A Break from the Playoffs
*Sound Effects*
**Language**
'Thoughts'
"Dialogue"
(Point of View)
| Setting |
[System]
| Location: Practice Facility, San Antonio, Texas|
| Date: March 28, 2006 11:30 am |
(1st Person - Javi)
"Javi, you ready to go?" Brent called out as he entered the locker room.
"Yeah!" I yelled back, hurriedly drying my hair before tossing the towel into the dirty hamper.
Joining Brent just outside the locker room, I asked, "What we watching again?"
"It's called 'The Departed.' It's about an undercover cop and a mole in a gang trying to identify each other. It's got Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, and Jack Nicholson," Brent replied with excitement.
As we boarded the bus, we noticed some of the staff members and a few teammates already present. Manu was predictably absent, typically arriving just before our departure. Finding my seat next to Brent, I spotted Timmy and Tony sitting across from each other.
"Yo," I greeted them, taking a seat just in front of Tony. "Y'all ready to see the movie?"
Timmy shrugged, while Tony chuckled slightly. "I heard it was a good movie from a friend," he replied simply. Lately, Tony seemed more reserved, and I wondered if something was bothering him. I never mentioned anything though since I knew that everyone had something going on that people didn't know about.
As we waited for the rest of the team to arrive, Bruce joined us, looking somewhat groggy. Sensing his mood, we kept the conversation light.
Eventually, everyone boarded the bus, including Pop, who, as always, ensured Manu's timely arrival. With a playful gesture, Manu indicated to his watch, suggesting he wasn't technically late.
Chuckling at Manu's antics, I settled in for the ride. Upon arriving at the movie theater, I noticed the surrounding police cars—a reminder of the security measures taken to protect us.
"Is that necessary?" I asked Brent.
"Pretty much. Anytime a team goes somewhere, we need protection. The league can't afford for something to happen to their players," he explained.
Nodding in understanding, I followed the team off the bus, marveling at Pop's military-like organization as he directed us row by row.
Finally, it was our turn to get out. I stepped off the bus, with Brent ahead of me and Bruce behind. Just in front of us, the rest of the staff and team formed a line heading towards the theater. As we entered, I couldn't help but notice the emptiness of the place, save for the staff members.
Pop surveyed the group and raised his voice to address us all. "Alright, we're all adults here. No fooling around. Food can be ordered at the front. The movie starts in 20. Alcohol is not covered," he declared briskly, prompting everyone to fall silent.
After a moment of stillness, with no one making a move or uttering a word, he cast a condescending glance back at the team before sarcastically gesturing for us to proceed. With his signal, everyone dispersed into groups. I joined Brent and Manu, heading towards the left side where a middle-aged staff member awaited us.
Brent stepped forward, ordering a burger with fries and a beer. He paid the difference for the beer and received it from the lady. Once he moved aside, I approached the counter, requesting some lemon pepper wings with fries and a side of ranch. I noticed the employee's anxious expression and lightened the mood with a playful remark, saying, "Don't worry, we don't bite," eliciting a brief smile from her.
After placing my order, I grabbed a large empty cup and waited for Manu to finish ordering. He opted for spicy wings with a side of tots and a cocktail.
As we made our way to the concession stand, I approached the fountain drink dispenser and selected a root beer, quipping, "I got beer too," motioning towards my drink. Manu and Brent shared a chuckle at my cheesy joke.
"Fuck you guys," I retorted jokingly, joining in the laughter. After grabbing some napkins, we returned to the lobby to reunite with the rest of the team who had finished ordering.
Engaging in conversation, I asked Brent about the unusual outing so close to the playoffs.
"I don't know why but I thought with Pop's we'd be doing more practice if anything" I continued.
"Yeah, he does this every year. When I first got here, I thought the same thing. My guess is he wants to help us take our minds off the playoffs," he replied.
Manu added, "I mean, how much will extra training really help right now? If we're not ready now, we won't be with that extra training anyway," he said simply.
I nodded, impressed by Manu's wisdom that he throws out occasionally. Despite his joking nature, he possessed a serious side. It seemed he reserved it, preferring to lighten the mood with humor.
As our orders were called, we grabbed our food quickly, eager to make our way towards the auditorium.
"Did they rent out the entire theater?" I asked Brent.
"Yeah, they did. You'd be surprised how much money the league has to throw around for its players," he replied.
We entered the massive theater and found seats near the middle of the screen. Eventually, the rest of the team flooded in, grabbing their food as they joined us. Bruce, having fully woken up and in a better mood, sat next to us along with Timmy and Tony.
"Silence your phones," Bruce reminded us.
"Oh right," I said, silencing my phone and putting it back in my pocket.
I smiled as the theater darkened and the screen came to life. Opening up my box of wings, I was ready to enjoy the food and the movie.
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"Fuck, why did Billy have to die?" I asked frustratingly.
"Yeah," Brent said sadly.
"It be like that," Manu remarked, shaking his head.
I chuckled while shaking my head at his antics as we made our way out of the auditorium. I felt relieved to have had a moment to take my mind off the playoffs. But now that the break was over, it was time to get back to work.
While most players weren't able to improve much in a month or a few weeks, that wasn't the case for me.
As we walked out, staff members greeted us and asked for pictures and autographs. One of them was the lady who took our order earlier.
"Can you write it for Christopher, he's my son?" she asked, handing me my jersey.
"Of course," I replied, signing my jersey for her and her son.
Seeing her smiling happily, I was reminded of something I couldn't ignore. I realized that many of my decisions were not only based on my own outcome but also on the impact they would have on my fans. I felt a sense of duty to them, similar to Kobe who said he was inspired ever since he watched Michael Jordan as a kid in the nosebleeds.
I kept pondering what I could do to give back to them. One idea I had was creating videos showing what it's like to be an NBA player. However, I decided to hold off on the idea for now to focus on the playoffs, but I might revisit it in the future following the playoffs.
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A/N: Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Let me know your thoughts so far. Sorry for the late upload, I've had a busy busy week with College. I'm sure most of you understand if you're in school with the semester coming to an end, projects and finals come crashing down. I still hope to upload a chapter M W F however, if I'm unable to then I apologize but don't worry the story will not be dropped I just ask for your patience.