The NBA G-League

Houston

Texas

USA

The news of Lokesh Kumar’s selection in the draft sent ripples across India. Everyone was proud of the boy. Social media was flooded with people wishing the young man well for his career. It was amidst all this that Lokesh finally showed up to Houston and arrived at the basketball arena in Downtown Houston.

He first went to the front office in order to go over the details of his first NBA contract with the GM, Marcello Rodriguez.

“Mr. Kumar! Welcome! Please take a seat!” exclaimed Marcello happily on seeing Lokesh.

“Thank you for the opportunity, sir,” said Lokesh gratefully. “I am indebted to you!”

Marcello waved his hand. “Forget that. Do you know why I drafted Mr. Jordan Jr over you at number one?”

“Why, sir?”

“The scouts and analysts aren’t aware of you yet, Mr. Kumar. But the entire nation had their eyes on Keon Jordan Jr! I didn’t want to sacrifice even one of you! That’s why I took Keon at number one, and relied on the fact that your injury and lack of basketball history would make you fall straight into my hands at number 60!”

“Yes, sir.”

“I’m sorry if I made you wait, Mr. Kumar. But, welcome to the Houston Spacewalkers organization!”

“No, sir. It only made my draft more special. Thank you for drafting me! Can’t wait to get to work!”

“Excellent,” said Marcello. “I sincerely believe that you and Keon Jordan Jr could be the deadliest, most lethal duo in NBA history!”

*

“Here’s your contract, Mr. Kumar,” said Marcello.

“What are the details, sir?” asked Lokesh.

“It is a two-way contract,” said Marcello. “While you’re an amazing player and prospect, you don’t have much professional basketball history. This is why we believe that a two-way contract would best suit you!”

“What is that, sir?”

“You’ll basically play for both the Houston Spacewalkers, and out NBA G-League affiliate team, the Sugarland Venom. There, you’ll learn more about the NBA style of play. Our amazing coach, Khalil Al-Farooq, will teach you all the vital skills you’ll need in the NBA. You’ll develop as a player and be more ready for the NBA when you return!”

“Yes, sir,” said Lokesh.

After Lokesh signed his contract, Marcello gave him another piece of information.

“Another budding player will be joining you in the G-League, Mr. Kumar,” said Marcello.

“Who is he, sir?”

Marcello smiled. “His name is Kobayashi Ichikawa. I hope I pronounced that correctly. He’s a young point-guard from Japan. I hope you get along well with him. He’s about your age, after all.”

“Why is he being sent to the G-League, sir? Is he not very good?”

“No, nothing like that! He’s been lacking playing time in the NBA and hence, is unable to play consistent minutes and improve his game. We hope that he really blooms in the G-League and becomes a regular player in our rotation!”

Lokesh smiled. “Yes, sir. I understand.”

*

Lokesh and his new friend Kobayashi Ichikawa went over to Sugarland in order to unite with their G-League team. There, they were introduced to the head coach of the Sugarland Venom, Khalil Al-Farooq.

“No offense, but you both are extremely undersized,” said Khalil. “Ichikawa, you can play point-guard. But Mr. Kumar, I cannot have you as a small-forward.”

“I understand, sir,” said Lokesh sadly.

“Don’t be so dejected!” laughed Khalil. “You can still play a positionless role in between shooting-guard and small-forward.”

“Yes, sir.”

“I heard you played center back in India?”

“That’s right, sir.”

Khalil smiled. “First, I intend you teach you how to play the mid-range game in this league!”

*

Under Khalil’s tutelage, Lokesh started learning the mid-range game. He picked up three moves. The mid-range jumper, the floater, and the fadeaway jumper (1). Because of his lack of talent, Lokesh was initially slow to pick up the new skills he was being taught. But with sheer grit, will, and perseverance, he managed to develop a reliable and consistent mid-range game.

The mid-range game was now added to his basketball arsenal of speed, jumping power, air-time, and dunking.

He was going to be more deadly than ever.

*

Marcello Rodriguez and Steven Walker, the head coach of the Houston Spacewalkers, sat down to discuss the future of the team.

“Danny Reynolds provides veteran leadership like no other! Odai Beckham Jr just gets better and better! And Keon Jordan Jr, my goodness! He’s…”

“Sir! Sir!” a loud yell interrupted the conversation.

“What happened, Laura?” asked Marcello to his assistant.

Laura burst into the room and threw a newspaper on Marcello’s table. “Look at the sports section, sir!”

Marcello and Steven stared at the article and almost choked on their own tongues.

The headline read:

DEADLY INDIA-JAPAN DUO COMBINE FOR 70 POINTS AND 21 ASSISTS AS THE SUGARLAND VENOM DEMOLISH THE SFO GULLS 134-90

“21 assists and 70 points?” shrieked Marcello. “What is Khalil feeding these kids in Sugarland?”

“That’s not all, sir. The Japanese youngster, who’s passes were usually too fast for his teammates to handle, has now formed a crazy combination with the Indian guy, who, as it turns out, is actually fast enough to receive his passes! That duo is literally unstoppable!” said Laura.

“Bless my soul!” exclaimed Marcello. “I was hoping that Mr. Kumar and Keon Jordan Jr would form a deadly duo! Now he goes and forms another killer combo with Kobayashi Ichikawa!”

*

“I owe you a thanks, Lokesh,” said Kobayashi.

“Huh? Why?”

“I stopped my bullet passes because nobody was fast enough to receive them. That led to people thinking I was a terrible defender! But then you show up and snatch all my passes with your speed and huge hands! You gave me back my confidence to throw faster passes!” said Kobayashi.

“Well, don’t mention it,” said Lokesh. “We’re doing really well in the G-League. It is as Mr. Rodriguez said. With consistent playing time and practice, we’re starting to get better!”

“Yeah,” said Kobayashi. “By the way, there’s a much faster pass. Think you can handle it?”

“A faster pass?” choked Lokesh. “You can actually pass faster?”

“Yeah,” answered Kobayashi. “I literally swat the ball into the opposite court. But nobody has managed to retrieve that. Guess it’s an undue risk,” he said, looking at Lokesh.

But Lokesh’s eyes were glinting manically.

“Next time, do that very move! I want to try and get that pass!”

*

Even though Kobayashi never managed to do his signature swipe-steal, the Indian-Japanese combo was too much for the likes of G-League players to handle.

The Sugarland Venom breezed through every game they played. And in the finals of the G-League, Kobayashi and Lokesh combined for a retarded stat line of 78 points, 10 rebounds and 27 assists, as they led their team to the G-League title over the Staten Island Soldiers 127-111.

The celebrations in Sugarland lasted all night. The next day, Lokesh found Khalil Al-Farooq with two letters in his hand. One of Lokesh and one for Kobayashi.

The two youngsters read the letters and a warm feeling enveloped their hearts.

It was their recall letter.

Both of them had been recalled to the NBA to play with the Houston Spacewalkers. Marcello’s plan had succeeded. The two had become absolute monsters in the G-League.

“Well, this is it!” said Khalil. “All the best for your careers!”

The two thanked Khalil profusely for his help before leaving the stadium to re-join their NBA team.

As they boarded a cab to take them back to Downtown Houston, only one thought was running in both their minds.

“It begins now!”

And they weren’t wrong.

Endnotes.

1. Fadeaway Jumper: A fadeaway or fall-away in basketball is a jump shot taken while jumping backwards, away from the basket. The goal is to create space between the shooter and the defender, making the shot much harder to block.