The Mis-Education of Noah Baldwin (2027 - ???)

[Agent]

back's against the wall. Baldwin better hit that next gear.

[chosenone58]

Keep Focus

After Game 4 loss
I tossed my chair across the locker room. The series was tied.

“Bro, you gotta relax. We still got three more games to make this right.”

“Yeah, well they got three more games to make it right too now, Mike.”

Coach Silas walked in and looked at the chair in the middle of the room. After looking around the locker room he noticed that I was the only player standing. He nodded in my direction.

“That game was shit. Game 3 was expected, but you could see their confidence tonight. You guys left Noah out to dry.”

“Coach--”

“They did. It’s right there in black and white.” He tossed the stat sheet in the middle of the floor. “Chet had nine points. Ant? Eight points. Mike? Seven points. Those were our top three scorers after Noah. We gotta do better than this, fellas. These games aren’t gonna win themselves.”

He nodded to let me know I could address the team.

“Let’s put these two losses behind us. We’re going back home, let’s retake control of this series.” I raised my hand and the rest of my teammates huddled around me to do the same. “Together on me. Together on three. One, two, three…”

“Together.”

As we dispersed, Coach Silas handed me my chair.

“Throwing furniture?”

“I’m good. I’m just ready to get the fuck out of Boston, Coach. I’ll see you on the plane.”

Present
As soon as the buzzer sounded, I was one of the first players in the tunnel. I went straight to the postgame interview room. I sat at the long table facing the press after our third straight loss to Boston. After losing in our house. To Boston. This was the last place I wanted to be. But, obligations or whatever. It was better than being in the locker room.

“Let’s get this show on the road, ladies and gentlemen.”

“Noah, what do you think went wrong tonight?”

“Other than us losing?” Nervous laughs littered the room. “You can’t really point to just one thing. They outworked us tonight. Shots weren’t falling. Defense was lacking. I think I had two assists. Just a whole gumbo of problems.”

Four questions later, and I find myself headed to the locker room. As I approached my locker I noticed that my chair is missing. I look around and see all of the folding chairs had been moved from the front of the lockers and were folded in a corner. Mike sat on top of the stack smiling. Everyone else in the room looked tense.

“I’m not in the mood for it tonight, Mike.”

“Maybe not, but we don’t need you possibly breaking something after this and then we’re fucked for games six and seven.”

I walked over to my locker and picked up my phone. I saw a text from Kori telling me that she was at home and reminding me not to throw anything. That made me smile a little.

I had a text from my uncle that read: Don’t shut down. That brought things back in focus. I looked around the room at my guys. They looked completely out of it. We battled hard tonight.

Coach Silas entered the room and walked to the center. He looked each player in the eyes before he spoke.

“I don’t know what that was, but that was not Knicks basketball. If you’re not going to try, let me know. We can just hand them the damn trophy right now and start making vacation plans. I’m sure Keryl can have me and the girls in Italy by next weekend.”

He turned to me. “Noah, you got anything? I don’t know what else to say at this point.”

I took a deep breath before walking to the center of the locker room.

“Y’all know we’re proving everybody right, right? If Noah ain’t getting it done, the Knicks ain’t getting it done. No one on the Knicks roster can step in if Baldwin is ever out. It’s a one man show in New York City. Noah is gonna have to score fifty points a night in order get to Knicks back to the Finals.”

I let my statements hang in the air for a moment before I continued.

“I don’t believe that shit. But defense was absolute trash tonight, fellas. I need y’all to show me we can do this. Every man from one to fifteen. Y’all with me?”

I looked around the room as the guys slowly started to nod.

[chosenone58]

[chosenone58]

[chosenone58]

[Agent]

Game 7 time!

[chosenone58]

Game 7 time!

I knew Boston was gonna push us. Boys gotta lock in

[chosenone58]

[chosenone58]

[kibaxx7]

My two favorite teams. These Finals will be AMAZING.