Becoming HIM | The Hakeem Marion Story

[Agent]

Big Dance time

[kibaxx7]

CHAMPS!! And Hakeem answering the call

[The JZA]

CHAMPS!! And Hakeem answering the call

kibaxx7, And we're just getting started friend

[The JZA]

[The JZA]

[Agent]

I'll go North Carolina, Penn St. Louisville, & Providence in the final 4 with Penn St beating Louisville in the championship

[The JZA]

I'll go North Carolina, Penn St. Louisville, & Providence in the final 4 with Penn St beating Louisville in the championship

Agent, Choosing Providence over Kentucky???

[chosenone58]

Penn State
Louisville/Memphis
Texas bringing the upset
Tennessee

Penn State gotta take the crown.

[The JZA]

Penn State
Louisville/Memphis
Texas bringing the upset
Tennessee

Penn State gotta take the crown.

chosenone58, Digging some of these picks, I'd like to see Memphis pull up to the finals

[The JZA]

Chapter VII: Locked In

It was time. "The Big Dance" was here, and everything was just about set. The site location was the Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas, and was ready as it ever could be. The people were finally set in place, the media had all the cameras rolling, the stage was set. All that was left to do was to push the "post" button and blow the world up. I waited a few minutes, eyeing the clock on my phone just as the time struck 12-midnight on my phone as the day of the first round of the 2022 NCAA tournament, and boom... The Penn State Nittany Lions, more so my-self, was the center of attention by morning. Upon waking up, I checked my phone, seeing the post on social media had garnered over 4.2 million views, catching the attention of ESPN, mainly First Take, catching the attention of the once leader of the non-believers, mainly Max Kellerman, but none more so by my own school faculty who tried to have me delete the post, but my first amendment was the business I stood on. But the heat that followed wasn't too far away, better yet, it was knocking on my door...

"Yo, good morning, JP".

"Yo, what the literal fuc-, wait, wait, first off, good morning to you too, sir." Jalen redirected his expression as he walked in followed by other members of the team. "As I was saying, what the literal fuck?"

"I know right, it looks crazy, right?"

"Crazy isn't the word I'd use here. Wait, so you know why we're here?"

"Yeah, it's obvious... Y'all saw the post I plugged at midnight."

"Alright, just want to make sure we're all on the same page and there's no miscommunication, but obviously there is with this little stunt you're pulling. What the hell bro?"

"What? Y'all ain't never upped the ante before? None of y'all ever dropped the hammer and made noise? Cause that's all I'm doing."

Jalen stares at me as if I'm not serious. "Hold on, let me read this stupid shit to you: "You may as well crown us, the Penn State Nittany Lions, as the 2022 National Champions. There's not a single team amongst the other 63 seeds that can do a damn thing to change that. Stop wasting my time."

"Yo, this is bananas", Greg injected. "You're putting pressure on us for no reason bro, we didn't even get through the first round yet and we got so much unnecessary attention on us. You literally got us looking like fools on the internet right now."

"Nah my man, this ain't pressure on us, this is forcing them proving us wrong-"

"No! To prove you wrong!" Jalen retorted with pure irritation in his voice. "This ain't on us. We got nothing to do with this bullshit man, we're not playing your games!"

"Fuck it then, it's on me. It always have been. We got the best record in the conference because of who? The freshman? Hakeem Marion? Yeah, I'm him. We're season and Big Ten champions because of who? The freshman? Hakeem Marion? Yeah, I'm him too. And now I put the nation on notice, the whole NCAA community on notice. Cause over the next six games, The Nittany Lions is winning EVERY FUCKING THING!!... And that's because of who? The freshman? Hakeem Marion?" I briefly paused my rebuttal as I approached those who stood in front of me, looking them in the eyes with great intent. "Yeah, I'll be him too... Don't act like y'all mother fuckers been my friend. I can't imagine how many snakes I'm looking at before me, talking about me behind my back, getting me bench because your minutes got cut during winning time. Lets not get me started on the coach disrespectful ass. So, I'm not bothered, not bothered one bit about y'all disapproval of what I said to the world. Just because y'all can't stand on it, don't mean I can't... So it's on me, I'll ride and die on that sword. But when it's all said and done, and it's time to cut that net and raise that trophy, I don't want to see none of y'all asses touching either, cause that's on me too. The fuck y'all think this is?"

Jalen turns his attention to the group with him, asking them about what I said of the treachery, "Is that true? Y'all really went up against this man at the height of our run?"

"It was just two games man. We didn't think it would have gotten this far. We didn't know coach was going to take him out the line-up completely, we just wanted to play more", Jevonnie Scott answered. Disbelief fell on Jalen's face hearing the answer.

"Listen, on behalf of the team, I apologize. Their mistake is my accountability too, 'Keem. But this, this exposure you doing? This ain't it. We need to stay focus and ride the momentum we got. We don't need no distractions, we don't need no rift between us."

"Yeah, you right. I do need to stay focus, I do need to ride my momentum, and I definitely don't need this distraction. So I'ma let you all in on something that JP already knows. Effective after the tournament, I'm putting in for a transfer elsewhere, so enjoy these last six games of greatness on another level while you still can. I got nothing else to say about this."

"Man, you ain't right." With that response, Jalen, Greg, Jevonnie and the others took their leave. Honestly, some truth was said, it was unnecessary, but it's necessary for me. I need this pressure. I need them to prove me wrong. 64 of the nation's best were arriving to the tournament, and in six games, one was going to be crowned champion. And I had no intentions of being first runner-up, no sir...

A few hours later, I spent noon looking at recaps of Northern Colorado before the team meeting with coach. They were one of the teams that made it out the first four, and happened to fall to us in the first round. I saw nothing special there, but a team that had already scratched the surface. Nonetheless, it was a team that stood in the way and I had every reason to exploit them. As I'm watching on, I get a video call from Asia and Keri...

"Hey girls, top of the day to ya'. You two looking lovely as usual in your bonnet and skin care cream", I joked.

"Hey, beauty comes with preparation", Keri responded. "Girl, I was born ready", Asia confidently touted. Keri rolls her eyes with a slight smirk on her face, trying to fake the funk.

"Hey, hey, I see some of my machismo been rubbing off on you, heh"

"Mmhm, and she been getting on my nerves with it since y'all won the Big Ten tournament. I now see what side of the team she plays on."

"Awh, hey, come on, you know I got enough chocolate to go around boo boo" Asia flirted and teased with Keri as she covered her face, hiding her laugh.

"I love it, I love it. So what's up? Y'all doing anything today?"

"Nothing really, just going to watch the game, then probably head out to get something to eat. We called to wish you luck though."

"Awe, thank you, I really appreciate that. Especially after this morning." The girls were curious to what I was talking about, thus explaining the situation of what they partly knew. They both were shocked hearing about the team confronting me, but none too shock about why, another reason why they called in the first place.

"Hakeem, you sure you know what you're doing? Dropping that post, going viral like that, putting the school and your teammates in the spotlight like that? You sure that pressure is worth the drama?" Keri asked.

"Honestly, yeah. It is. All that know what's going on between me and the team, is the team and y'all two. Nobody else knows anything, at least not coming from me, and so far, I've had no one hawking my way about what's going on inside the team, yet, at least."

"Babe, but you know these other teams gonna come at y'all hard now that that line has been drawn in the sand. I don't want none of this to rear it's head on you."

"I get it, I get it, but it's go big or go home... I left home a long time ago. It's more than just my personality shining on the internet, I stand by what I said, I want that smoke. If there's anyone out there that can challenge me, step up and prove it. Cause the only teams that did are not among the 64 teams. And if they were, I'd still keep this same energy. I'm not leaving until I cut some nets down and raise a Natty, I promise you that."

"Mmm", Asia moistly moaned. "That's what I love about a man's confidence. That shit is so sexy."

"You not lying, but damn, that's a lot to handle", Keri says with concern of the potential backlash.

"Whatever it is you're thinking, I'll deal with it. But they got to deal with me first and foremost, and all they need to do is hand me my trophy and nylon... Plus, with all this attention on the school and my upcoming transfer, the media gonna be talking for a while over the summer. Call it cinema if you will."

"Cinema, you trying to make a movie?" Asia asked seductively, with a smile growing on her chocolate face.

"That depends, who's guest-starring in it with me?" I shot back. Without hesitation, they both raised their hand up.

"Slut!" Asia, incited at Keri.

"Whore!" Keri shoots back.

"Now kith", I interjected in my Tyson impression, bursting into laughter among us all.

"Well, like I said, we wanted to wish you luck. Whatever happens, know that I'm proud of you."

"Yeah, me too. I always knew you'd be a star even before I had to interrogate you in the library."

"You interrogated Hakeem in the library, when this happened and why wasn't I notified?"

"Hey, gotta go! Win for us tonight, baby!" Keri excitedly hurried off before Asia could lay into her.

"'Keem, don't be out there talking to girls in Texas, don't have me come find you." Asia says while giving me the look.

"I can't betray my fans, I'm 'him'" I boasted with a smug. "Don't sweat that noise, right now, I'm probably looking like an arrogant villain all over the media."

"I know, that how I got caught up with you and that worries me."

With no rebuttal, I just smile. With pleasant goodbyes handled, I recalibrated my focus on tonight's game against the Norther Colorado Bears, and of course, this team meeting. It outta be interesting what choice of words anyone there would have to say...