Brooklyn's Finest | Life N Times of Louis Carter (NBA 2K16 MyCareer)
 

I kind of let my Derek Baldwin story die on this site, but I've been getting into 2K16 on the PS4, so I thought I'd bring up another story. I'm taking a different approach than the Spike Lee story, only because I had this one in the works like 6 months ago and it was largely based on how MyCareer has been set up in the past, but I think I've figured out how to make it work for what I'm trying to do. So there will be a few posts to give you some backstory before the draft starts and then there will be a few updates during the season. For those of you who aren't familiar with my work, I like to mix in some story lines with the actual game play. I try to write around what goes on during the season. Still trying to get a feel for how I want to report the games, but I will probably go with a more minimalist approach this time around. Currently playing on All-Star, will probably move to Superstar after my player has improved.

All feedback is welcome and appreciated.

Episode 1: End of An Era
 

Louis Carter sits in his bedroom staring at the wall on a Sunday afternoon. He had just gotten back from Jacksonville, FL where his team was eliminated from the NCAA tournament by the North Carolina Tarheels. It was bittersweet for Louis considering his college career was just getting started. He graduated high school two years early and enrolled at Harvard University to study Economics. Back then he stood at 6’2” (he would argue that he was actually 6’3” in shoes), and barely weighed 160 pounds, he was considered small by some standards and an above average player at best at one of the best schools in Brooklyn.

Off the court was another story. He was smart. Very smart (he would also argue that he was a genius). So smart that at 16 years old he graduated with a 3.9 from Bishop Loughlin and scored a 2100 on his SAT, earning him admission to Harvard.

He walked on to the basketball team during his freshman year, and saw little action that season. He managed to put on some weight and grow a couple inches, but not enough to be significant. His break didn’t come until just before the start of his sophomore year. He got word that two of his teammates were going to be suspended that year for academic policy violations. He stepped up along with teammates Siyani Chambers and Wesley Saunders and led the Crimson to their second Ivy league title.

With his teammates set to return at the start of the 2013 season, Carter thought it would be back to the bench for him, but things seemed to work out in his favor. He returned to Cambridge, Massachusetts a few inches taller. Four inches to be exact, putting him at his current height of 6’8” (Louis will still argue that he’s closer to 6’10” in shoes). With what seemed to be a well-balanced roster, Harvard won the Ivy League Championship for a third time and earned a bid to the Big Dance in March. They snuck past fifth seeded Cincinnati, but were stopped by Michigan State just before reaching the Sweet 16.

The 2014-15 season saw Harvard remain par for the course as the Crimson took the Ivy League championship title for the fourth year in a row and were headed back to the men’s tournament, but this time they only made it to the second round where they were defeated by the North Carolina Tarheels by just two points.

A knock on his door shakes him from his thoughts, but he does not respond. The person on the other side enters anyway.

“Lou.”

“Yeah, Ma?”

She crosses the room and sits on his bed.

“You can’t sit in here and sulk all day. Besides, you had a good run. Four Ivy league Championships, that’s something to be proud of. Right?”

“I guess so. I just thought we’d go further. Definitely last year. We knew it was a long shot this season, but it still would have been nice. It’s all up to Siyani now.”

“Well, you knew it wouldn’t last forever.”

“True.”

“You know for someone who is a prospect in the NBA Draft you don’t seem very excited.”

“Well, the loss is still a little fresh.”

“I guess so. I just came in here to tell you that it’s time to get you back to campus soon.”

“Okay, Ma.”

“My baby boy, a Harvard man. Who would have thought?”

Someone else speaks up from the doorway, “Yeah, Mama. We raised a good one. Right out of Carroll Gardens. Now he can take care of us.”

“Hey, Mimi,” Louis says as he engulfs his older sister Marie in a hug. Well, as a good a hug as she can muster with a camcorder in her hand. “Don’t you ever put that thing down?”

“What? And miss my chance at getting some prime footage when it’s time to do your ESPN 30 for 30? No way.”

If it was apparent enough, Marie studied film at Dartmouth. She’s mostly done short films, but according to her, her first feature length movie will be a documentary about her younger brother Louis and his foray into the NBA.

“Speaking of 30 for 30, there is a guy in the living room who says he’s your agent.”

“My agent? I don’t have an agent.”

“Marie, who did you just let in my house?”

“He handed me this card,” she says before handing the card to Louis.

He reads over it and then he starts smiling. Then he starts laughing.

“Yeah, that’s my agent in there.” He walks into the living room and sees a guy looking at the photos on the wall of him and his sister as kids. “Yo, Malcolm! What’s up, man?”

“King Louis in number thirteen or can I still call you Young Simba,” Malcolm asks. He stood about six feet tall, with a low haircut and neat goatee, wearing some khaki slacks and a navy and white checkered button down shirt. “I told you I was coming back for you, man. You ready?”

Malcolm was a Harvard Law student and although he had the ugliest jump shot this side of Heaven, an avid basketball fan. They met two years ago, during Malcolm’s final year of law school. They became fast friends and when it was time for him to graduate he told Louis that he would make him one of his first big clients.

“I’ll always be Young Simba to you, old man. I’m as ready as I’ll ever be. How did you find me?”

“Come on, man. It’s not like you’re exactly hidden. Everybody in Brooklyn knows where to find Louis Carter.”

“Yeah, but you’re a long way from home, Malcolm. Where is it you’re from again? Pine Mountain, South Carolina?”

“You got jokes. Oak Ridge, Tennessee.”

“Right. Right. I was close. Well, you’ve met my sister Marie and this is my mom, Jillian.”

“Pleasure to meet you Mrs. Carter.”

“Call me, Jillian, please. Mrs. Carter is my mother.”

“Of course; Jillian it is. Well, we all know why I’m here. Do I need to wine and dine you first or what?”

“A man of action, I like that,” said Marie. Louis rolls his eyes at that.

“I want you to roll out the red carpet before I sign anything with uh,” he looks down at the card in his hand, [i]“Parker & Witt. Wait, Parker and Witt? You and Lucky have a law firm?”

“Yeah.”

“Who’s Lucky? Why isn’t he here,” asks Marie.

“Jonathan, or Lucky as he is so affectionately called, is my business partner. He’s back at our offices in Nashville, waiting on the phone call about this deal.”

“Well, call him and tell him to break out his damn check book. Because rumor has it, I’m going Top 20. You feeling like going to The River, Mama?”

“Sounds good to me.”

“Anything for my future client,” said Malcolm. “Let’s get going.”

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With final exams done, Louis finds himself back in New York trying to enjoy some time before his graduation. He’s going through his text messages from Malcolm giving him the run down on the teams that want to see him work out before the NBA Draft. It’s going to be a busy few weeks for the young baller. After confirming all of his workouts and making sure he had all of his flight information correct, he gets a call from an unknown number. He doesn’t answer. A minute later, a text comes through from the same number.

Pick up the phone, King. – JD

The phone rings again and this time he picks up.

“You know I don’t answer unknown numbers, Jamal.”

“That’s my bad, Bro. I got caught up and had to replace my phone last week.”

“Caught up?”

“I can’t go into details right now. You know how it goes.”

Louis definitely knew how it went with Jamal Dunn. Usually that meant he was caught up in some madness with a female and he had to get a new number to make himself disappear so that his girlfriend, or whoever the side chick’s boyfriend or husband was, wouldn’t find him. It was always something with this guy. He was three years older than Louis and one year ahead of him at Bishop. Jamal had gotten a scholarship to play basketball at Western Kentucky, butwhen his girlfriend Krystal got pregnant he dropped out after his sophomore year to move back home and take care of his son, Korey. He is currently working as an assistant manager at Foot Locker. Getting *** for sneakers.

“So what’s up, man? I haven’t heard from you since I was home after the tournament. That was like two months ago.”

“Grinding, Brother. Taking care of little man. Trying to keep my BM out of my damn business. She’s so paranoid.”

“Can you blame her? Ain't no telling who or what you’re doing in these streets.”

“I always come home though.”

“That makes it okay then?”

“For the most part.”

Louis shakes his head in disbelief although Jamal can’t see him. “I’m not doing this with you. I need to talk to somebody with some sense. Where’s Jalen?”

Jalen was Jamal’s younger brother and Louis’ classmate. The three of them were as thick as thieves in high school. Jalen wasn’t really a sports buff, he just liked the cheerleaders. He gave college a try, but quickly realized it wasn’t for him, aside from the girls and the parties, and didn’t last longer than his freshman year as a student at Syracuse.

“He said he had some business in Harlem. I was calling to tell you that we were throwing a little party in your honor, Harvard Man. You really made it out of here. Not to mention all this NBA Draft buzz that you’re building up. So it’s a pre-graduation-slash-pre-draft party type thing. A few close friends.”

“Word?”

“Word. I know your mom is probably going to host some family dinner and no disrespect, but that’s not really our scene, you know? Thought you might wanna just party for a bit.”

“I appreciate that, JD.”

“No problem. Anything for Brooklyn’s Finest. You know I ran into Chelsea yesterday.”

“Chelsea?” That was a name Louis hadn’t heard in a while. Chelsea Jarrett graduated from Loughlin the same year as Jamal. Louis always had a thing for her. She was dating some guy from Bushwick named Patrick Walker that played basketball for Loughlin’s rival school Christ the King. Whenever they played against them Louis always played extra hard, partly for the win and partly to show up Chelsea’s boyfriend.

“Yes, Chelsea. Fine *** Chelsea. I told her about the party. She said she would be there. You can’t be a bitch when you see her though. Man up and talk to her. I’m serious. We’re all grown now. You’re a Harvard man. NBA Prospect.”

“I hear you, man. Look, I gotta get some new clothes for Friday night.”

“Alright, alright. Text me later.”

**********************************************

As Louis and Marie arrive at the address Jamal gave them, they notice that this is anything but a small gathering. Jamal and Jalen rented out a warehouse for this event and there was a line down the block. Everything seemed to be going well enough though. Jamal had even set up security for the event. He and Marie were given wristbands for a special VIP area that had been roped off near the back of the space.

He spotted his friend near the DJ with his girlfriend. Krystal is not letting him out of her sight tonight with all this scattered *** in here, he thought to himself. When Jamal saw him, he started towards him to meet him halfway.

“You made it! Nice right?” He was clearly proud of himself.

“A few close friends, he said. Small gathering, he said,” Louis said, repeating Jamal’s words from earlier.

“Come on, man. This is small. Jalen invited most of these people though. You know he’s into that party promoter ****. He’s good at it, you gotta admit it.”

“Where is he?”

“He’s around here some place. I just sent him a text when I saw you come in so he could find us.”

Jamal’s phone began to buzz in his hand indicating he had a text message. He responded and then proceeded to look around the venue before smiling at someone over Louis’ shoulder.

“You’re still trying to chase *** with Krystal right over there?”

“Nah. This *** ain’t for me. Turn around.”

There she stood. The girl that was the reason for most of his cold showers in high school. “Chelsea.”

“Hey you,” she says as she leans in for a hug. “Congratulations. You have made quite the name for yourself. Harvard. NBA. What’s next?”

Before he could answer, Jamal stepped in.

“Look, King, CJ, why don’t you two head over to the VIP section and get some drinks. Catch up. A lot has changed in five years, I’m sure.” He shoved the two of them toward the back of the building giving Louis a thumbs up behind Chelsea’s back.

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Re: NBADraft.net Player Profile
 

Good stuff man. Really liked your last one, this is looking very nice too.

Re: NBADraft.net Player Profile
 

Thanks man. Appreciate you following along.