A Sunday of Work and Study

The soft chime of Lucas' alarm filled his room as the sunlight crept through the blinds. His body ached from the past two days of training, but instead of dreading the soreness, he welcomed it. Pain meant progress. He turned over and blinked, waiting for the NBA System to pop up.

[NBA SYSTEM DASHBOARD]

Physical Attributes:

Height: 5'2" (157 cm)

Weight: 102 lbs (46 kg)

Strength: 26 → 27/100 (+1)

Agility: 32/100

Stamina: 39/100

Vertical Jump: 25/100

Lucas smirked. Another small step. The +1 in strength wasn't much, but at his size, every little bit counted.

He sat up, stretching out his arms and rolling his shoulders. Yesterday had been a good day—not just because he had gotten some training gear, but because it made everything feel more real. His parents weren't just encouraging him with words; they were investing in his dream.

Now it was time to put that investment to use.

Lucas grabbed his new resistance bands and set up in his room. If he wanted to build strength, he had to be consistent.

Warm-Up:

Jump Rope – 3 minutesDynamic stretches (high knees, lunges, arm circles)

Strength Training:

Push-ups (3 sets of 20) – To build upper-body control and finishing ability.

Bodyweight squats (3 sets of 15) – Strengthening his legs for better balance.

Resistance band rows (3 sets of 12) – To improve his shoulder and back muscles.

Core work (planks, sit-ups, leg raises – 3 sets each) – For better body control.

Basketball-Specific Work:

Wall passes (50 reps) – To improve passing strength and accuracy.Resistance band lateral slides (3 sets of 10 each way) – To improve lateral quickness on defense.

By the end of it, Lucas was drenched in sweat. His arms and legs burned, but he felt good. The feeling of knowing he was getting stronger, even little by little, was addicting.

He checked the time. 8:45 AM. His parents were probably awake by now.

As he walked downstairs, the smell of coffee and toasted bread filled the kitchen. His mom was sitting at the table, sipping her coffee, while his dad stood by the counter, flipping eggs in a pan.

"Mijo, you're up early." Maria glanced up, smiling.

"Morning," Lucas said, grabbing a seat at the table.

Steven turned from the stove, raising an eyebrow. "You train already?"

Lucas nodded, reaching for the orange juice. "Yeah. Strength work this morning."

Maria sighed playfully. "You work harder than some grown men, you know that?"

Lucas smirked. "Gotta catch up somehow."

Steven chuckled as he slid eggs onto a plate. "I like the attitude. But remember, strength takes time. You're not gonna wake up looking like LeBron overnight."

Lucas grinned. "Give me a few years."

Maria shook her head with a laugh. "So what's the plan for today? More training?"

Lucas finished his sip of juice. "Gonna hit the courts after this. Then maybe watch some NBA games from last season when I get back."

Steven raised an eyebrow. "Studying the game too, huh?"

Lucas nodded. "Yeah. I wanna break down how the best players move, see what I can pick up."

Maria smiled warmly. "You're really serious about this, huh?"

Lucas looked at both of them, his voice steady. "Yeah. I really am."

His dad smirked. "Then keep going. We'll support you."

Lucas felt a warmth in his chest. This wasn't just his dream anymore. His family was behind him.

Training at the Court

By mid-morning, Lucas was back at Harrison Park, where the courts were already filled with pickup games. He found an open hoop and got to work.

Shooting Routine (100 Makes):

Form shooting (10 makes from each side)

Midrange pull-ups (20 makes total)

Catch-and-shoot threes (30 makes total)

Off-the-dribble threes (20 makes total)

Floaters and finishing drills (20 makes total)

His Catch & Shoot badge helped a little, making his rhythm smoother, but he still wasn't consistent enough. There were still shots that felt awkward coming out of his hands, and his deep range needed work.

Ball Handling & Footwork:

Cone drills (10 minutes of dribble moves into shots)

Full-court dribble sprints (5 reps)

Change of direction drills (10 reps)

After an hour and a half of drills, Lucas wiped the sweat off his forehead and took a seat on the bench, breathing heavily. He had gotten better, but he could still feel his limitations. His legs were burning, and his shooting motion wasn't as fluid as he wanted it to be when tired.

He pulled out his phone and checked the time. 11:30 AM.

Time to head home and study some pros.

Watching the 2017 NBA Season

Back at home, Lucas showered quickly and changed into comfortable clothes before grabbing his laptop. He pulled up some games from the 2017 NBA season, looking for players to study.

The Golden State Warriors were at their peak, with Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green forming one of the most lethal teams in NBA history. Lucas clicked on a game where they played against the Houston Rockets, who were being led by an MVP-caliber James Harden.

He leaned forward, watching closely.

Steph Curry's movement off the ball was insane. Even when he wasn't dribbling, he was constantly relocating, creating space for shots. Lucas needed to add that to his game. Harden's iso play was deadly. He controlled defenders with his dribble and used his body to create space for step-back threes. Lucas wasn't strong enough to do that yet, but it was something to work toward.

Durant's efficiency was ridiculous. He didn't force shots—he took what the defense gave him. Lucas needed to learn that level of patience.

As the game went on, Lucas grabbed his notebook and started jotting down notes.

Work on moving without the ball more (watch Curry clips).

Get better at controlling pace (study Harden's hesitations).

Improve shot selection (watch Durant's efficiency).

Hours passed as he watched game after game, breaking down details, rewinding plays, and mentally putting himself in those situations.

As the night settled in, Lucas stretched out on his bed, staring at the ceiling. It had been a good day. He trained, spent time with his parents, and studied the game.

But there was still so much to do.

Tomorrow was Monday. Back to school. Back to team practice. Back to the grind.

He exhaled slowly, feeling his body relax.

I'm going to make it.