How Sweet the Sound - The Story of David "Amazing" Grace (2K23 MyCareer)

[chosenone58]

Bron off to a rough start in this series. Better luck in Game 3

I need him to lock in. This series can’t be left to Grace and AD. Portland was easy. The boy ain’t putting up 50+ against Dallas.

One apiece, this can really go either way now

It only needs to go one way…..

[chosenone58]

[chosenone58]

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[Agent]

Nice shoutout to Caron Butler. Bron bounced back on the road

[The JZA]

Last 3 games, Grace held the scoring high for Lakers. New front man in the works.

[chosenone58]

Nice shoutout to Caron Butler. Bron bounced back on the road

I've always loved that celebration. Glad Bron decided to show up.

Last 3 games, Grace held the scoring high for Lakers. New front man in the works.

Gotta prepare for that transition in 2024

[chosenone58]

[chosenone58]

The King and I (Part 1)

April 2023

I pulled up to the gate at LeBron’s house and waited to be buzzed in. He texted me two days after our last game and asked me to stop through for Taco Tuesday. After All-Star weekend, I had been invited to Taco Tuesday like five times this season. I got out of the car and walked up to the door, before I could knock, Bronny answered the door.

“S’up, Dave?”

“I’m good, man. How are you?”

“Living the life.”

“I hear you. You any closer to a decision on college?” I asked as I stepped into the house. I could smell the food coming from the kitchen.

“I’ve narrowed it down. Trying to decide if I want to stay in L.A. or go back home to Ohio.”

“So, the Trojans have a chance?”

“Yeah.”

“Don’t try to get the inside scoop, David.” Savannah said as we walked into the kitchen.

“I’m not gonna go all Woj with it. I’m genuinely interested. The process was exciting and then my son happened, and all my plans went out the window.”

“That’s how you ended up at Houston?” She asked.

“Yep. My girl was going to school there and I pitched myself to Coach Sampson so I could be closer to them. Best decision that I made on the court and off. My family is everything.”

LeBron rounded the community “That is true. Smells good, babe.” He grabbed a fork and tried to scoop some of the ground meat out of the pot, but Savannah smacked his hand.

“Don’t you have to talk to Dave? The food will be here when you’re done.”

He gave her a kiss on the cheek before he nodded for me to follow him. We headed to his study. I took a seat in one of the leather chairs as he went to a shelf and poured us each a shot of Lobos tequila. He handed me a glass and took a seat in the chair across from me, sitting the bottle between us.

“So, you’ve been having one hell of a season.”

“Thanks, Bron.”

“Like, this may be one of the greatest rookie seasons for a Laker since Magic Johnson. All-Star selection, potential Rookie of the Year.”

“That’s crazy. I envisioned all this stuff, but not so early on in my career.”

“It’s not crazy. This is what happens when hard work meets opportunity.”

“I guess you’re right.”

“I’ve been doing this shit for twenty years; I know I’m right.” He laughed.

“So, what’s up? I know you didn’t call me in here to talk about how great of a season I’m having. I’m ready for these playoffs, man. I’m locked in. I’m ready to go. Don’t even trip.”

He nodded before downing his shot. His face turned serious.

“Do you believe that you can take the game from me?”

“I’m not following.”

“If the time came at any point in the playoffs that you needed to carry this team, would you do it? Are you willing to be the hero or, worse, the goat?”

I nodded my head slowly, starting to understand what he was saying. Despite how good of a season we had, 72 wins is hard. And the playoffs will be even harder. This isn’t college. No one and done. This is going to be a grind. While still a force, he is 20 seasons in.

“Shouldn’t you be talking to AD about this?”

“No, I’m talking to the right guy. AD knows his role and he’ll play it.” He poured another shot. “Don’t get shy on me now, Rook. You were our leading scorer this season. This is where the real work starts. Everybody is reset to zero. Everybody is looking for those sixteen wins. There can only be one champion. Every decision, every play will be scrutinized.”

“We can’t go out like the Warriors in 2016, right?” I said with a grin. He laughed at my reference, since it was his Cavaliers team that ruined Golden State’s record breaking season of 73-9.

“In order to be the hero, truly be the hero, you have to know that there may be times where you’ll be the goat. You can’t have one without the other,” I said.

“So, you would take the game from me? I’m always looked at to save the day when we get in a jam. I’m no spring chicken.” He laughed. “I can’t consistently play forty plus minutes a night with only a day of rest in between for the next six weeks. I’m not going to kid myself. Not saying, I won’t give 110 percent, because that’s who I am. But if that looks more like assists or rebounding or defense from night to night, I need to know you’re gonna be willing to pick up where I have to pull back. Because I know you can, you were great in that stretch with AD out. Can you take the game from me?”

I leaned back in my chair, thinking of how to best answer his question.

“I can’t take anything from you, Bron. You’d have to be willing to relinquish it. Just from playing with you this season, you are a “for the greater good” type of player. You see the plays before they even happen. But, you know I got your back like chiropractic.” I lifted my shot glass of Lobos tequila and tapped it against his.

“Salud, brother.”

“I appreciate you trusting me enough to consider charging me with this. Like I’m your second in command or something. Or maybe third if you count AD.”

“You’ve more than proven yourself, Grace. I have never played with a rookie like you before in my career. I wasn’t expecting much, just another shooter to play alongside Reaves, but I think you turned a corner in December after all the possible trade talks. You played with a chip on your shoulder and even once the deadline passed, you kept that hunger.”

“I love the game, man.”

“And it shows. I am really glad they didn’t trade your ass, Rook.” He laughed. “Let’s go see if those tacos are done.”

Present Day

“The 2023 Earvin Magic Johnson Western Conference Finals MVP: David Grace!”

“You played one hell of a series, Rook!” LeBron shouts in my direction.

He and AD grab my shoulders and shove me back and forth. All I can do is smile as I accept the trophy from Commissioner Silver. It was a pretty good series. I averaged like 30 points a night as we managed to drop the Dallas Mavericks in five games in the Western Conference Finals. We were one series away from being crowned NBA Champions. While I wanted to relish this moment, I wasn’t ready for this ride to stop.

“I just want to thank my teammates for supporting me all year. Bron, AD, Russ, my vets, have been a key piece to keeping me level and focused this whole season. We almost there, Laker Nation!” I raised the trophy over my head the fans and my teammates went crazy.

We get back to the locker room and I grab my phone out of my bag. I see a text from Dominique saying that she made it back home was about to put DJ to bed. He had worn himself out from all of the excitement of the big win. I was definitely grateful that our condo was only a 10 minute walk from the arena. She had gotten her first year of law school out of the way and she had a little break, so she has been at every game this series. I definitely play better when she is watching. Her parents met us in Dallas for games three and four. It was good having family around for one of the biggest moments in my life.

Coach Ham came in and gave his postgame speech, letting everybody know that the work was just getting started and not to take this opportunity for granted. We huddled in the middle of the locker room and LeBron looked to me.

“Kick us off, Rook!”

“Win on me, win on three! One, two, three…”

“Win!”

Before the guys could get too rowdy, LeBron announced to the locker room that I got to pick the restaurant for tonight.

I decided on Madeo. I was in the mood for Italian.

“Conference Finals MVP is also picking up the tab tonight!”

“I hope that check from Ruffles cleared, my boy!”

My teammates continued to rib me as they were headed to shower and change for the evening.

I sat at my locker just taking everything in. LeBron took the seat next to me.

“You did what needed to be done. One more series, my guy. You got four more wins in you?”

“Hell yeah.”

“This is where shit gets real. Making it to the Finals is great, but take it from somebody who has been there ten times and only has four titles… We wanna win that shit!”

He pats me on the shoulder before he heads to the showers.

I decided to go to the media room so that I can get all the press out of the way so I can enjoy my shower in peace. Followed by checking my account balance to make sure I can handle dinner for these guys. I should have said we were celebrating at In and Out Burger.

[chosenone58]

The League's Most Dominant Teams Collide

After taking down the Boston Celtics in six games, the Chicago Bulls have returned the NBA Finals for the first time since the days of Michael Jordan and the 1997-98 Chicago Bulls. This what the Bulls’ front office has envisioned since signing DeMar DeRozan and Lonzo Ball in 2021.

The Bulls finished with the second best record in the NBA and the best record in the Eastern Conference.

“It’s all coming together,” said Bulls’ GM Michael Eversley. Before bringing together Ball, DeRozan and Zach LaVine, the Chicago Bulls hadn’t qualified for the playoffs since 2017. In 2021, they earned the 6th seed, but lost in the first round to the reigning champs, the Milwaukee Bucks. So, for them to make it to the NBA Finals this year wasn’t a total surprise.

“We’ve worked extremely hard this season,” said DeRozan. DeRozan has been leading the Bulls in scoring throughout the playoffs, averaging 27.3 points per game. “It seems like nobody believed except for the guys in that locker room, but that’s all we need.”

Despite only winning Chicago and Los Angeles locked horns with less than 10 games to play in the regular season for back to back matchups, which Los Angeles won both. But they aren’t putting much stock into those losses.

“Playoffs are a different animal,” said DeRozan. “And it’s the NBA Finals.”

That’s one thing the Lakers can agree with.

“We may have the edge mentally, but we can’t rely on those two wins from March,” said LeBron James. “We’re not up 2-0 in this series.”

While James has had a less than stellar playoff run, David Grace has proven himself throughout this postseason. From Game 1, where he scored a record breaking 55-points against the Portland Trail Blazers to averaging 33.2 points per game in the Western Conference Finals while helping to guard Luka Doncic.

“It’s just been great,” said Grace. Grace was also named 2023 NBA Rookie of the Year. “Having the trust of my teammates and my coaches and just getting the chance to prove that night in and night out. It’s major.”

Anthony Davis also had a great performance in the Western Conference Finals, averaging a double-double of 21.6 points and 11 rebounds per game.

“We can’t do it without the big fella and he knows that,” said Lakers’ head coach Darvin Ham. “He is turning on at just the right time for us.

The two games between the Lakers and the Bulls were intense to say the least, they were the top two teams in their respective conferences and everyone touted these games as previews to the NBA Finals. The excitement got taken up another notch after a tweet by Chicago’s Andre Drummond wanting to “see what all the hype” surround David Grace was about. The game was tough and it was physical.

“That’s the way I like it,” said Grace. “I’m from Philly. I enjoy a little trash talk every now and again. And I can back mine up for sure.”

Grace finished with 26 points in the first meeting and 31 points in the second.

While the road to the Finals have been pretty easy, they are facing a Bulls team that’s looking to prove themselves to fans and critics alike.

“We’re ready to take our place,” said Zach LaVine. LaVine, along with Kriss Dunn and Lauri Markkanen, was traded to Chicago in 2017 from the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for Jimmy Butler and Justin Patton. He’s been averaging 26.6 points per game for Chicago in the postseason.

The Lakers have something to prove as well. LeBron James is on the hunt for his fifth ring and the Lakers are looking to surpass the Boston Celtics with most championships. Maybe James took that last series off in order to dominate in this one. No one really knows, but it will take the efforts of everyone in purple and gold to hang banner number 18 in Los Angeles.

[Agent]

Drummond & Lonzo on the same GFX as Bron & Grace should be the easiest series so far for this squad