The UCLA Training Facility
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~~~(POV: Ulysses Kennedy)~~~
~~~(Date: January 24th, 2026)~~~
~~~(Location: Outside UCLA Training Facility, LA)~~~
~~~(Time: 3:25 PM)~~~
The limo stops, and the home of Lakers practice is out my window. Men near the front door come and open my door for me, and I help Ellie and Hannah out with me. They stand on the sidewalk, and I turn to face the door, towering above anyone near me. "Mr. Kennedy! It's wonderful to meet you in person!" A feminine voice comes from the doorway, and Jeanie Buss makes her approach.
She outstretches her hand for a handshake. Being polite and respectful, I do the same, and her tiny hands give the best handshake she can muster. Ms. Buss knows how to shake the hand of someone bigger than her. "It's nice to meet you too, and thanks for paying for the trip. It takes the stress off us." She smiles and finishes shaking my hand.
She turns towards the door with one arm open and pointing toward it. "We can talk more inside. Today is an important day for the Laker's Organization." Her positivity is something that I don't really see often in owners. The Lakers are determined to make a great impression, and the reason is there if you think about it hard enough.
Even if I'm not drafted to them, they want this good impression and how accommodating they are to be remembered when trade time comes around. "This is the first time I've ever been inside an advanced training facility before." We all walk through the doors, and Hannah makes it a point to walk beside me. Ellie is following behind but giving us space.
No one knows about my Prodigious Basketball System and all the things it's done for me. No one will ever know either. A training facility like this never had many uses for me, not with The Simulation Space and the grind I've put in. "The Lakers have the best equipment in basketball. We hire the best trainers, nutritionists, and security." Jeanie starts to speak as we walk down the halls.
We stop in front of a large glass window, looking into a weight room. "This is where all the players do their weight training on the clock. But everyone has home gyms. We spare no expense." The weight training equipment at school is old and not up to a level like this. She starts walking again, and I follow. We're in a group of staff and security.
After turning a corner and walking through a set of double doors, a massive gym opens up with multiple basketball courts. The sounds and calls from the scrimmages going on instantly put the competitive drive in me. "This is where the team practices. Mostly conditioning, plays for game time, drills, and of course scrimmages." Jeanie has made one hell of an introduction.
My eyes scan the courts, and I see NBA players old and new, and Head Coach Frank Vogel blows his whistle. Ending the practice, turning towards the large group that I'm in, and making his way over with a smile. "The Singularity himself! Welcome to the UCLA Training Facility." He outstretches his hand, and I do the same for a handshake.
After a firm and cordial handshake, we part, and he crosses his arms as the team starts to make its way over. "The Laker's Front Office and I are excited to see how well you play with our current roster." I notice some younger faces from the time I was watching the NBA before I started playing in Highschool. Even Mobley, and Bam Adebayo.
The Older faces I see are Clint Capela and Caris LeVert. The rest of the faces I know, but I don't want to mention right now. "We have a solid team with a great future, but we're missing that key piece that'll catapult us to the top." Frank does the same thing Jeanie did and opens an arm towards the team and court. Looks like it's time that I show off what I can do.
~~~(POV: Ellie)~~~
~~~(Date: January 24th, 2026)~~~
~~~(Location: Outside UCLA Training Facility, LA)~~~
~~~(Time: 3:36 PM)~~~
I'll never stop worrying about Ulysses... No matter how old he gets... Seeing him treated like this makes me hope it doesn't go to his head. I know that he'll always be him, but he just turned 18, and he's already got a tremendous amount of stress on his shoulders. I'll admit, I don't like LA, but if he gets drafted here, then I'm moving here too. This city is not somewhere you want to be alone.
Knowing Hannah, she'll pick a school wherever Ulysses gets Drafted, but I still want to be here for him.