The Wells Fargo Center (Page 197)

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

~~~(Date: October 27th, 2026)~~~

~~~(Location: Team Bus, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)~~~

~~~(Time: 12:45 PM)~~~

My teammates are jabbering away with each other. As for me, I'm listening to music. Drowning out the rest of the world. Leaving me alone with the thoughts I've had since last night. Mostly about what I can do to unbalance the Sixers further.

Clips and videos of my trip to Schuylkill River Park have spread through the basketball community like a bad case of crabs on a college campus.

A light chuckle finds its way through me as I think about the comments I read. There were a lot of angry and happy Sixers fans. There are your typical crazies. The most entertaining ones are gangsta's trying to threaten me.

I honestly don't know what they mean half the time, and I can't read their texts the other half. They post and comment with the same hood language and accent they speak with. Who is that supposed to scare?

Doesn't scare me. I have no reason to be afraid of the thugs and gangsters. Sure, they've got guns and drugs, but I've got a multi-billion dollar franchise at my back. Still, it's not exactly wise to antagonize them.

It's fueling a fire that will burn out after a couple days anyway. The other thing I was thinking about last night was Ellie and Hannah. I'm glad I get to go to her first gymnastics meet. But that much travel isn't something I'm looking forward to.

They've become close during my girlfriend's stay with us. It's better to say she lives with me now. They're similar in personalities.

Maybe that's why I choose to date and be with Hannah in the first place. It's hard to say and not something I want to spend a lot of time thinking about. We're almost to the Well Fargo Center. We're arriving early so we can get some drills and warm-ups in.

The game starts at 3:00 PM. We'll likely be seeing the Sixers there when we get there. The media and broadcasting centers have already started their jobs there. Apparently, Stephen A. Smith will be in attendance today.

I wouldn't doubt he's hoping for a word with me or some on-the-spot interview. I'll admit, he's a man with a big personality. I can't say that I agree with what he says. Not that I agree with most analysts that haven't played basketball before.

After a couple minutes on the bus ride, I feel a tap on my shoulder, and someone sits in the seat next to me. It's Tom, and he's not got a happy look. I take my headphones off and wait for him to speak.

He takes a moment to gather his words. It's not like he can talk to me any way he wants to, so I think he's treading lightly. It's sad that he doesn't know that I really don't care how he talks to me. It's not changing anything for me.

His eyes meet mine, and stern energy is in them, like a parent that's about to reprimand a child. I can't stop the internal sigh from appearing, but there is no external queue.

"Listen, Ulysses. We give you a lot of freedom. Normally, NBA players of your caliber aren't allowed to play at public parks in their own hometowns. What you pulled is a major red flag."

That doesn't sound like it's my problem. Nothing in my contract or NBA Rules and Regulations says I can't play at an opposing team's public parks.

"I fail how to see that it's my problem, Tom. If I want to play basketball with fans, then I will. If I want to go to a public park, I will. If the front office didn't want that, they should've put it in my contract."

While I'm not a lawyer, my agent has clarified what I can and can't do. I'm allowed to play at public parks. And there isn't anything the Knicks Organization can do to stop me from playing at public parks.

There is a strong look of disapproval from Tom, but there isn't anything he can do to rebuttal. He's the coach, not the front office.

"I just thought you should know the front office isn't happy, and they'll be meeting with you at the next home game. Don't be surprised if they throw money into the contract, adding a clause that you can't pull stunts like that."

Well, I'd have to agree to the changes. I'm not hurting for money, and it's not something I'm selling out. However, I have to work with the front office as a player.

Sure, I indeed hold all the power. But that doesn't mean I should abuse it. While it's not my problem, I shouldn't add to the problem. That's just a dick move.

A breath enters me, and a small sigh escapes my lips. Making Tom smiles and chuckle just a little. He places his hand on my shoulder and laughs a little more. To a man outside this situation, it's probably funny.

"You'll get used to it, Ulysses. When a player of your talent comes along, a front office will do everything it can to protect you. Whether you're happy with it or not."

He stands up and heads back to the front of the bus. I put my headphones back on as the bus comes to a stop. All of us stand up with our things in our bags; as we get off the bus, several people have cameras.

Pictures are being taken, and I can already tell a lot of attention will be on this game tonight. My actions made sure of that.

~~~(POV: Stephen A. Smith)~~~

~~~(Date: October 27th, 2026)~~~

~~~(Location: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)~~~

~~~(Time: 2:45 PM)~~~

"We're 15 minutes from tipoff here in Philly. There is an air of tension that's slowly filling the arena. Fans are coming in fast. Filling the seats as they do. Looking at the court, just to see if sparks fly between the Knicks and Sixers."

ESPN's camera is facing me, with the teams warming up in the background. I'm glad I was able to get Ulysses for an exclusive sometime during this game. It might happen before tipoff, at halftime, or after the game.

All I know is I'll have my chance to talk with him and question him about his actions. But with my experience, how he handled that entire situation. It was to get in the heads and hearts of the Sixers and their fans.

It's a very Mamba thing to do, and I see a lot of Kobe in the kid. Even though they've never met, I see that animal in him. That assassin. The killer that a player needs to win a game at will.

"It's obvious the Sixers and their fans are divided between what to say and how to handle UK himself. His antagonistic antics at Schuylkill River Park have set this match-up on FIRE. ON FIRE, ladies and gentlemen. Stay tuned."

The camera cuts, and I take a momentary breath. There is a deep tension in the arena tonight. The fans are divided amongst themselves, and the Sixers have gone through a lot of drama recently.

Mostly about how they're not playing to their fullest potential, and Embiid is not being the player he needs to be. Blaming the fans and teammates for his own failures. It's one of the reasons Harden left a few years ago.

My attention turns to the Knicks warming up and UK is doing some warm-up drills. There are fans trying to bark at him, but he's got his headphones on.

I don't know what's going through that kid's head, but he's the next great generational player. No doubt in my mind. His stats alone speak for that, but it's not that alone. It's how he's handling the NBA.

He's treating his opponents like a competitor is supposed to. They're not his friends, and he's not here to make friends.

He's here to win.

I wish there were more of that in today's game.

~~~(POV: Ellie)~~~

~~~(Date: October 27th, 2026)~~~

~~~(Location: Penthouse, Apartment, New York)~~~

~~~(Time: 2:55 PM)~~~

Hannah sits next to me with a fresh bowl of popcorn, and ESPN shoves commercials in our faces before the game starts. Another reason it's better to be in the game arena.

You don't have to deal with interruptions like this. Stephen A. just got done with his last report before the game starts. Ulysses is in the zone right now. In the brief moments that I saw him practicing in the background, he had that look and feel about him.

"How long do you think it'll take before he's crushing the Sixers?"

Hannah's question causes me to think. The Sixers are an average team, and there are two reasons for that. They roster is lacking in some places, and the bigger of the two problems. They don't have the willpower to fight through a challenge.

Not the one that Ulysses is laying down.

"I don't know... He's turned their fans against them..."

He's always been a shrewd boy, and now he's using it in the NBA.