take care. {m.f}

15. no pain, no gain

No Pain, No Gain
No Pain, No Gain
No Pain, No Gain

I dribbled in tempo with the words in my head. "No Pain, No Gain."

"Markelle." Coach Brown headed over to me. "No Pain, No Gain." I remained in the zone. "Markelle." He raised his voice. "Excuse me."

"Earth to Markelle." He placed his hand out, stopping the tempo I had. I sighed. "What is it coach?"

"I want you in the weight room now. Work on the shoulders. I've already told the press that you're still in rehabilitation and won't be back until you've fully recovered."

"What?"

"You heard me Fultz. Get in the weight room."

"No...What was that about me being fully recovered? My shoulder doesn't hurt anymore and I literally exploded in that Christmas game...Why am I not up for the next game?" I asked, showing that I was clearly upset.

"Yea, but I planned to let JJ get more time the next few games."

"...JJ is a fucking veteran! I'm the rookie! What about my time?!"

"Markelle, get in the weight room right now."

"Not until I'm cleared for the next game."

"Markelle. I'm not gonna keep going with you. Weight room. Now."

"..Fuck that."

"Excuse Me?"

"Fuck. That." I picked another basketball up, dribbling. "Get Your Ass In There!" He smacked the ball.

I stared him in the eyes, chest heaving from anger. "..I don't know if this attitude is coming from Zip leaving the facility or what...but it needs to stop, or you're on a month long suspension." He pointed in my face.

"This shit isn't fair. I'm not sitting out next game. Either I'm in by the second quarter or it's hell."

"..Oh? It's hell? Listen Markelle, Just get your bag, and take your smart mouth home. No need to lift if you're not gonna play until the end of February."

My eyes widened, realizing he had just suspended me, all by one sentence. "I still want you here bright and early tomorrow. Extra for you."

"Ian doing shit. You want me suspended until February, then I'm suspended from the facility too." I picked my bags up.

"Okay. And that'll only keep you out clean until May. And just out of humiliation, we'll throw you in for June. Only a few days of playing. And I'll cut your minutes."

"You won't. After that Christmas game, you need me."

"I do. You're right. But you need good publicity. And when the press knows that the number one draft pick, who was almost a bust, has a nasty attitude, that's endless trolling on social media, and continuous criticism from the reporters and commentators."

I sighed. "See this is how some of these white people do you when they got power and control over you. And you're one of those people Coach."