Behind The Spotlight Chapter 283
"It says here that you use marijuana." The doctor stared at James seriously. The results were out.
"It ain't that bad, right?"
"Just don't use it when you're playing," the doctor answered. Many basketball players used drugs, but they signed contracts stipulating that they must not use them while actively playing. If they failed to do so and their performance was badly affected, they would pay damages and might even be kicked off the team.
"I swear on my life, I ain't gonna touch weed again."
"Good. Make sure you keep that promise. You will have a medical examination at least once a year to verify your health."
The doctor spoke to the coaches and management of the Los Angeles Lakers, confirming that James Michael Kobe was healthy and free of injuries or underlying health issues.
With that, James successfully signed his contract and was officially a part of the Lakers Los Angeles. He would split time between the D-League and the NBA, with management deciding when to promote him to the main roster based on his performance during the preseason, which was set to start in October.
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"Everyone, let's give a big round of applause to the cast of Week On An Island!" Kimberly Alphonse smiled gracefully, though the audience barely clapped. Still, her smile didn't waver despite the lukewarm reception.
It had been five months since Kimberly took over as the host of Morning with Kimberly following the trouble Jennifer had created. Her agent had seized the opportunity, successfully convincing the production team to let Kimberly host now that Jennifer was blacklisted.
At first, Kimberly's debut as the new host drew higher ratings, and the production team had been thrilled.
As time went on, however, viewership gradually declined until it stabilized at around 3 million viewers per episode. It wasn't terrible considering the timeslot, but it paled in comparison to the show's numbers back when Jennifer was the host, which regularly pulled in an average of 7 million viewers.
Now that Jennifer was gone, the staff of Morning with Kimberly realized Kimberly lacked the charisma to carry the show on her own. If not for weak competition from other networks, Morning with Kimberly might not even have been renewed for another season.
While Kimberly maintained her polite smile, the main cast of Week On An Island finally walked out. That was the exact moment the audience erupted into enthusiastic applause.
The three actors, Axel Gunner, Brody Paige, and Cross Pinger, waved brightly at the cameras and the crowd.
Week On An Island had been in theaters for over a month, and this might be their final week promoting the movie domestically. Soon, the cast would have to embark on international press tours.
As of September 2, the movie had grossed over $192 million at the North American box office alone. The sequel to the smash hit Week On A Cruise Ship had proven its staying power. Uni-Versus Pictures believed the film would ultimately clear at least $400 million worldwide.
The movie was directed by the talented Wyatt Bray and starred Axel Gunner and Brody Paige, both of whom carried massive box office appeal. Naturally, its success came as no surprise.
The three actors did their best to answer Kimberly's interview questions, but backstage they couldn't help admitting that the host was boring. Her jokes felt forced, her smile was fake, and even her demeanor was blatantly artificial.
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"Arnold is leaving ANT this week."
Once the interview wrapped up, Brody Paige pulled Axel aside for a quick chat.
"I see." Axel nodded knowingly. He had half-expected it, given how close Collin and Arnold were.
"Is that really your only reaction?" Brody raised an eyebrow, scrutinizing Axel's face. But Axel had awakened his Golden Talent, making him notoriously difficult to read.
"What else did you expect me to say?"
Having worked together twice and spent months on set filming side-by-side, they had formed a casual friendship, close enough to discuss sensitive topics.
"You know what I'm talking about."
"I genuinely have no idea."
"This guy..." Brody frowned.
"Arnold invited me to leave ANT and follow him to Golden Spotlight Group or whatever they're calling it. He said I wouldn't have to break my contract immediately, I could just wait for it to expire and then make the jump."
Poaching clients was strictly prohibited, and if ANT found out, Arnold could face a serious lawsuit. Fortunately, Brody wasn't the type of asshole to betray his agent like that.
"So I'll ask you straight: what are your plans? I'm hesitant to leave ANT because it provides access to resources and opportunities smaller agencies simply can't match."
Brody readily admitted he owed Arnold a debt of gratitude, but he wasn't about to torpedo his career and jump onto an unproven ship just because his agent asked him to. In his eyes, ANT remained the premier talent agency in Hollywood in terms of sheer influence and track record.
"I don't think I want to answer that," Axel replied.
"Refusing to answer practically confirms it. I'll reach out if I change my mind, your contract ends before mine anyway. Let me know if Golden Spotlight Group turns out to actually be special or just another mediocre start-up." Brody Paige bid him farewell, intending to use Axel as a guinea pig to gauge whether leaving ANT was a smart move.
Arnold had offered him a lower commission rate, which was tempting, but ANT could easily match it if pushed.
As Brody walked away, a middle-aged Asian woman approached Axel.
"Are you finished talking with Brody?" Vanessa Wang asked curiously.
Vanessa Wang was an ANT executive who had recently given birth. She was also a divorcée, while she hadn't secured a full 50% split of her ex-husband's assets, the settlement had still netted her millions.
"Yes."
"So what were you two discussing? Anything important?"
"Not really. He was just asking what we should focus on once we head to Portugal to promote the movie."
[Thank you for reading this novel.]