Horrible on The Inside...

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~~~(POV: Rob Pelinka, GM of LA Lakers)~~~

~~~(Date: January 24th, 2026)~~~

~~~(Location: UCLA Training Facility, LA)~~~

~~~(Time: 1:30 PM)~~~

In 2 hours, Ulysses will be arriving at the UCLA Training Facility, and I'm looking forward to meeting the young talent. Jeanie Buss has authorized any funds needed to better Ulysses's stay here. The Ritz-Carlton hotel and all expenses they have here are mainly what she meant. "Ulysses Kennedy with the Dagger falling baseline two-pointer at the buzzer!" My eyes focus on the screen.

These old recordings of Ulysses's games from previous years in high school have been watched by many owners and scouts. Ever since his first scrimmage game his freshmen year. He's grown tremendously in physical development and basketball skills. He's ironed out his early weaknesses. He's a player that I can only compare to Kevin Durant, only more efficient.

How that's even possible is beyond me, and the fact he did it on his own shows a level of intelligence and dedication to the game not seen since Lebron and Kevin. "The crowd is going wild! The Singularity has won the High School National Championship for the 2nd year in a row!" The footage I'm currently watching is the championship game of Ulysses's sophomore year.

It's amazing what this kid can do, and if the Lakers are lucky enough to get the number one pick, then you can be sure as shit we're taking him. The only problem is the Knicks. They're tanking harder than us right now, which means they'll have a slightly better percentage. Usually, it wouldn't be that big a deal, but this draft involves Ulysses.

The slightest bit of percentage is being chased for a better shot at Ulysses. All the young talent coming into the NBA this year is unbelievable. It's one of the best draft classes yet, but with Ulysses in it. It's become far more valuable. I look at the page in front of me, and it shows all the positives to Ulysses, and these pages come with a negatives category, but Ulysses doesn't have those.

Since his freshman year of high school, Ulysses has grown 6 inches and stands at the center's height. He doesn't play or move like a Center. His 7'0 frame flows and glides like a guard, and he handles the ball like a 6'3 to 6'4 point. He shoots better than anyone I've seen. His jump shot is beautiful, to say the least. Probably one of the highest release points ever.

Before I can continue reading the paper, my office phone starts to ring, and I'm quick to answer it. "How has everything gone in preparing him for a welcome?" Jeanie is calling in to make sure that the UCLA Training Facility is in top shape for Ulysses when he arrives. There are select media members that'll be attending. This can bring hope to the fans of the Lakers.

Knowing Jeanine, she's going to want a direct and concise report. "Everything is prepared, and the rest of the team is starting to come in. I want them warmed up before we go through scrimmage games with Ulysses. What I'm worried about is the fervent behavior of Laker fans." Word has already spread all across LA that Ulysses is coming here.

My email has been lighting up. Fans, Content Creators, media, podcasts, and everyone interested in basketball is trying to find a way in. "Shall I call LAPD to run security?" Jeanie is quick to try and solve the problem, and they helped us with security like this before. I confirm to her that it'd be a good idea and we say our good buys.

After Ulysses is done here in LA, I feel like he'll be balancing school and flying around America trying out for teams. His grades are fantastic despite being a high school student-athlete. Grades suffer when athletes try and find the balance between school and their sport. My eyes look back at the paper, and I pick up the remote and press play.

The TV unpauses, and a new recording starts. It's another one of Ulysses's games, and the most impressive thing about him, in my opinion, is his clutch factor. He's a stone-cold killer in crunch time, and he's never missed a basket that would save a win or stop the other team from winning. He can rally comebacks and score points faster than anyone I've ever seen.