Street Legal

Balling for a bigger purpose

Photo by Saurav Mishra on Unsplash

Street Legal 

Henery X, 2024 ©

The Jungle was a popular outdoor basketball court located on the west side of Detroit. One thing that was known about it was that it served as the site for arguably some of the most epic games ever played. All die-hard streetballers knew about The Jungle, and not just those from Michigan. Many players had come from throughout the country to grace the space in question with their presence.

A pick up game had just concluded, and the players and spectators were beginning to leave.

“Excuse me,” a tall, well-dressed man said. He was talking to a group of young men who were chatting as they were walking. He carried an expensive-looking briefcase.

The young men stopped and were staring at the man before them.

“My name is Albert Allen. I’m an attorney. I was wondering if I could have a moment of your time, young man.” He pointed a finger at the young man he was referring to.

The other young men all looked at the young man in question.

“What you done did now, Mike?” One of the young men said. They all laughed afterwards.

“I swear I haven’t done nothing. Well, nothing where I need an attorney,” seventeen-year-old Michael Walker said cheerfully.

“I assure you, I’m not here to deliver any unpleasant news.”

“Alright, Mister Allen. You've piqued my curiosity,” Michael said. “I’ll catch up with you boys later.”

The other young men proceeded to leave the court. Michael and Albert walked towards one of the four bleachers present. Once they were seated, the older of the two began to share the nature of his presence.

“Michael. I represent a group of lawyers who own the streetball team Royalty, which is associated with an organization entitled Street Legal. Street Legal is the umbrella corporation that oversees street ball teams throughout the country. So, you have the swagger of street ball, and certain qualities of the NBA.”

“Sounds interesting, Mister Allen.”

“You can call me A. That’s what everyone calls me.”

“Alrighty then, A. And you can call me Mike. So, why are you telling me all this?”

“Because, Mike. Besides being one of the co-owners of Royalty and a founding member of Street Legal, I’m also the talent scout for our team. Each member of our team is a result of my sharp eye. I don’t look for good. I seek out greatness. And greatness is what I saw you displaying out there, young man.”

“I appreciate that, A. I love playing the game, and what you saw is the result of years of practice.”

“You don’t come here often, huh?”

“I do. Actually, I was a part of Jonathan Royalty’s Game On basketball camp that’s held here.”

“Really? I know Jonathan well. We know a number of the same people. Actually, each member of our team was once a part of the camp in question.”

“Really?”

“Absolutely. Jonathan and his staff really know how to bring out the best in their clients.”

“Yes, Sir. In my humble opinion, he’s the best at playing the game. His basketball IQ is not of this world.”

“I’d have to agree, Mike. I got up on him during his days at the University of Michigan.”

“Those days were epic days.”

“Indeed, they were. So, where were you? I’ve been coming here every day for the past two months.”

“Me and my parents had to go out of town. Family emergency.”

“I see. I pray all is well.”

“I appreciate your show of concern, A. My father’s eldest brother passed away.”

“My sincerest condolences.”

“Thank you.”

“So, how are you and your parents holding up?”

“Everything’s fine. See, my uncle had been sick for some time. So, it wasn’t something sudden. Sure, it’s painful knowing he’s physically gone for good but, the fact we have so many amazing memories of him makes the pain somewhat bearable.”

“That’s the best way to deal with the transition of those we love, by focusing on the memories. Memories immortalize.”

“Yes they do, A. Yes they do.”

“On a lighter note. I want you to be a part of our team, Mike.”

“Wow! I’m honored. So, you didn’t see anyone you liked during the two months you showed up here?”

“Oh, I saw a number of talented players, but — I’m always looking for greatness. I’m so particular that for those two months our point guard carried the team like the champion she is. Each team is only allowed ten players, two for each position. And I’ve never been one to settle for nothing less than the very best. So, I can say, with the utmost confidence that my search has ended with you.”

Michael smiled. “So, tell me more about all of this.”

“I’ll get right to the part I believe will interest you the most. You’ll earn twenty-five thousand dollars a month. After twelve months you’ll—.”

“Twenty-five thousand a month!”

Albert chuckled. “Yes, that’s the base salary we pay all of our first year players. The lowest owners can pay players is ten thousand per month, and the max is one hundred thousand per month. We love to reward people for showing up and doing what’s expected of them.”

“A hundred thousand dollars a month?”

“Yes. Our pay scale is as follows. In the first year, each player receives twenty-five thousand per month. If they fulfill their obligation, which is to give their best effort in every game, we will offer them another contract worth fifty thousand per month. Each year, the rate of pay goes up twenty-five thousand per month. And as I mentioned earlier, the max is one hundred thousand per month. Pay scales vary depending on the owners. The regulations govern everything and no one can exceed them. This implies that no owners have the authority to pay less or more than the established amounts.”

“This is blowing my mind. I can make twenty-five thousand dollars a month doing what I love.”

“Absolutely. Oh, I failed to ask you. How old are you, Mike?”

“I’m seventeen. I’ll be eighteen in six months.”

“Excellent. All players must be at least seventeen and with this, must have the written consent to play from their parents or guardian.” Albert went into his briefcase and pulled out several pieces of paper. “This is the contract. Take it home and have your parents look it over with their lawyer. If they agree with what’s written, you all sign and you’ll officially be a member of Royalty.”

“My parents don’t have a lawyer, A.”

“No problem. They can hire one for this task or retain one for the duration of your tenure with the team.”

“Could you represent me?”

“I could. If that’s what you would like.”

“Let me ask you a question.”

“Sure.”

“Would you ever intentionally set out to mislead me?” Michael stared directly into Albert’s eyes.”

“Absolutely not. My mission is to ensure that will never happen. This situation is so much bigger than you could ever imagine, Mike. The overall goal is to improve the conditions of communities. We place certain funds generated in an account designated to help those in need throughout the communities. For example, say someone wants to start a business and doesn’t have the funding to do so, we provide the funding. The same goes for a business that may want to expand or renovate. We even help families with their rent, groceries, and securing gainful employment. We’re in the business of helping to change lives for the best.”

“Wow! I love it.” Michael took the contract. “So, do you have time to come meet my parents?”

“Sure. I am currently dedicating my time to you, Mike.”

Michael’s parents liked Albert immediately, and because of the level of respect, he showed them throughout his visit. After having answered each one of their questions as precisely as possible, they and their son signed the contract. And he officially became Michael’s lawyer. He also wrote a check for twenty-five thousand dollars and handed it to Michael, who handed it to his mother. The Walker’s lives had changed for the better in a matter of minutes. Ain’t life grand?

The following day, Michael was taken to The Castle, which was the name of the basketball court owned by the owners of the squad, Royalty. The court in question was magnificent. The spacious space was enclosed in an extremely tall cage. There were four spacious bleachers, among other things basketball related, and the court was black, trimmed in gold. When Michael and Albert arrived, nine people were on the court practicing.

“Those are your teammates, Mike. And when I say they’re arguably the best to ever do it, it’s no exaggeration,” Albert said. “Hey! Come over here and meet your new teammate.”

The five young men and four women rushed over and now stood before Albert and Michael. They were wearing black and gold uniforms and matching sneakers. They were all smiling at the newcomer, who smiled back. One by one, they introduced themselves and shook Michael’s hand. Afterwards, they ran back to finish what they had been doing.

“I love the uniforms,” Michael said.

“You’ll have yours in a few days. That’s the home version they’re wearing. The away version is gold with black trim. So, what are your thoughts on The Castle?”

“It’s very nice.”

“We spent a pretty penny to get this look. See those four tarps at the top of the cage?”

Michael looked up. “Yes.”

“That’s the idea of one of the many skilled people associated with us. We have people that provide every service you could think of. We even have our own merchandise producer, who makes the uniforms as well. Anyway, getting back to the tarps.”

Albert reached into his pocket and pulled out a small remote. He pointed the device towards the tarps and they began to unravel simultaneously from the centered piece they were connected to. They eventually covered each side of the cage.

“That’s just in case it decides to rain or snow during the game. Impressive, huh?”

“Wow! I love it.”

“We purchased the patent for the creator and now he gets paid for the sale and installment of his creation. Other owners loved the idea after seeing it and immediately placed their orders. And the beautiful thing about it—we don’t make a penny.”

“That’s awesome, A.”

“As I said, we’re in the business of helping to change lives for the best. Besides, we make our money in other ways, mainly through wagers we make with other owners.”

“Oh, y’all are allowed to bet on the games?”

“Absolutely. Remember, everything about this operation is one hundred percent legitimate. We can wager no less than ten thousand and not more than one million per game, and there's no limit to the amount of games we can bet on. Once the amount has been established a contract is signed, and the funds are collected and placed in escrow until the winner is determined. All transactions are reported to the IRS. This is a business so, it’s conducted as such on every level. Actually, our wagers on the games is how we're able to pay the player salaries and help with building up the communities. So that's another incentive for us to pay our players as we do. Basically, without you all doing what you do so well, accomplishing our goals wouldn't be possible.”

“I’m loving learning more about the other side of this operation.”

“Yeah. It’s much deeper than the surface, Mike. A lot of good things are happening because of this setup. For example. Each one of these bleachers seats two hundred people comfortably. We begin selling tickets for games two weeks in advance. Each ticket is fifty dollars. And we always sell out. So, that’s twenty thousand dollars. And do you know what we do with that money?”

“No, but I’m eager to find out.”

“We place it in the community account.”

“Wow! So, how many games do we actually play?”

“Great question. We play four games a week, which equates to sixteen games a month and a hundred and sixty games a year. The regular season is ten months long. November and December are for the playoffs and the championship games, respectively. The twelve teams with the best records play two best out of five series and then there are two best out of seven series, one being for the championship. The team with the best regular season record gets a bye from the semi-final games. The overall winner will earn a fancy trophy and a check for four hundred thousand dollars, which is split evenly amongst the ten players.”

“Damn! Excuse my French. I’m looking forward to all of it.”

Albert chuckled. “I love your enthusiasm, Mike. I’m looking forward to seeing how you perform under such conditions. Well, that’s enough history about the operation for now. Go over there and mingle with your teammates.”

As Michael walked over towards the young men and women, Albert looked at him, smiling.

One year later

Michael and Albert were sitting in one of the four bleachers of The Castle. Royalty had been crowned the champions and Michael had been named the finals MVP. The overall MVP honor had been awarded to his teammate and fellow point guard, and she had indeed earned it.

“Mike. I want you to know that me and the other owners were thoroughly impressed with your performance. I must say that you exceeded my expectations greatly.”

“I’m glad I could assist with the success we earned. So, does this mean I’ll be offered another contract?” Michael smiled.

“How does that saying go—is water wet?”

Both men laughed.

The End.

Thank you for your investment of time and attention.

May your success continue to exceed your highest expectations.

Remember. Just as reality motivates fiction, when written to do so, fiction can motivate reality as well. Just something for you to consider as you're crafting your content.