First 5v5 to 21 at Rucker Park I
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~~~(POV: Ulysses Kennedy)~~~
~~~(Date: September 25th, 2025)~~~
~~~(Time: 3:08 PM)~~~
~~~(Location: Rucker Park)~~~
The fans that want to play have finally sorted out who's playing first, and I'm on a team with an average age of 24. I'm the only one below the age of 20. My teammates don't stand any taller than 6'3, and the other team has some taller players—the tallest being 6'6. I dwarf everyone on the court. Someone was even nice enough to bring jerseys, just plain blue and red ones. I'm wearing blue, and the game is just starting. There are no refs, and it's calling your own fouls. Which is fine with me, I stand on the sideline, and I inbound it to the point guard. I'm running small forward.
We get possession first. "C'mon, Lemar! Show him that you can hoop! Don't embarrass us!" The other small forward and 6'6 player that's guarding me is named Lemar. He decides to full-court press me, but I don't even have the ball. Knuckleheads pop up from time to time, and Lemar seems to be one of them. There are people on the sidelines talking trash and barking at me, but I don't let it get to me. The point guard makes some dribble moves and gets into the paint. He passes it to our 6'2 center, and he lays it in.
The people clap and congratulate the players involved in the play, cheering and recording with their phones. Red team inbounds from their side of the court as my team shifts to defense. We are up by 2 since we are playing by two's and three's. The point guard of red team passes the ball to Lemar, who wants to score on me really badly. However, his handles aren't very good. I could rip him, but I think letting him play would be better. He might not get another chance like this in his life. He makes some dribble moves, and I keep a good distance to block his shot and respond to a drive if needed.
He starts driving left, and I respond by guarding him. He pushed against my chest as he tries to get to the basket but can't get past me. I guide him towards the baseline way from the hoop, and he has to pick up the ball and toss it to his shooting guard. The crowd ooh's and ahh's at the display of physicality. "C'mon, Lemar. Don't let him little boy you like that! That white boy came here, at our court!" Lemar's friends are barking at him, trying to motivate him. They want to protect the sanctity of their court from an outsider, which I am.
I chuckle as Lemar barks back at his friends, complaining that he can't shoot over me since I'm too damn tall, and I move like a point guard and not a 7 footer. His shooting guard takes a clean open shoot at the basket after doing a spin move to get in, and the game is tied. Another player on my team inbounds the ball to me, and Lemar is covering me full court. Since Singularity Space is active, it's not going to be hard to dominate this game absolutely, and I think a show of that domination is needed. I do a between the legs and drive, Lemar follows and tries to stay in front of me.
To throw him off I stop abruptly and change to the other direction. He twirls around and trips up himself, falling to the ground. "Geeez, Lemar! You got you're ankle broke!!" His friends start barking at him as I pass half court. Another defender comes up to meet me as the crowd goes wild from my move, phone recording. I stop and start my beautiful shooting motion from 34 feet out. The defender jumps at me, trying to get a chance to block, but he's just too small. I flow into my release and I shoot it. My high release point leaving my hand in the air.
The shot sink with nothing but net and the defender hits with his body as he comes down. People start calling out And 1 over and over. I get up and start shifting back on defense as the red team regathers themselves after that play. The people are so loud my ears almost hurt. It's now 5 to 2, in my team's favor.