michael Jordan III and LeBron James Jr. , were in the same grade as me. I would have to outshine the both of them, something that would be almost impossible for a guy who did not start playing basketball until high school. My training paid off during March Madness. I dominated in nearly every game averaging 42. 2 points per game, 19. 7 rebounds per game, and 11. 0 assists per game. For the first time ever, Princeton won March Madness, which gave me national recognition. Suddenly, every NBA team wanted to draft the 6’9 forward from Holmdel, New Jersey.
Up until the Brooklyn Nets drafted me, they were struggling mightily. They managed to win just five games in the past three seasons. The team seemed to have no future; that is, until Jesus Shuttlesworth showed up on the radar. With the first pick of the 2019 NBA Draft, the Brooklyn Nets drafted me. My dream finally had come true. I finally would get to play with the team I rooted for my whole life. I do not want to sound like I am bragging, but I had a legendary career with the Nets. I single-handedly carried the team to 14 consecutive NBA Titles from 2022-2035. I also won the MVP all of those years, as well as the Finals MVP.
My career statistics were 50. 9 points per game, 23. 7 rebounds per game, 13. 3 assists per game, 10. 2 blocks per game, and 14. 0 steals per game. Unfortunately, my career was cut short. The year after I won my 14th championship ring, I suffered a career-ending injury. As I was going for a lay-up, the defender guarding me bumped into me and I came crashing into the support of the basketball hoop. I dislocated both of my knees and suffered a serious concussion. Fortunately, I have since recovered. Today, I am a retired multi-millionaire basketball player. I live in a penthouse in Manhattan that overlooks Central Park.
I try to stay in shape by shooting hoops on my rooftop basketball court from time to time. Fans everywhere have been constantly asking me to come out of retirement and return to the NBA. I tell them the same thing every time: “I have already made my contribution to the game. Plus I have a family to take care of now. Even though my playing career is in the past, I am considering becoming head coach for the Nets. Currently though, I am enjoying weekends with my wife and son in Coney Island walking along the boardwalk. The first half of my life was basketball. I want the second half to be something else.
