"Excuse me, sir."
A young man in an Arsenal jersey and glasses, holding a microphone, walked up to an older Black man with dreadlocks. The man had a vibrant energy, and his muscular frame was evident through the basketball jersey he wore. His accent carried a hint of Jamaican.
Standing about 6'5", the older man towered over the interviewer, who, while having decent height, looked much smaller in comparison.
"Yes, brother... How can I help you?" the man asked, watching the young interviewer stroll up to him.
"Sorry to bother you... Do you have a sec?" the young man asked.
The older man glanced at his watch. "Ayaya... I got a little time, brother. The game doesn't start till 6, so I can spare a few minutes."
"That's perfect," the young man responded. "More than enough. I see you're wearing a Bulls jersey, so you must be a basketball fan, right?"
"Oh, 100%. Been a Bulls fan all my life, you know, during Michael's time. We groomed that boy, if you know what I mean," the man said, a prideful look crossing his face.
"I see, I see," the young man nodded. "But tell me, do you know anything about soccer?"
"Soccer?" The man scratched his head. "You mean that sport those European white boys play? I don't know much about it, but I've heard names like Messi and Ronaldo."
"Yes, Messi and Ronaldo are two of the most famous players of all time, and one of them is currently playing here in the States. But what if I told you there's a player now more popular among football fans than the two combined?"
"Is that so?" The man squinted his eyes.
"Have you heard the name Mark Twane?" the young man asked.
"A soccer player named Mark Twane?" The man pondered for a moment. "I'm afraid not."
"Well, he's currently the best player in the world and is slowly rising to be the greatest in history, rivaling Messi and Ronaldo."
"Ahh, no way, brother."
"Yes way! And the funny part is... he's American."
"Hahaha... Stop messing with me, brother."
"No, I'm serious! This season alone, he's already scored 62 goals in 30 matches across all competitions, and we're not even halfway through the season." The young man showed the older man some stats on his phone. "I truly believe he'll be comparable to Messi and Ronaldo in no time, maybe even surpass them."
"Umm... How old is he again?" the older man asked.
"24."
"Hmm... That's pretty young."
"I know, right? I'm really excited to see what the future holds for him," the young man said, his eyes sparkling with enthusiasm.
"Isn't it a bit too early to compare him with those guys?" the older man asked, sounding skeptical.
"Hahaha," the young man chuckled. "Sir, it's because you haven't seen him play. On the pitch, he's leagues above everyone else. It's not even close."
"Wow, brother... Is he really that good?"
"Yeah, he's the number one player in the world right now, and he's already in the top 10 of the century."
"So, let me get this straight," the older man said. "62 goals in 30 appearances, potentially on par with Messi and Ronaldo, among the top 10 best players of the century, and currently the best player in the world?"
"Yup, pretty much," the young man replied with a thumbs up.
"So, he's like the LeBron James of soccer?"
"Definitely."