Behind The Spotlight Chapter 282
"I'm gonna earn what?" James couldn't believe what he heard, so he decided to ask again.
"This season, you will earn $570,000. You need to show up early tomorrow for the medical examination. That could take a few hours, and while that is happening, our lawyer will check the contract to make sure that it is safe for you to sign," Amelia repeated.
"Alright..." James was still speechless.
Earlier, he had just played a game with the Los Angeles Lakers. The basketball players whom he had only ever seen on television were right in front of his eyes, and he had actually played alongside them. He was completely starstruck. But he knew he was undergoing an evaluation, so he had to do his best and score for his team.
For some reason, he didn't feel nervous or scared. He didn't know why that happened, perhaps because he was too focused to think of anything else. In that game, he gave 110% and performed brilliantly.
"I will definitely show up early tomorrow."
"Don't drink alcohol tonight. If you have anything to ask or if you experience a problem, don't forget to call me. Here is my contact information." Amelia handed him her business card.
"Thank you."
"As much as possible, don't speak about the fact that you're going to be signed by the Lakers Los Angeles. Don't celebrate yet until the contract is signed. They might ask for a confidentiality agreement."
James nodded and locked the advice away in his mind.
"I'm allowed to tell my mom, though?"
"It's alright, just don't spread it around."
James thanked Amelia once again. Because he was in such high spirits, he decided to take a taxi instead of the bus, just a small indulgence now that his life was finally turning around.
However, the taxi stopped right before they reached Skid Row. The driver explained that he had trauma from driving into the neighborhood because someone had once robbed him and nearly killed him.
James didn't have a choice but to walk the rest of the way. As he walked, a group of local guys greeted him.
"Yo, James! Got any weed?" their leader called out.
"Nah, I don't have any." James kept walking. Both Amelia and Mrs. Kobe had drilled it into him to stay away from that life.
"Bullshit, you? So where's my product? Come on, just a loosie. I got a nice snow bunny here for you."
"Nah, man, I don't have anything on me right now."
The leader narrowed his eyes but ultimately let James walk away.
He reached an old apartment building. It didn't have an elevator, and their apartment unit was on the 5th floor, which was always a hassle. But because the neighborhood was dangerous, the rent was low, making it the only option for a household like theirs.
"Mom, I'm back."
James knocked on the door. It was always kept locked from the inside since break-ins and assaults were common in the building.
Someone opened the door, it was Shaina, James's younger sister. She wore an eager expression, as the family had been waiting anxiously for him to return.
"So what happened?"
"Let me in first."
James stepped inside and sat on the couch, where his younger brother was also watching him expectantly. Mrs. Kobe paused her cooking and approached her eldest son.
"So what happened?"
James looked at his family one by one and chuckled.
"I received an offer for $570,000, but I have to pass the medical examination first. Tomorrow, once everything is done, I'll sign the contract."
They gasped. They had never expected James to receive an offer like that. In fact, both of his younger siblings had privately assumed that the Golden Spotlight Group was just a small, insignificant agency with no real power to get anyone into the NBA.
The NBA wasn't an organization just anyone could walk into. People from their background simply didn't make it.
Yet today, James was telling them about his actual experience playing alongside the official roster of the Lakers Los Angeles, and the family was stunned silent.
"That's so cool!" Nate, the younger brother, listened with wide-eyed excitement. He was a massive NBA fan.
"$570,000? That's..." Mrs. Kobe was speechless. In her heart, she would have been satisfied just seeing James stop selling drugs and put his time toward something legitimate.
"James, buy me a Chanel bag once you get your money!" Shaina immediately tried to butter up her brother.
"How much would that cost?"
"$7,500."
"Shaina! Do you think money grows on trees? Your brother worked hard for that money," Mrs. Kobe reprimanded her daughter, causing Shaina to pout.
"My agent told me they prolly gonna pay me monthly."
A season could last anywhere between 6 and 8 months, depending on whether the team made the playoffs. James's salary would be spread across those 8 months of pay.
If the team missed the playoffs, the remaining balance would be paid out in a lump sum.
If they made the postseason, however, players would receive playoff bonuses scaled according to how many rounds the team advanced.
"Mine isn't that expensive. Just buy me a PlayStation, it's not even $1,000. We can play games togethe," Nate chimed in.
"... That's affordable. Once I get my first check, I'll buy you one. But I got something way more important I need to spend my money on first. Ma, I'm planning on finding us a better place to stay. I don't wanna live in Skid Row no more."
Mrs. Kobe readily agreed. There were times when they couldn't even leave their apartment because shootings broke out in the hallways. The cheap rent wasn't worth the constant danger.
"Son, I support you completely."
James nodded.
"You said you have your medical examination tomorrow, right? Then you better get to sleep early. I'll finish cooking dinner, and then you eat. And you better eat the vegetables and fruit I prepared for you."
"Alright, Mom," James muttered with a shrug.
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[Author's Note:] I can already see the ending of this novel, I just need to tackle some plot points and then I can end it.
So obviously, I have to plan something for my next novel.
Before Behind The Spotlight, I wrote Hollywood What If, and that novel gained a lot of readers, more than Behind The Spotlight. So I started thinking about it, and I analyzed the core selling point of Hollywood What If that Behind The Spotlight lacks.
Aside from real-life fanfiction, I realized that Hollywood What If featured an original cinematic universe: the Continental Cinematic Universe. It's a shared universe I thought of consisting of Taken, John Wick, Wanted, Fast and Furious, Ninja Assassin, and Jason Bourne.
So for my next novel, I plan to make another cinematic universe. You guys have the power to choose what I will write.
1.) Vampire Cinematic Universe
-- I'll merge Underworld, Van Helsing, Twilight, and other vampire movies into one cinematic universe.
2.) Monster/Kaiju Universe
-- I know that Godzilla and King Kong are already part of a cinematic universe, but I want to include Pacific Rim in it as well.
3.) Non-Comic Superhero Movie Universe
-- I want to make a cinematic universe featuring Jumper, Chronicle, Lucy, Unbreakable, Hancock, Push, and possibly Limitless. Heck, I can even add Kick-Ass if I want to.