Overtime 🏀 ✔️

Chapter 1

Dale, Jay's cousin/PR guy, in MM
JAY

"What has been your biggest regret since joining the NBA?" the bearded host asked me on stage.

My throat tightened. The question caught me off guard honestly. I've been in the NBA for two years now and ain't no one ever asked me that. I cleared my throat as I fixed my salmon-colored blazer.

"Umm..."

I knew what the answer was, but I wasn't sure if I was ready to say it. Maybe coming to terms with it was going to help me move on. I don't know. The bright lights shone in my face and it felt like the stares of the L.A. audience were piercing through me.

"You must have something," the host said.

"Yeah, I do...one regret I had was losing the person that meant the most to me. I lost her and gained this world instead."

I let my head hang low. Shit. I didn't know saying it would affect me like that; after all, it's been a year since I last saw her...

"Hmm, that's deep. Sacrifices are important. We see it every day," he said. "Now moving onto the next question that all your female and some male fans want to know: is there a lucky lady in your life right now?"

The pain came as memories of Kay and me flashed across my mind. I shrugged then got up and walked off the stage.

"Quick. Cut to commercial!"

—-

"Jaylen Moses, no. 23 on Oklahoma City Thunder. What the fuck was that interview this morning!?" she asked sitting on my bed next to me with her legs crossed as I threw a small ball up in the air and caught it.

It was night time now and I was just seeing Vicky for the day. The interview was this morning and during the day I went shopping with some rappers out here with who I had become friends over the years.

PR has been tough on me lately since I've been dodging that question left and right. She fixed her straight red hair behind her ear.

I sighed.

"Vicky, you know how I feel bout that question and they keep asking me that shit every single time. Like, damn, can a nigga live!?"

Vicky held her forehead frustratedly and shook her head.

"Jay, we need those contracts to start coming in from Nike or New Balance or whoever else so you can make some more bank! And those things can be influenced by if your interviews are good or not and how you appear to the public! Right now your ratings are below average, right next to Kyrie Irving!"

I kept throwing the red ball into the air. Vicky's voice was starting to get tuned out. I was ready to leave L.A. and go back home to Oklahoma.

"Well tell them to stop asking me that shit else I'm not interviewing no more!"

"Jay, you have to be reasonable, I-"

I caught the ball in my hand.

"I said what I said, Vick!"