A Scrimmage Game For the LA Lakers I

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

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

~~~(Location: UCLA Training Facility, LA)~~~

~~~(Time: 3:40 PM)~~~

I finish putting on a black jersey for my team, and the other team is wearing red. I don't really know what we're playing. Scrimmages are done differently by different coaches. Sometimes, it's 4 quarters and 6 minutes a quarter. Others, it's to a certain amount of time or a specific score. I take my usual spot at Small Forward and look at my teammates.

Frank Vogel is talking to the other staff and executives, and Jeanie Buss is next to him. He blows his whistle and grabs everyone's attention. "Okay, it'll be 4 quarters, and each quarter will be 7 minutes. The game will be played until the time is out or a score of 75 is reached by either team." Everyone gives a barely registered reaction, which is how it is at this level.

In high school basketball, it's all about cheering and responding to every one of the coach's words with energy. That doesn't happen here, not from what I've seen. Again, different coaches do different things. Abedayo is on the other team with Caris LeVert and Even Mobley. Clint Capela is on my team and is running Center.

The Red Team gets first possession, and my team is on defense. "Show'em what you've got, sweetie!!" Ellie is quick to cheer me on from the sidelines as I match up with my assignment. It's a little embarrassing, but the good kind. A smile comes on my face, and everyone else smiles too. My matchup is Tyreke Evans, a 6'6 Small Forward Shooting Guard mix.

Being 7'1 in my basketball shows, I'm 7 inches taller than him. Red Team calls a play, and my matchup and I aren't in the play. However, Caris LeVert is driving into the paint. Usually, I'd leave my match up for a block. Since we're so close, but these aren't high school players. Caris would just pass it to my matchup, Tyreke, and get an easy two points.

So I move towards the basket and stay close to my matchup as he moves to back up Caris. I'm quick to box him out as Caris goes for a layup and scores. I grab the ball, step out of bounds, and inbound to Derrick White. Black Teams Point Guard. As soon as I'm running on the court, he passes it back to me. I get it. I'm supposed to show what I can do.

I dribble past half-court, and Adebayo is guarding me. He's the tallest person on the current Lakers roster. "You've got this, Suger!!" Hannah does the same as Ellie, but I'm already in that zone. I play isolation on him and perform a crossover and shift into a spin. I pass him, but he's right beside me. I step to the right to create more space and hit a fading 2-pointer at the elbow.

The swishing click of the net fills the court, and Ellie and Hannah are both jumping up and down in excitement at my play. I'm unlike any player that has ever existed in the NBA. The best comparison is Kevin Durant, except I'm faster, a better ball handler, and a more efficient shooter. I'm back on defense, and I stay locked on my matchup.

~~~(POV: Frank Vogel)~~~

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

~~~(Location: UCLA Training Facility, LA)~~~

~~~(Time: 3:42 PM)~~~

He's turned 18 years old today, and he can make a brilliant move like that... It's a fantastic thing to see in person. Ellie, Ulysses's Guardian, is standing on the free side of me. Jeanie Buss is on the other. I lean towards her and prepare to ask a question. "Is it true that Ulysses is self-taught? I read that he didn't play middle school basketball, but to come this far on his own..." She smiles and claps her hands at the fading 3-pointer from Ulysses.

She stops and leans in just a bit to talk. "He's totally self-taught, and everything he is as a basketball player is special... I know how much Ulysses means to the NBA and teams everywhere. I'd appreciate it if you didn't try to inflate his ego. I doubt that would happen, but he's only 18, and a lot is riding on him." Only a parent could talk like that for their kid.