NBA: Road to glory

It was an evening like any other.

I was coming back from work, feeling the usual weight of a long, tiring day. The rush hour commute had been grueling, and all I wanted was to get home, kick off my shoes, and relax. I pushed open the door to my apartment in Midtown Toronto, stepped inside, and immediately felt a sense of relief. The familiar, comforting surroundings of my living room, with the couch just waiting to swallow me whole, was a welcoming sight. The hum of the PC starting up was like music to my ears. This was my safe space, the place where everything else could fade away for a while.

I put my workbag down on the couch, took a deep breath. The gaming chair felt perfect as I sank into it, adjusting the position just right. I grabbed the mouse, the keyboard, and without even thinking too much, I clicked on my PC, ready for my nightly escape

And I thought to myself.

'Why not go back to a classic tonight?'

Sometimes, it's easy to get caught up in the latest releases, chasing after the new and shiny. But there's something comforting about revisiting a game that's familiar, a game that you've played a thousand times but never tire of. The nostalgia hits you even before you launch it. You know the characters, the soundtracks.

I opened my library, scrolling through the list of games I had collected over the years. But in the end, I was searching for something specific. And then, I saw them—three games that immediately stood out to me: NBA 2K14, NBA 2K16, and NBA 2K17.

I smiled at the sight of them. Each game held its own memories, its own unique magic, each one brought its own flavor to the table. NBA 2K14, with its smooth gameplay and the nostalgic feeling of starting fresh with the next-gen graphics of its time, was a classic. Then there was NBA 2K16, which introduced an even deeper story mode, the MyCareer mode that let you live the journey of a player from the ground up, and making it to the top of the NBA. And of course, NBA 2K17, which refined the gameplay even further, adding more polish and strategic depth to each game.

It wasn't just about the gameplay, though. There was something about the culture of the game, the soundtrack, the intensity of each match, the sweat on the player's faces, and that feeling when you hit a perfect shot at the buzzer. Every one of these versions had a piece of the magic that made the 2K franchise stand out.

Now, it's more of a shadow of its former self.

The game had become a bit too repetitive. The focus had shifted to microtransactions, flashy new features, and updates that felt more like business moves than genuine improvements. The once tight-knit community of players who shared tips, strategies, and stories now felt more fragmented, with the newer titles focusing more on monetization than the soul of the game itself.

'That's why I have a modded player in each of these games' I chuckled.

It's the same player every time, his name is Franklin Lincoln. I went with a Stefon Diggs cyberface because people always tell me I look like him, so I tweaked it a bit to get closer to my own appearance.

When it comes to my build, it's basically always the same too—6'10 with a wingspan of 7', someone who can shoot, dribble, defend, and score inside. In short, someone who can do everything.

I've always liked to have a versatile player, a jack-of-all-trades who can step up in any situation. Whether it's knocking down a three from the corner, breaking ankles with a smooth crossover, locking down an opponent on defense, or finishing strong at the rim, Franklin Lincoln could do it all. It wasn't just about one skill; it was about being able to contribute everywhere on the floor, and I loved that versatility.

Short, ready to click on one of these classic NBA 2K games, something strange happened. I felt the familiar warmth of my gaming PC powering up beneath me, but something felt off. I noticed the fans in my PC starting to whirr louder than usual, and I could sense the heat building up in the air around me. I looked at the temperature monitor on my screen, and my heart skipped a beat—my PC was overheating.

Before I could react, it happened. There was a sudden burst of sound—an explosion.

BOOOM!

I barely had time to yell, "Oh! shit!!!" before, the next second, I found myself trapped in what seemed like a sort of bubble. It was small, tight.

"What the hell is going on?" I thought, my mind spinning.

I couldn't believe it. My mind raced, trying to piece together what was happening. 

'One second, I'm dead—and the next, I find myself reincarnated somewhere, I can't even begin to make sense of it.'

I won't lie, though, it kind of intrigued me. As much as everything felt surreal and confusing, there was a part of me that felt a little excited

But my parents in all this? What would they be doing right now? Would they even know what happened to me?' I hoped they'd be able to move on from this quickly, the thought of them grieving...

I opened my eyes and looked around me. I was in a children's room, more specifically a bed.

Next to my bed, there was another bed with a girl sleeping in it.

A wave of memories rushed into my mind. 'I am Franklin Lincoln, born on September 31, 1994, with a twin sister named Celine, but we call her Cee-Cee maybe this was the only positive thing in all of this, I thought. I never had a sister or brother before. In my real life, I was an only child, which had its perks and downsides, anyway, my best friend's name is Victor Van Lier, we are from Harlem.'

I quickly understood what was happening.

The thing that doesn't add up is that I was born in '94, while I should have been born in '96 or '95,

in NBA 2K16.