Arco Arena after Christmas, which had been quiet for several days, was once again packed with spectators. After the home DJ introduced both teams, a spotlight unexpectedly fell on Jake, sitting in the coaching booth's corner.
"And now, our favorite general manager: Jaaaake!!!" The crowd erupted into deafening cheers, louder than even the applause Cousins had received moments earlier.
"Did everyone vote today?" the DJ hyped the crowd.
"Yes!" The arena roared, filled with joy.
Jake, visibly uncomfortable, stood up, gave a quick wave to the crowd, then sat back down with a grimace, signaling for his assistant general manager. "Find a way to fire this DJ later," he muttered.
This game wasn't crucial, as the Kings were playing the Suns, who were fighting for a playoff spot. The Suns had focused their offseason on offense, forming a three-guard lineup with Bledsoe, Dragic, and Thomas—Isaiah Thomas, who had once played for the Kings. Thomas was a potent offensive threat, but their defense was weak. The Kings, meanwhile, had Cousins controlling the paint and CJ running the floor, making it an uphill battle for the Suns.
The jump ball started with Cousins easily winning it, passing to CJ for a smooth advance. On the Suns' bench, Isaiah Thomas watched the game unfold, feeling a mix of nostalgia and frustration. This was his first return to the Kings' court after leaving the team, where he'd thrived despite being the 60th pick. But now, watching his old team soar without him, he couldn't help but feel left behind.
"Swish!" Gay scored from the corner after a crisp assist from CJ, who had drawn three defenders. The Kings were unstoppable, cutting through the Suns' weak defense like a hot knife through butter. In just the first quarter, the Kings took a 14-point lead.
When Thomas led the Suns' second unit in the second quarter, he faced the Kings' twin towers lineup of Mozgov and Oden, two giants who stifled his every move. Thomas, despite his agility, had no room to maneuver against their combined defensive presence. By the end of the game, the Suns fell 105-117.
Jake, uninterested in the victory, began packing up to leave when he noticed Thomas standing alone, gazing at the faded championship flag hanging above Arco Arena. The flag, a relic from the Kings' 1951 title as the Rochester Royals, was something Thomas used to look at when he played for the Kings, a reminder of the team's once-great legacy.
"Isaiah!" Jake approached him. Thomas looked up, confusion in his eyes, as he had never interacted with Jake before.
"It's a shame we didn't get to work together," Jake said after a brief exchange. "I've seen many players, but few have a presence like yours. You were born for big moments. Your time will come."
Thomas, skeptical, thought Jake sounded more like a motivational speaker than a GM. Though Jake didn't plan on re-signing Thomas, he couldn't help but offer some encouragement, knowing how hard Thomas's future would be. But Thomas, clearly unconvinced, left Jake shaking his head, hoping his words would somehow make a difference in the player's fate.
The conversation was just a small blip in the grander scheme of things. The regular season would soon give way to the All-Star break, the unofficial "midterm" for the league. For the Kings, their focus was simple: continue their march toward the top of the Western Conference.
In the following games, the Kings wrapped up 2014 by defeating the Knicks, Nets, and Celtics, securing their place in the top half of the standings with a 22-10 record. As Jake sat in the staff seat at the Boston Garden for the last game of the year, watching his team dismantle the Celtics, he couldn't help but think about the Celtics' future under Brad Stevens, a promising coach just waiting for his breakout moment.
While contemplating the rise of the Celtics and their inevitable rivalry with the rest of the East, Jake was suddenly approached by a smiling man in a suit—Danny Ainge, the Celtics' GM and one of the most cunning executives in the league.
"Jake, if you're free tonight, let's have dinner," Ainge said with a friendly smile. But Jake, knowing Ainge's reputation as a cold-blooded dealmaker, instantly felt his guard go up.