NBA: Road to glory

The first few days were a blur of orientations, meetings, I was a student too my sister was there too, just doing her own thing, but we still spent a bit of time together, walking around, catching up a bit. It's nice, you know, having her there. Balancing that was going to be key. 

But what made the transition a little easier for me was the fact that, in my previous life, I had already taken most of the same courses. School itself wasn't too difficult—everything felt familiar, like I had already been through it before. It was like getting a second chance to ace the subjects I had already mastered, so the academic side of things didn't stress me out as much as it might have for other freshmen.

One afternoon, after a grueling practice, I was walking back to the dorm when I ran into Marcus and Lucas. 

Later that evening, we all decided to grab some food at the campus diner. It was the perfect way to unwind after a long day. The place was buzzing with people—some laughing and talking, others buried in their textbooks. It had that lively college vibe that I had been looking forward to.

Media day...

Interview with Franklin Lincoln: The President of basketball

By journalist : Jason Richmond, October 14th, 2012

Journalist: Franklin, thanks for sitting down with us today. So far, how has your transition to college life been?

Franklin Lincoln: Honestly, it's been a lot smoother than I expected. The first few days were packed with orientations and a bunch of stuff, but I've adjusted pretty quickly. I guess school is easy for me.

Journalist: What's your goal for the upcoming season?

Franklin Lincoln: My goal is simple: to help this team win. I want to be someone who can make an impact every time I step on that court. This is a big opportunity for me, and I'm going to take full advantage of it.

Journalist: So, what can we expect from you this season?

Franklin Lincoln: You can expect me to give it my all. I'm ready to lead, to step up, and to be someone my teammates can rely on. We've got a long season ahead, but I think we have the potential to do something.

Journalist: Thank you again for answering our questions.

Franklin Lincoln: No worries.

A Few Days Later... The Season Was Finally About to Begin

The days leading up to the season practices were intense, everyone was giving it their all, there was a sense of anticipation in the air. 

The first game was scheduled to take place tomorrow, November 11th, against the Milwaukee Panthers. It was going to be an exciting matchup. The guys on the team are ready, and so am I, so I have no doubt about what we're going to do to them. 

The next day...

The game kicks off, and right from the start, the intensity is electric. Milwaukee Panthers comes out strong, but I'm ready. As soon as I get the ball, I see my defender positioning himself—he thinks he's ready, but he doesn't know what's coming. I make my move, a quick a spin, and I'm attacking the rim. The dunk comes easy, and I can feel the whole gym vibrating as I slam it down. My defender's way behind me, trying to catch up.

The game is going well, even if we could have done much better we were always in front.

We're up by 5, and the game's heating up. Milwaukee is trying to adjust, but I've got the rhythm now. They're closing the lanes, trying to make me pass, but I'm too quick. I take a dribble, feel the pressure, then explode to the basket again. Another dunk. The crowd's buzzing, and I see my teammates feeding off the energy. But Asher, my teammate, isn't having it.

Every time I score, I hear him. "Yo, Franklin! Pass the ball!" His voice is sharp, frustrated.

I glance at him, but I'm not passing. Not now. Not yet.

"Relax, Asher," I say, but I'm still focused on the game. "I got this."

Another bucket. We're up by 7, and I'm not slowing down. But Asher's still calling for the ball, his eyes locked on me, waiting. I can feel the tension between us building. I get it—he's a junior, wants to show he can do it too. But right now, it's my show bro.

With 5 minutes left, we're still holding a slim lead. I get the ball on the wing, take one dribble, and step back for a deep three. The shot leaves my hands, and for a moment, time stops. It hits "Nothing but net."

The gym explodes. I turn to see Asher watching me, his arms crossed. He's frustrated. But we're up by 8.

"Seriously, man. Pass the ball," he snaps, clearly annoyed as we jog back down the court.

I wipe the sweat from my forehead and give him a look. "You want the ball? I could score, they had a bad matchup on me." I don't raise my voice, but I make sure he hears it.

The final buzzer sounds—87-79. We've won, and the tension between me and Asher is still hanging there. I'm breathing heavy, but I'm satisfied. Another game down. But I can tell Asher's still not happy with how I played. He wanted more, but right now, I couldn't care less. I focus on the win and move forward.

I finished with 22 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist 'Maybe I overdid it. For now, though, the win's all that matters.'

After the game, we head to the locker room.

We're all sweating, laughing, and talking about the plays. The energy's good, but we know it's not over yet.

Coach Brubaker walks in, and the whole room quiets down.

He looks at us for a second, taking it all in. Then he nods, a small smile on his face. "Good first win, guys. But don't get too comfortable. This is just the beginning. We've got a long season ahead, and we need to stay focused."

Everyone nods, we're all aware of it.

After changing, we were heading out of the locker room when, as I was walking over to my sister waiting at the exit, a girl came up to me. It was Yvette.

"Hey Franklin, that's you, right? You played really well earlier."