This time, Kyrie arrived the earliest- probably because he knows Coach K the best, you can mess up once, but never twice. Not in a row at least. In fact, Kyrie arrived at the facility an hour early, which is why he was surprised to find Carmelo there, strained out on the benches, tying up his practice shoes.
Kyrie, hands on his backpack straps ran up like an excited elementary kid, opening his mouth to cheer, "CARMELLOOOOO ANT-"
"Don't start with that it's too early in the morning," Carmelo sighed, trying to die down the grin rising on his mouth. Kyrie was always pretty close with Carmelo and Chris, he really got close with them through LeBron, because on their 'dates' LeBron would frequently leave Kyrie stuck with the two of them.
Yes, it did suck when his own boyfriend left him in the middle of dates for 'important events' or whatever Bron did, Kyrie never really bothered to ask. Well, more he was too scared to ask.
But, Carmelo and Chris made Kyrie content with it, they always cheered him up. At times, Kyrie felt closer to Carmelo and Chris than he did LeBron, especially lately.
"Chin up, Ky. You got me and Melo, let LeBron do his thing, you can't help it you know? He's the King, he's busy. But I got your back."
"You excited, rook?" Carmelo asked, smiling up from tying his shoe at the beaming young player. "Well, It's not my first Olympics, but I'm excited to get to know some people."
There was a brief pause shared between the two, until Kyrie's eye widened, "Hey! I'm not a rookie anymore, I'm a grown man," Kyrie flashed a cocky grin and raised an eyebrow a Melo, jokingly, "With a grown man ring!" Carmelo snickered, as Kyrie took the seat beside him and settled down his bags.
Melo rolled his eyes before laughing with Kyrie, he shook his head, "You still look and sound like a Rookie to me, Ky." "Say what you want but I still took that last shot in game 7."
Melo playfully punched Kyrie's shoulder, "Guys like us walk so Rookies like you can run, don't forget that aight?" Kyrie smiled, "And I do like to pay homage, Melo, you know that," he said truthfully.
"That's one of the reasons I liked you, Rook," Melo said, bringing up his other foot to tie the laces. "Anyways, who on the roster do you want to get to know huh? I can spill a fact or two."
Kyrie pulled off a sweater to reveal his practice shirt and unbuttoned his pull away pants to get into his basketball shorts, before standing up and grabbing a basketball from the rack, Carmelo following close behind with his own basketball.
They started shooting threes, as Kyrie thought on Melo's earlier question. Really, there was one person he was curious about: Kevin Durant. They both admired each others' game from a distance, but never really got to a full-on conversation on it.
He knew Klay, Harrison, and Draymond from the Warriors run a bit, they shared small conversations after games. Everyone was friends with DeMar and Kyle, they had that kind of family charisma to them. DeAndre seemed like a fun dude to be around... Then there was Paul George and Boogie, he didn't know much about them either. According to ILNBAD.net (IheartNBADrama.net)'s reporter IHeartKyDurant, they seemed close...
"Tell me 'bout Kevin," Kyrie said, trying to sound as casual as possible, "He's entering Free Agency this summer yeah?" Kyrie continued, as he shot up a clean three.
"Ah, that Kevin guy," Melo cackled, going in for a deep three, it bounced off the rim and he sighed, hands on his hips. "He's pretty funny, though initially intimidating," Carmelo started, as he walked over to his basketball.
"Yeah, every time I play against him it's like going against the Tower of Pisa," Kyrie cackled, bouncing his basketball as he watched Carmelo retreat his ball. "He's just towering over me."
"I mean from what LeBron tells me, you're into that typa shit," Carmelo cackles. Kyrie flushed for a moment them blinked back at Melo with wide eyes and a slightly gaped mouth, "I-"
Carmelo chuckled, and waved his hand out in dismissal before sinking a mid-range jumper. "As I was saying, he's a funny guy, but he tends to care too much. Way too much actually. You should keep an eye or three out for Russ.."
"What's that suppos-" as if on queue, a damn group of guys entered the gym: Draymond, Boogie, Paul, and the devil himself, Kevin, alongside Coach K.
*
"DeMar did you bring the deodorant?" Kyle asked as he looked up at DeMar, fishing through his bag. DeMar lifted an eyebrow, "Did you seriously forget your own again? I thought I was the one who uses YOUR deodorant." "Psh? Me forget? Neverr..."
DeMar's eye twitched, then he just let out a laugh, "I'm starting to think you do it on purpose." "That's because he does!" Draymond hollered from behind them, a cocky expression attached with his lazy eyes. DeMar looked down at Kyle again, "You know I could just... BUY you one?" "Yeah but-" "It's not as intimate!" Boogie yelled out from beside Draymond before they burst into tears and laughter. All Kyle could do was frown.
*
Once they're all settled in Coach K crisply clapped his hands together, a devilish and suspicious grin gave Kyrie chills if he's gonna say what Kyrie thinks he's gonna say-
"Field Suicide, Boys! Get ready to go to the football field!"
Jimmy leaned down to have his mouth ear level with Kyrie's ear, "Field what now?" If Kyrie wasn't already shivering, Jimmy's hot breath had him now. Kyrie tilted his head to look up at Jimmy, eyes glazed.
Jimmy lit up, "Wait are we playing football? I'm a professional if you didn't notice." Kyrie had to laugh at that, "Sure J, whatever you think." "What I think is always right."
"Uh-huh It sure is."
Kevin tapped Kyrie's shoulder from behind them, earning a quick jolt and a spin-around. "Hey Ky, do you have a clue what he's talking about?" Kevin politely asked Kyrie blushed, not on command, he bit his bottom lip as he tilted his chin even more upwards to face Kevin.
"I- uh- I..." he took in a deep breath, "We're running..."
"-20 kilometers, back and forth, till you can't feel your legs," Coach k happily completed Kyrie's sentence.
"No WAY I'm doing that!" Draymond growled, Kevin's head snapped in his direction and suddenly he wasn't worried about whatever amount of miles he had to run, despite his leg stature....he was quickly reminded of the article he was to publish by Independence Day.
"I do not remember signing up for this," Jimmy whisper-yelled as Kyrie took a step back and sighed. "I told you training camp is harsh Jimmy, remember?"
Jimmy squinted, trying to remember Kyrie telling him that, but, "To be honest, I wasn't listening," Jimmy chuckled. Kyrie laughed and rolled his eyes, "I thought I was pretty clear on it." "Yeah well, I was... distracted."
"By what!?" Kyrie exclaimed he can't help but smile. Butler just shook his head and laughed, "Man, you don't wanna know."
*
After the run...
Dray, Boogie, Carmelo and DeAndre were all sprawled out on the grass floor, wheezing and gasping for air, drenched in sweat. Running was not exactly their forte.
Kevin and Klay were on the benches, chugging some water, Jimmy looked fine, or at least was pretending to be fine. Paul was wiping his sweat as he laughed at DeMarcus and Draymond who were just laughing pre-workout.
Kyle and DeMar were somehow talking the whole run, about life and other things, it was scary how they still managed to keep their lungs intact.
After helping Melo up and handing him a fresh dry towel, Kyrie went to sit by Jimmy and Kevin to start some conversation.
"Hey, Kid," Jimmy teased as Kyrie came up to the benches. "Whatever." "What? What's wrong with calling you kid? LeBron does it." Kyrie opened his mouth to respond then closed it again, in thought.
Kevin crossed his arms bitterly, "We all know LeBron gets special privileges, I'm not even surprised." Jimmy smirked, "Why so salty? Is it 'cause you're the secon-"
Cutting of the argument, Coach K blew his whistle, "Alright guys get dressed! We're heading to Harlem for an Olympic introduction!"
DeMarcus popped up from the floor, almost smashing his forehead against Paul who was handing him a towel, "Wait- RIGHT NOW!?"
"Yes, get dressed."
"You have got to be kidding me," Draymond grunted.