Before the season started, I had to take a quick trip to Paris Fashion Week. With my influence growing beyond basketball.
Arrival in Paris...
As soon as my private jet landed at Orly, my agent, was already waiting. Black SUVs lined up outside, ready to take me straight to my hotel.
Dom smirked as he greeted me. "Welcome to Paris, mon ami! Hope you're ready."
I stretched a bit. "What's the plan?"
"Tonight, you're invited to an exclusive Louis Vuitton dinner. Tomorrow, front row at Off-White and Dior."
I wasn't deep into the fashion world, but I understood its power. Basketball and fashion were intertwined now.
The First Night...
The dinner was held at a private rooftop venue with a direct view of the Eiffel Tower. The atmosphere was elite—A-list celebrities, designers, models, and athletes everywhere. I walked in wearing a tailored Louis Vuitton suit.
At my table, I was seated next to Virgil Abloh, the creative genius behind Off-White.
We spent the night talking about sneaker design, streetwear, and the connection between basketball and fashion. It was one of those conversations that made me realize how much bigger my influence could be.
The next day...
I had front-row seats at the Dior show, sitting next to Pharrell Williams and Bella Hadid. Cameras flashed, and within minutes, social media was blowing up with pictures of me at the event.
During the Off-White show, I spotted Kendall Jenner and her family sitting just a few rows ahead. When Kendall saw me, she smirked and came over.
"Look at you, Mr. Fashion. Didn't expect to see you here."She sat next to me.
"Image is important, you know what I mean."
"What do you think then?" She asks me.
"The fashion show? It's okay even if it's not my style." I answer her.
"I was talking about my outfit." She said to me in a teasing mood.
"Hmm, I see, you look good."
"But not as good as Parker?"
"Stop there, if you want we can meet, you have my number but don't start making phases like that." I told her.
"Ok, that suits me." She replied.
At the end of the show she returned with the people she came with.
Later, I and the other guests got a private tour of the Off-White showroom, checking out unreleased pieces and discussing potential collaborations.
A night, I hit L'Arc Paris, one of the most exclusive clubs in the city. The VIP section was packed. Bottles were popping this few months, I was actually enjoying life, a little too much.
Even in the middle of all the glamour, basketball was still on my mind.
Flight Back to Orlando...
A few days later, I was back on my jet, heading home. Paris was amazing, and I'd made some moves for my brand, but now it was time to shift my focus.
Back in Orlando, I was locked in.
But before we got too serious, we had to handle something important. Rookie duties, we only had one pick, and in the second round of the 2015 draft.
Now, technically, Norman Powell wasn't really a "kid." He was actually older than me. But since he got drafted after me, he was still the rookie in my eyes. Even funnier, we had played against each other in college, when he was at UCLA with Jackson Ellis.
'Now I wonder what happened to him?' I'll ask Norman later.
"Ain't it funny how life works, Norm?" I smirked as we laced up for practice. "Couple years ago, you were trying to stop me at UCLA. Now? You gotta carry my bags."
He shook his head, laughing. "Man, that's crazy. But don't get it twisted, just 'cause you went pro first don't mean I won't lock you up today."
I chuckled. "Oh, you think so?"
Later...
Coach put us on opposite teams. Perfect. I had to remind him how our college matchups usually went.
First play, iso on the wing. I faked right, snatched it back left… bucket.
"Still too slow, Norm."
Next possession, Pick-and-roll. I dragged him into the switch, then powered to the rim for an and-one.
"it's ok Rookie?"
The vets were laughing especially Vucevic. D-Rose was shaking his head, and even Coach hid a smirk.
But Norm wasn't backing down. He got the ball in transition, took off full speed, and tried to finish through me.
BAM. I sent that shot flying off the backboard.
"Oh nah, Norm! You need to put more energy into it."
He got up quick, no complaints. That's what I liked about him.
Practice wrapped up, and I had to make sure Norman knew the deal.
"So, Norm… you know what time it is, right?"
He sighed, already knowing what was coming. "Come on, man… I'm older than you."
"And yet, I was drafted first… you see where I'm going with this?" I grinned. "Now, go get meals, a dozen smoothies, and don't forget the cookies, your elders need to regain their strength."
He shook his head. "Man… y'all really making me do this?"
"Yup. Welcome to the NBA, rook."
'Now I get it...' I say to myself as Norman walked off, mumbling under his breath about the order I just dropped on him.
'This is why they enjoyed doing this to me my rookie year.'
Back then, I hated it. Carrying bags, picking up food. But now? Now it was my turn and since last year I was only a sophomore I didn't participate. And man, I finally understood why vets loved this.
Derrick Rose walked up next to me, shaking his head. "You enjoying this a little too much, man."
I smirked. "Hey, it's tradition. I had to go through it, now it's his turn."
D-Rose laughed. "Yeah, yeah, that's true you might be right but you ordering like you feeding the whole city."
I shrugged. "Man, it's Chick-fil-A. Ain't nobody ever complained about extra food."
As we grabbed our bags and headed to the locker room, I glanced back at Norm, who was still looking at the receipt like he couldn't believe what just happened.
Yeah... I was definitely enjoying this.