PROLOGUE – THE 05-06 KINGS ARE #20
It was back in the 05. Around September. Coulda been October. Shorty didn’t really remember the date, but he remembered the DAY, y’know? It was a Tuesday, and it was the first time he met the P. The P wasn’t the P back then. He was still just a baller in the Sac-town. A great baller, sure, but he wasn’t the P yet. That all came later, but ask Shorty, he’ll tell you it started in the 05. Maybe even started that day he met him.
So yeah, he was just Peja back then. People say he used to have a last name, but when he became THE P, cat wiped all that shit out of history.
Shorty didn’t say anything to him right away that day, he just watched and hung with Peja’s boy Murph. But he listened. You couldn’t help but listen to Peja.
“Now is the time that I am seeing and that is time when Chris is now being not here but other places. I am being liking what that is.” Shorty couldn’t believe this. “Also now that the knees are not good with Chris he is gone and now the Arco is the place where I am wanting playing but not the casino. Do you know that, because it is very famous?”
“Michael B is the one who is here but my friends that were here are not and it the thing what over there. Joe and Gavin want the shots to go into the basketball net more or that is what the net is for.” Peja picked up a ball and dribbled around the room. He was getting worked up. “Mr. Rick is now with Shareef and saying into the basket! Into the basket, Peja! I am going into the basket that I can do but it is not into the basket every time!”
He was sweating now. It was an angry sweat. “The basket cannot go every time for Peja!!!”
“Damn! That shit deep, P!” Shorty covered his mouth. Peja extended his hand.
“Hello I am telling you.” They shook. Peja looked at him, deep into his eyes. They stared at each other for a moment – Shorty had never seen anyone this intense. “Now you have called me it is now again?”
“P-P? I called you P…”
That’s when Peja took the damn ball and straight popped it with his bare hands. Then he took off his mustard/gold/spaceship jersey and walked out of the room. Ask Shorty, that’s the moment The P was born. Shorty wanted to roll with this dude, no doubt…and he knew nothing would ever be the same again.
Predicted record: 32-50
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