Hey kid, sorry about your disease.
Now wear this clown nose.
Really?
Really.
This is humiliating.
But I am suddenly scoring a ton.
You’re really kicking ass, kid. Let’s go out on the town.

Oh god…
That was a worse decision than the clown nose.
Pull it together, Sam! Your first game against Jackson Ellis is almost here!

Are you ready for what you have to do?
Don’t you worry, after what he did to me in the draft showcase…
I’m going to destory Sam Beckett Jr.
That’s what I like to hear.
I don’t get it. Why is all this so important?
You’ve gone to a lot of trouble to make sure everything goes right on March 29.
What is this about? Money? Power?
Oh, nothing so simple.
This is about freedom. Opportunity. Justice. The founding principles of this country.
So some deep shit?
Everything went astray, Jackson.
This is not the world our fathers built for us.
It isn’t?
Listen to me, Jackson.
Our time is fleeting on this planet.
We are born, we die, and we fade away.
I ain’t gonna fade away.
You’re missing the point, Jackson.
In the end, all we have is what we have left for those that come after.
And I intend to return the world to the way it should be.
Oh, like Katniss standing up to the Capitol?
Uh… Yes. Exactly like that.
But that was undermined by the actions of the–
Quiet! I haven’t read the books. I’m only watching the movies.
That’s a shame.
I don’t have many people to talk to about the books.
Everyone else in the locker room is the same way. Just waiting for the movies.
My time is valuable. I’m trying to change the world.
Yeah, but do we really want the world changed by someone who doesn’t read?
I read!
It’s just mostly nonfiction.
That’s what they all say.
You don’t even know me!
Yeah, I bet it’s hard to read what with you being all up in the shadows all the time.
Not good for your eyesight.
So, does that mean you’re gonna get some lights and let me see your face?
No. You’re not ready to understand yet.
Now you have a job to do. You must destroy Sam Beckett Jr.
Don’t worry. I look forward to it.

So, Al, can you ask Ziggy 2.0 what the hell is up with the media these days?
What do you mean?
All they want to talk about is this game against Jackson Ellis.
It’s like they’ve forgotten about my illness or my clown nose.
Well, you remember ESPN, right? And how crazy it was there was 24 hour sports channel?
Yeah.
Now there’s ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPN 3, ESPN Classic, ESPN Deportes, ESPN After Dark–
ESPN After Dark? I don’t think my TV gets that one.
You have to be a member of the Bohemian Club to receive ESPN After Dark.
What’s on it?
You ever want to see a live feed from inside Derek Jeter’s bedroom?
They spy on baseball players?
Nah, Jeter is totally into it.
Anyway, this is all without even touching the Fox Sports networks.
And a million websites.
What does this have to do with everyone obsessing about me vs. Ellis?
With all these outlets, all competing, the media has a short attention span.
They can only focus on the immediate controversy, and forget about everything else.
Even a guy making up a disease?
You should be glad that the media isn’t looking into it more.
You could have ended up on NCIS: ESPN.

All right, boys, time to practice. Big game againast the Pistons coming up.
Listen, dawg, I know we need to practice.
But Detroit? Big game? They ain’t much to be scared of.
Oh, really?
You know who people said also wasn’t much to be scared of?
Invoker. I know some people say he can be mastered but, fuck, usually a terrible draw.
No, Barack Obama.
Who’s that? Some League shit? Get out of here with that.
At first he just looked like a typical democratic senator.
But now we all know what he’s turned into.
…a typical democratic president?
That’s what they want you to believe.
Who is “they”? And what do you think Obama is, anyway?
Calm down, Jason. This isn’t worth it.
Coach is right. We absolutely need to prepare for the Pistons.
What, you on his side now? I thought we were cool. I thought we partied together.
Woah, I didn’t mean anything.
It’s just this Pistons game is pretty important and I can’t really explain why.

Break it up, you two! I thought we resolved this last episode.
Episode?
Did I say “episode”? I meant “last week”.
We didn’t resolve shit, Coach. We just started over.
I thought that was a resolution.
Well, you were mistaken.
We can’t do this right now. We have to beat the Pistons.
Why are the Pistons so important?
Every game is important!
This is about Jackson Ellis, isn’t it?
You still aren’t over the rookie showcase?
Man, I beat him in the showcase. That’s not what this is about.
I told you I can’t explain.
Guys! This is not the place for this. Can you be cool?

Yeah. We got work to do. I didn’t mean anything by it. Right, Jason?
…right.

Okay, Sam, with a big game against Jackson Ellis coming up…
You might want to see if you can upgrade your ratings at all.
I don’t have much VC. Are there any more of those codes out there?
Ziggy 2.0 says you’re out of luck.
Damn it. Well, I guess I’ll improve my dunk a little.

One of these days you’ll use your VC on defensive ratings, right?
Yeah. Sure. Why not.
You ever heard the saying that the best defense is a good offense?
I don’t think that applies in basketball.
If I can keep shooting sixty percent from the field, I won’t need to worry.
Given how many shots you take when you play, if you shoot sixty percent from the field…
…you’ll have some kind of historic rookie season.
Maybe that’s what I have to do. Maybe that’s what I need to do to leap.
Right now, just focus on Jackson Ellis.

Yo, Beckett, long time no see.
Yeah, you didn’t even make the promo image for this game.
Josh Smith instead?
You got a problem with Josh Smith?
I don’t know, just thought this would be your team by now.
Based on how you talk, not on how you play.
God damn it, Beckett! I am going to destroy you.
Really? And how are you going to do that?
…
How about this:

But if I outscore you, you’ve gotta do the same.
That’s it? No problem. I still don’t even know what social media is.
Oh, you’re going down, Beckett.
I’m going to show the whole league what you really are.
And what am I?
You’re nothing but a Gilderoy Lockhart.
Who?
You don’t even know Harry Potter?
I feel sorry for you, man.
If I didn’t plan on ripping you apart in front of a thousand fans…
I might offer to lend you a few books. My paperbacks, at least.
Let’s just play the game and see who’s going to be ripping who apart.

So, what was that? You were going to destroy me?
Let’s see, I’ve score 17 and you’ve scored…8?
I’m just getting started. Just getting warmed up.
Where have I heard that before? Oh yeah, the rookie showcase.
You still going on about that? Did you see the draft?
Yeah, and it was bullshit.
One game doesn’t mean anything.
Except this one. If you don’t pick it up, you’re gonna have to sing my praises.
…
Listen, we can call this bet off, but I’ll need something from you first.
Tell me about March 29.
Fuck, I can’t do that.
Yes you can. What is going to happen on March 29?
This conversation is over. Get back on the court.
I’ll show you what I can really do. Watch, I’m like Neo in the Matrix.
The what?
Oh my god… Just watch.

Really? That’s it?
I’m having an off day!
Last chance: March 29.
I can’t!

Oh, well, look at that.

Man, I don’t want to talk about it right now.
Before the game it’s all you wanted to talk about.
You got lucky.

…ego.
Real funny, Beckett.
Looks like you’ve got some work to do on socialist media.
All media is socialist media.
Coach, where did you come from?
Don’t mind me. I’m just making sure you two are questioning the narrative.
I’ll do what I said, Beckett. Don’t worry.

What the hell was that, Ellis?
I don’t want to hear it.
Did you forget everything that we talked about?
Listen, man, I played my hardest out there.
I thought I could outscore him, humiliate him.
But I couldn’t. I’m sorry I disapointed you.
Outscore him? Humiliate him? Didn’t you understand?
You were supposed to kill him!
I tried but my jumper just wasn’t–
You’re still not getting it, Ellis.
I wanted you to literally murder Sam Beckett Jr.
Oh. Oh wow. That’s kind of extreme.
I thought this was all just about basketball.
Nothing is too extreme for what I have planned.
I’m fixing everything. I’m making everything right. And look at this:

That isn’t right. The 76ers aren’t supposed to be winning games.
And killing Beckett would fix that?
More than that. What did I say? It would fix everything.
Man, I don’t know about this. This is all kind of fucked up.
I know you helped me get my career started, but if I’m gonna try to murder a person…
I think that I at least need to know who you are.
Hmm… Well, I suppose that you have earned that.
With your loyalty if not your services.
Damn right. I could have reported you to the commissioner or, like, the police.
Very well. I suppose I can show you my face…
…though it will give you more questions than answers.
My god…
No, you can just call me Dr. Sam Beckett.