39 NBA Debut! (2 in 1)
*Sound Effects*
**Language**
'Thoughts'
"Dialogue"
(Point of View)
| Setting |
[System]
| Location: SBC Center Tunnel, San Antonio, Texas |
| Date: Nov 1, 2005 7:42pm |
(1st Person - Javi)
After going 8-1 in the preseason, the team was feeling great, we had confidence with being a contender again this year. However, despite all the preseason practice, I still felt a different air in the arena with the regular season.
I stood in the tunnel with my teammates, preparing to make my entrance. It was my first official NBA game, and we were facing the Denver Nuggets at our home court. The Nuggets had their starting lineup of:
Andre Miller - PG
Voshon Lenard - SG
Carmelo Anthony - SF
Kenyon Martin - PF
Marcus Camby - C
The primary scorers on their team included Carmelo Anthony, who was on the verge of being an all-star caliber player, and Kenyon Martin, who had already achieved all-star status and was the first overall pick in the 2000 NBA draft class.
I quickly glanced at my stats to see my improvement during the preseason, it was nothing spectacular but steady progress was always good. I was wearing my Epic shoes, getting every little boost I could get tonight.
[Finishing: 83 -> 88(+2)]
[Shooting: 83-> 87(+2)]
[Playmaking: 84-> 87(+2)]
[Defense: 77-> 81(+2)]
[Physical: 80-> 85(+2)]
[Overall: 81 -> 85(+2)]
[Status: Normal]
A/N: The +2 is already in the total for instance with Shooting, without the shoes it would be 85. Just to clarify
I observed as we were given the signal to burst onto the court, and I trailed behind Tony and Manu, carried forward by the exhilarating roars of the crowd. A smile involuntarily crept onto my face as we stepped onto the court, and we began our warm-up routine. One of the privileges of being the home team was the chance to warm up before the opposing team.
I glanced over at the stands and spotted my family—my mom and my brothers—all proudly wearing my jersey. Seeing them filled me with warmth and brought a genuine smile to my face. While they might not be able to attend every away game, I knew they'd always be there for my home games.
Regrettably, Coach Will couldn't make it to this game, but he assured me he'd be watching and cheering me on from afar. The same went for my AAU team; they expressed their excitement about my journey to the league and promised to support me by tuning in to watch my games. Reflecting on this, I felt a deep sense of responsibility. I couldn't afford to let them down tonight. I needed to show everyone that I am here to stay.
I took my time, meticulously putting up shots, and I sank them with ease. My confidence had soared after the preseason, where I had averaged nearly 20 points while coming off the bench and playing around 25 minutes during the preseason. However, I knew that Pops was going to use me sort of as a secret weapon and have me come off the bench to create plays. I didn't mind, I still had a lot to learn, my brain felt like it was nearly overflooding with the knowledge that Pops spewed at me.
However, I was aware that although I wasn't starting now, this would likely change in the near future as I began to prove myself not just with my skills but also with my court IQ and intelligence. I couldn't help but worry about potentially taking Tony's spot, which I didn't want to do, but I understood that it might be inevitable if I continued to excel. Nevertheless, I decided to deal with that situation when it eventually arose.
After a couple of minutes, the opposing team took to the court for their practice session. Soon after, the lights in the arena dimmed, signaling the Spurs' turn.
I observed the crowd's enthusiastic cheers for all the main starters, and before long, it was my turn to step into the spotlight.
"Born and raised right here in San Antonio, a small guard with a heart as big as Texas, making his NBA debut today, wearing Number 11, Javier Moralessssssss!" The announcer's voice boomed through the arena, and I could feel the energy from the crowd wash over me like a wave.
As I stepped onto the court, I couldn't help but be filled with pride representing my hometown. The Spurs' faithful fans, known for their unwavering support, welcomed me with thunderous applause. It was a moment I had dreamt of for so long, and now, it was a reality. I also saw my mom and brothers clapping fiercely as I got introduced.
With my teammates by my side and the crowd's roar in the background, I was ready to give it my all and prove that I belonged on this extraordinary team. The journey was just beginning, but I was determined to make the most of this opportunity and contribute to the Spurs' legacy in my own unique way.
As the other team was called and introduced, I sat on the bench, ready for any moment when Pops would call me up to play.
///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
The moment I had eagerly awaited arrived with the score favoring us at 19-22, and there were just 1 minute and 24 seconds left on the clock in the first quarter. I took a glance at my wrist 'Stay true to you - Love Mom' I read as I got up from my seat and made my way to the scorers table. I had been subbed in for Tony Parker and slapped his hand for a quick high-five as I stepped onto the court. I noticed the Nuggets were bringing in Greg Buckner for Voshon Lenard.
As the Nuggets inbounded the ball, I got into defensive position. Once Andre Miller crossed half-court, I made sure to shadow him closely, sensing he might be getting fatigued. True to my hunch, he lazily brought the ball down, and I swiped it away, eliciting cheers from the crowd. I sprinted down the court and easily scored a layup, as Miller couldn't recover in time to challenge the shot.
"You won't get lucky again," Miller stated as he inbounded the ball to Carmelo Anthony. Both teams were still in a half-court setup, conserving energy.
On the Nuggets' offensive possession, Earl Boykins managed to score two points. When we got the ball back, I brought it up the court and passed it to Tim Duncan before receiving it back as he set a screen. Facing Miller, I drove left before executing a hard crossover to the right. Miller stuck with me, so I faked a shot, causing him to jump. I then jumped into him, drawing contact, and put up a shot that went in along with a whistle.
"Good take," Timmy complimented, patting my back before taking his position on the free-throw line. I received the ball, glanced at the clock, which read 30.9 seconds, and went through my free-throw routine. The ball left my hand and swished through the net, and I quickly transitioned to defense.
Coach Popovich yelled for us not to foul as we headed back. The Nuggets attempted to create a play, but Anthony missed a contested shot, and Robert Horry secured the rebound. He found me, and I led the fast break. With less than 7 seconds on the clock, I sprinted towards the paint, drawing defenders. I spotted Manu open in the corner and delivered a pinpoint pass. Manu caught it and released the shot. The ball sailed through the air as the crowd held its collective breath. Finally, it dropped through the net, and the arena erupted in cheers.
With only half a second left on the clock, the Nuggets had to attempt a full-court shot, which missed horribly. The first quarter ended with the score of 21-30, increasing our lead from 3 to 9 points in just under 2 minutes.
As we made our way to the bench, I could see the guys were hyped as the got up and greeted us with high fives and compliments, Manu didn't forget to thank me for the pass.
The lineup for the 2nd Quarter was mostly the same, except Timmy was sitting on the bench for Fabricio Oberto who was a player from also from Argentina, like Manu, that played a dozen or so minutes every game.
Since he was a reserve that didn't see much playing time, I hadn't played all that much with Oberto.
However, that didn't matter to me, I knew that the nuggets had began to see me as more of a threat, so I should be able to create opportunities for everyone. For the Nuggets, most of the Starters were out besides Kenyon Martin who was going to start the 2nd quarter.
We started the 2nd with the ball. I got the ball before making my way up and passing it to Manu who came to grab the ball. Manu used his quick crossover to pass the defender before side stepping to put up a shot that just hit off the rim and bounced out.
I hustled back with the team, preparing to defend. I observed Miller calling for a screen, and he used the mismatch against Oberto to create enough space for an open mid-range shot, which he sank gracefully.
On the next play, as I brought the ball up the court, I could hear Coach Popovich yelling out to execute a backdoor play for Bowen. I began to size up Miller, working to create space by using Oberto's screen to burst to the right. Miller, determined not to let me get past him, stayed on my hip.
Thinking on my feet, I executed a sharp behind-the-back dribble, quickly separating from Miller, whose momentum carried him towards the right. Without hesitation, I drove left. Najera, the Nuggets' power forward, stepped up to prevent an easy layup. Seeing this, I spotted Bowen out of the corner of my eye to my left, sprinting along the baseline. With a deceptive glance to my right to fake out the defender, I delivered a precise bounce pass to my left. Bowen received the pass smoothly and scored a layup before Najera could react.
"Good pass!" Bowen called out as he made his way back down the court. I simply nodded in acknowledgment as I did the same.
The minutes on the court seemed to fly by, with everyone giving their absolute best and maintaining a relentless pace on both ends of the floor. It was often said that in the Western Conference, teams played at a faster tempo, whereas in the Eastern Conference, despite a slower pace, they focused on physicality.
The next thing I knew was seeing Tony come, I gave him a high five and whispered some motivational words before heading back to the bench where I received some high fives from the team. Timmy had subbed in along with Tony, which was a little different from normal. Normally Timmy would come in first depending on how bad we were doing and then Tony would come in a little later into the 2nd quarter. However, since we held the lead so well, the starters didn't have to come in as early, giving them more time to rest.
I looked up at the gigantic screen in the middle of the stadium to see the score, it was currently 36-48 with a little under 5 minutes in the quarter. I also had the chance to look at my stats, I hadn't been paying to much attention as I was completely locked into the game. I looked and I saw that in about 9 minutes of playing time I had racked up 8 points and 4 assists. I couldn't help but smile a little seeing it. I looked up to see where my family was and they were smiling and waving in my direction I smiled and waved back.
///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Seated near the front of the court, a fan sat next to her best friend. They had chosen to attend the Spurs game that day, with the fan not being the biggest enthusiast herself, but her friend was an avid Spurs supporter. She wanted to see what all the hype was about.
"Good thing we got here early!" her friend exclaimed.
"Why? Does it make a difference?" the fan inquired.
"Of course, Taylor! If we didn't get here early, how would we see the run out?" the girl replied. She had a warm, olive complexion, with brown hair and the look of someone in her early twenties.
"I guess. What makes the Spurs so good, though, Savannah?" Taylor questioned, her curiosity piqued. She had a fair complexion and brown hair, appearing to be the same age as her friend. She had heard of the Spurs but didn't fully comprehend their excellence.
"Are you kidding!? They won the championship last year. Maybe they can win another this year! Winning championships back-to-back," Savannah replied, her excitement evident.
They sat there, chatting and watching the players warm up. Soon, the jumbotron came on, and the players gathered in the tunnel, preparing to make their entrance. Amongst the towering figures, one player stood out as significantly smaller.
"Who's that?" Taylor asked.
"I'm not sure, maybe a new player," Savannah replied, unable to identify the figure.
Shortly afterward, the players began to run out onto the court, and the arena erupted with the crowd's excitement. Savannah and Taylor, like everyone else, watched with keen interest in the smaller figure. Some people nearby were conversing, and one of them mentioned that the player was Morales, who had impressed in the preseason when he came to watch. From what they had heard, he seemed to be a rookie playing for the Spurs.
After a few minutes of shooting around and the opposing team's entrance, the lineups were about to be announced. Savannah and Taylor cheered for each player, but they were both curious about the smaller figure and hoped the announcer would provide more information.
"Born and raised right here in San Antonio, a small guard with a heart as big as Texas, making his NBA debut today, wearing Number 11, Javier Moralessssssss!" boomed the announcer's voice through the arena.
Savannah and Taylor joined in the cheers from the crowd before exchanging thoughts with each other. "Did you hear that? He's from here!" Savannah exclaimed.
"Yeah, that's amazing. I hope he plays well. He was pretty good-looking, not gonna lie," Taylor remarked.
Savannah giggled along with Taylor, clearly sharing the sentiment.
They observed the game's commencement, both passionately supporting the Spurs. Despite the Nuggets initially taking the lead, the Spurs quickly made a comeback. The game remained close when the first substitution brought Javier Morales in place of Tony Parker. The crowd greeted him with enthusiasm, but he remained unfazed.
The enthusiasm likely stemmed from fans seeing themselves in Morales. Not only did he share a similar background as many of them being from the same place, but he also bore a striking resemblance to the average person in stature. As the friends chatted, they could even hear a young boy's voice behind them exclaiming, "Dad! He looks like me!" in excitement.
With just over a minute on the clock, the crowd eagerly anticipated what the rookie had to offer. However, since he was relatively unknown, expectations were not high for the newcomer.
However, Morales surprised everyone by swiftly stealing the ball shortly after entering the game, prompting the arena to erupt with cheers as he scored a lightning-fast layup.
As Morales returned to play defense, the crowd chanted "Defense!" while the Spurs aimed to protect their possession. Nonetheless, the Nuggets managed to score a mid-range shot. The crowd continued to chant, "Let's Go Spurs, Let's Go!"
Morales used a screen from Tim Duncan to drive toward the basket, executed a fake, drew a foul, and made the shot. The crowd's excitement reached new heights, clearly impressed and energized by the rookie's performance.
"AND1!" exclaimed a fan next to the friends, who found themselves joining in the excitement. Taylor, watching the game, finally grasped the thrill of watching a Spurs game—the electrifying atmosphere and the extraordinary players who always seemed to have a bag of tricks.
The friends glanced at the jumbotron as Javier Morales went through his free-throw routine before sinking the shot, seemingly impervious to any distractions beyond the court.
"My prince!" Savannah shouted, causing Taylor to look at her with a slightly embarrassed expression. However, as she observed other female fans around them reacting similarly, it became apparent that this sentiment was shared among many.
The game continued, with Morales continually showcasing his skills, greatly impressing the crowd, which felt a sense of relatability with the smaller figure who appeared to be just an average person in terms of stature.
Morales was subbed out with less than half of the second quarter remaining. Savannah felt a twinge of sadness seeing her 'Prince' on the bench. However, Morales smiled in their direction and waved after a few seconds.
Savannah screamed, "Did you see that! He was waving at me!" she exclaimed.
Taylor replied skeptically, "Uh...I don't think he was waving at you," noticing that many girls in their vicinity were similarly convinced it was meant for them.
"You're just jealous because he likes me," Savannah teased.
Rolling her eyes, Taylor returned her attention to the game.
Before long, the game concluded with the Spurs securing a one-sided victory. Nearly everyone stayed until the end to watch the new rookie, now nicknamed "Speedy Morales" by the announcer, for his dazzling lightning fast layups. By the end of the day, Morales jerseys were completely sold out, as Morales had won the hearts of San Antonio fans not only with his stature but also his exceptional performance, never relenting despite his smaller size and other challenges.
Taylor and Savannah walked to their car, which was quite a distance from the stadium. However, they hardly noticed the length of the walk as they recounted the incredible game. "He scored 18 points in just 23 minutes!" Savannah exclaimed in amazement.
"Do you realize how incredible that is?" she asked.
Taylor replied sarcastically, "Not really, but it must be something amazing."
"Well, just to put it into context, some players only score 18 points in over 30 minutes of playing time," Savannah explained matter-of-factly.
"Wow!" Taylor responded.
The friends continued walking before reaching their car, with Taylor behind the wheel. They placed their Morales jerseys in the back of the car before driving off. Little did Javi know, but he had gained many lifelong fans that day.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A/N: Hope you enjoyed the NBA Debut! I know it wasn't the most extravagant and the MC didn't score like 30+ points, however keep in mind the MC is still coming off the bench currently but this will change in the future. If you are enjoying the story so far please consider leaving a comment, review, or dropping down some stones below!
