The Grind Begins

Lucas blinked awake as the soft ding of the NBA System greeted him. He sat up, stretching out his arms before pulling up the familiar blue interface. The numbers in front of him mattered—they told the story of where he was and what he needed to become.

[NBA SYSTEM DASHBOARD]

Physical Attributes:

Height: 5'2" (157 cm)

Weight: 102 lbs (46 kg)

Strength: 25 → 26/100 (+1)

Agility: 30 → 32/100 (+2)

Stamina: 37 → 39/100 (+2)

Vertical Jump: 25/100

Basketball Attributes:

Ball Handling: 30 → 31/100 (+1)

Passing: 35/100

Defense: 20 → 21/100 (+1)

Steal: 25/100

Block: 15/100

Rebounding: 20/100

Post Defense: 15/100

Perimeter Defense: 25/100

Shooting:

Free Throw: 45/100

Midrange Shot: 32 → 33/100 (+1)

Layup: 41/100

Dunk: 0/100

3-Point Shot: 25/100

Shooting off the Dribble: 30/100

Badges:

Bronze Catch & Shoot

Bronze Clutch Shooter (New)

Lucas let his eyes linger on his stats. He had improved, but only slightly. A +1 here, +2 there—nothing massive, but enough to show progress.

His stamina and agility had inched forward, which made sense after the tournament and constant movement. His ball handling was marginally better, but his shooting, finishing, and strength?

Still too weak.

He needed to become a more well-rounded scorer. Right now, he couldn't rely on his three-point shot. His defense was still low-tier, which meant stronger players would push right through him.

Lucas leaned back against his pillow, exhaling. I have to build this the right way. No shortcuts.

The school day dragged.

Math? Easy.

English? Boring.

Science? Still awful.

By lunchtime, Lucas was already antsy, waiting for the final bell. He dropped his tray next to Miguel and Jaylen, shaking his head.

"I swear, time slows down when you don't care about what's happening," Lucas muttered.

Miguel grinned, taking a bite of his burger. "Facts. But that's why today's different."

Jaylen smirked. "Basketball's back."

Lucas felt a flicker of excitement. Their first team practice of the season. His real season started today.

When the final bell rang, Lucas sprinted to the gym. He wasn't alone. Other players from the Lincoln Park Middle School Panthers were already trickling in, lacing up sneakers, chatting about summer training, and sizing each other up.

Miguel walked in beside him, stretching his arms. "You ready for this?"

Lucas nodded. "Been ready."

Jaylen smirked. "Let's see who's been working."

Coach Harrison, a tall, broad-shouldered man in his late 30s, stood at the baseline with his arms crossed. He had a no-nonsense energy about him, the kind of coach who respected effort over talent.

"Alright, bring it in," Coach called, and the team huddled up. His sharp eyes scanned over them.

"You've had your summer to rest. Now it's time to work."

Lucas felt a surge of excitement. This is what I've been waiting for.

The first 20 minutes were pure conditioning.

Sprints. Defensive slides. Suicides.

Miguel was dying before they even got to drills. "Coach… tryna kill us…"

Jaylen, barely winded, smirked. "You good?"

Miguel glared. "Shut up."

Lucas? He was tired, but not dying. His improved stamina was kicking in.

Then came drills.

Shooting stations – Lucas focused on catch-and-shoot threes, trying to build consistency.Ball-handling circuits – His weak hand still needed work.Defensive rotations – He needed to be more aggressive.

Finally, Coach Harrison split them up for scrimmages.

Lucas' team played well, moving the ball and finding open shots. He controlled the tempo, playing smart, but his handles weren't tight enough yet—pressure from the defense forced him into early passes.

Still, he hit a tough midrange pull-up and found Miguel for a transition layup.

Then, it happened.

Ding!

[New Quest Received: Lead Your Team to a Championship]

Objectives:

Be a leader in practice and games

Improve your key attributes

Win the Middle School Championship

Rewards: ???

Lucas' breath caught in his throat. This was it. His next step.

This wasn't just about getting better.

He had a mission.

After practice, Lucas sat in the locker room, a towel draped over his shoulders.

He needed to put a plan together.

Strength Training (At Home for Now):

Push-ups (50-100 reps daily) – Build upper body strength.

Bodyweight squats (3 sets of 15) – Improve leg power.

Core work (planks, sit-ups, leg raises) – Balance, control, stamina.

Basketball Skills Training:Shooting (100-200 makes per day)

Catch-and-shoot from deepMidrange pull-ups

Ball Handling (30-minute daily drills)Weak hand focus

Tightening handles under pressureDefense (Footwork & Reaction Time Drills)

Stretching & Recovery:Full-body stretch every night

Foam rolling (if he could buy one soon)

Hydration & better eating habits

The gym smelled like freshly waxed floors and sweat as the Lincoln Park Middle School Panthers gathered around Coach Harrison. The first few practices of the season had been focused on conditioning and fundamental drills, but today, there was a different kind of energy in the air.

Lucas felt it—the shift. This wasn't just about getting in shape anymore. It was time to talk about the season.

Coach Harrison held a clipboard in his left hand, his sharp eyes scanning the group. "Alright, listen up," he said, his deep voice cutting through the chatter. "If you're here, it means you made the team. But don't let that go to your head. Just because you're wearing a jersey doesn't mean you're guaranteed playing time. You earn your minutes in practice and on the court."

Miguel nudged Lucas. "That's a polite way of saying 'don't suck,'" he whispered.

Lucas smirked but kept his attention on the coach.

Coach Harrison pulled a folded bracket sheet from his clipboard and held it up. "This right here," he said, "is the Middle School Basketball Championship Tournament for Chicago. The single biggest event for middle school hoops in the city. You win this? You prove you're the best."

The team leaned in, eyes locked on the paper.

Coach Harrison unfolded the bracket and pinned it to the whiteboard behind him.

"The tournament is set up like March Madness in college," he explained. "It's a single-elimination format. You lose? You go home. No second chances. No do-overs."

Lucas felt his stomach tighten slightly. One loss, and it's over.

Coach tapped the bracket. "Chicago is split into four regional brackets—North, South, West, and Central. Each region has 16 teams, meaning there are 64 teams total."

Miguel let out a low whistle. "Man, that's a lot of teams."

Coach nodded. "It is. And only one comes out on top."

He pointed to the North Region on the bracket. "We're in the North Region, which covers middle schools from Lincoln Park, Lakeview, Uptown, and the surrounding areas. We'll be competing against teams that are within our district."

Lucas narrowed his eyes, studying the teams listed under the North Region. Some of the names were familiar.

Coach Harrison circled a few teams on the whiteboard.

"These are the top seeds in each region. If we want to win it all, we'll have to go through some of these teams."

North Region (Lincoln Park's Region) – 16 Teams Lakeview Academy – Private school, known for their size and disciplined coaching. Kenmore Prep – Fundamentals-focused, rarely make mistakes. Lincoln Park Middle School – That's us. Uptown Charter – Scrappy, aggressive defenders, play fast.

Lucas nodded. We're the third seed. Not bad. But not the best either.

South Region – 16 Teams Hyde Park Academy – Defending champions. Huge team, well-coached. South Shore Middle – Flashy guards, great shooters. Bronzeville Prep – Always physical, tough inside. Washington Middle – Good mix of skill and speed.

Miguel whistled. "Hyde Park is gonna be a problem."

Jaylen nodded. "They always are."

West Region – 16 Teams Garfield Park Academy – Super athletic, aggressive full-court press.Austin Prep – Deep bench, skilled players all around. West Loop Academy – Fastest-paced team in the city. North Lawndale Prep – Hard-nosed defense, never back down.Central Region – 16 Teams Whitney Young Middle – One of the best basketball programs in the state. DePaul Prep Junior – Private school with NBA-level training. Marshall Middle – Big, strong, and physical. Morgan Park Academy – High-IQ players, rarely make dumb plays.

Coach Harrison tapped the whiteboard again. "If we win our region, we move into the Final Four, where the top team from each region battles it out for the championship."

Lucas stared at the bracket. This is real. This is big.

Coach Harrison turned his attention back to the team.

"Now that you understand what we're up against, let's talk about who we're rolling with this season."

He pointed to the group in front of him. "We've got a solid squad this year. Here's the starting five and our main bench players."

Starters:PG – Lucas Turner (5'2", 12 years old) – Pass-first, high IQ, improving shooter. Needs to develop his three-pointer and get stronger.SG – Miguel Soto (5'3", 12 years old) – Explosive scorer, shifty ball-handler. Sometimes over-dribbles, but can create his own shot.SF – Jamal Watson (5'6", 13 years old) – Athletic, slasher, defensive specialist. Struggles with outside shooting.PF – Jaylen Carter (5'8", 13 years old) – Strongest player on the team, great rebounder. Not a natural scorer, but dominates the paint.C – Evan Price (6'0", 14 years old) – The tallest player, solid rim protector. Needs better footwork but makes up for it with size.Key Bench Players:G – Trey Daniels (5'1", 11 years old) – Youngest on the team, scrappy defender. Needs to develop his offensive game.F – Marcus Hall (5'5", 13 years old) – High-energy player, great rebounder off the bench.G/F – Dante Owens (5'4", 12 years old) – Decent shooter, struggles with consistency.C – Brandon Lee (5'9", 14 years old) – Big body, plays physical. Foul-prone.

Coach folded his arms. "This is our squad. If we play to our strengths, we have a real shot at making a deep run."

The Road Ahead

Lucas sat quietly as practice ended, staring at the bracket one last time.

They had a team—a mix of size, skill, and athleticism. But there were gaps, areas that needed work.

They weren't the best team in the tournament. Not yet.

Miguel dropped onto the bench beside him. "So… what do you think?"

Lucas smirked. "I think we've got a shot. But we need to grind."

Jaylen stretched his arms. "Then we better get to work."

Lucas exhaled. The season had officially begun.

One goal. One path.

Win the championship.