Location: Eden Hill Prep – New Jersey
Age: 16
Height: 6'8"
National Ranking: #27
Status: Watched by D1, Overseas Pro Scouts, and Injury Reports
September – First Week of Preseason
Eden Hill Prep was built like a fortress.
The main campus sat on a hill with white brick dorms, manicured lawns, and a glass-paneled gym that shimmered under morning sunlight like a monument to discipline.
Kyle arrived at dawn.
Two bags. One taped ankle. A hoodie over his head.
The bus dropped him off quietly. No fanfare. No cameras. Just silence.
He wasn't here to talk.
He was here to survive.
Orientation – Sharks in the WaterCoach Langston, a wiry ex-NBA assistant, stood with his arms behind his back as the new class gathered in the gym.
"Welcome to Eden Hill," he said, voice flat. "We don't care where you've been. U16 gold medal? Viral clips? D1 buzz? None of it matters now."
He looked at Kyle directly.
"You'll either become a machine here... or break."
A few players laughed.
Kyle didn't.
He just rolled his shoulder, still sore from the final back in Kingston.
TeammatesZion Dorsey – 6'6" wing, ranked #14, built like a linebacker with a sniper's shot.
Malik "Flash" Bradley – lightning quick PG with a killer handle.
Chase Fontaine – white boy with a mean mid-range and a coach's IQ.
Tyler Knox – backup forward, 6'7", jealous and loud.
Kyle barely spoke to them at first.
They watched him. Whispered.
"That's Ghost."
"He the one who blocked that Bahamas kid twice?"
"He look tired, tho."
First Practice – Elite PainThe assistant coach, Ramos, blew the whistle.
"Dynamic warmups!"
What followed was not warm.
It was a full-on military assault on their bodies.
Defensive slides. Resistance bands. Weighted lunges. Hill sprints.
Then scrimmages.
No drills. Just combat.
Kyle guarded Zion full court. Zion threw an elbow.
Kyle took it, then blocked his layup on the next play.
Malik called him "a freak."
Zion smirked.
"We'll see how long that body holds up."
Night – Ice and SilenceKyle sat in the dorm room tub, legs soaking in ice, back against the tile.
His phone buzzed.
Dre: "You there?"
Kyle: "Yeah."
Dre: "You good?"
Kyle: "Mi legs feel like bricks."
Dre: "Yuh joints talking to yuh?"
Kyle: "Loud."
Kyle shut off the phone.
No point complaining.
Pain was just the rent for greatness.
Week Two – First SignsPractice was brutal.
Every day, Kyle gave 100%.
But something was wrong.
He couldn't shake the ache in his left knee.
He limped after drills.
He winced getting up from the bench.
Langston noticed.
"You hurt?"
Kyle shook his head.
Langston stared.
"You lie?"
Kyle looked him in the eye.
"Mi here to work."
Langston walked away.
But that night, Kyle found an ice wrap waiting in his locker.
No note. Just a nod from Ramos.
Scrimmage – Closed-Door ScoutsEden Hill didn't play open preseason games.
They played invite-only scrimmages against top programs — IMG, Sunrise Christian, Brewster.
Scouts were allowed.
NBA. EuroLeague. Nike EYBL reps.
Kyle suited up with his knee tightly wrapped.
First possession: he blocked a 7-footer at the rim.
Second: he missed a dunk.
Third: he clutched his knee after landing.
Langston pulled him out.
"You limping."
Kyle gritted his teeth.
"I'm fine."
Langston said nothing.
Next quarter, Kyle didn't play.
Zion dominated.
After the game, Zion patted his back.
"You gonna need both knees if you wanna keep up."
Late Night GymKyle returned at midnight.
Shot free throws in silence.
Each jumper sent a pulse of pain up his leg.
He kept shooting.
Dre FaceTimed him.
"Bro, you look like a ghost for real."
Kyle chuckled weakly.
"Mi trying to keep mi spot."
Dre's face changed.
"You already earned it. Don't die for it."
Kyle didn't answer.
He just took another shot.
Swish.
Then another.
Mid-Season Rankings ReleasedKyle Wilson – Down to #31.
"Concern about durability. Still elite defender. Offense improving."
Langston called him into the office.
"You're slipping."
Kyle stayed silent.
"You can't play through injuries forever. I've seen it before. They break."
Kyle clenched his jaw.
"I can't sit now."
Langston leaned forward.
"You sit now… or you'll sit forever."
Decision Time – Load ManagementLangston put Kyle on a load management plan.
No back-to-back practices.
No weekend games unless cleared.
More physical therapy.
Less scrimmage time.
Zion started calling him "Princess Knees."
Tyler joked, "Hope your mixtape has wheelchair highlights."
Kyle didn't respond.
But every insult stacked like bricks on his chest.
Final Scene – ESPN Game NightEden Hill vs. Top Flight Prep.
Nationally televised.
Langston pulled Kyle aside.
"You're cleared for 15 minutes max. Use them wisely."
Kyle stared into the mirror before tip-off.
Tape wrapped around both knees. Shoulders tight.
But his eyes?
Dead calm.
Game RecapFirst minute: Kyle tips a pass, dives for the loose ball, outlets to Malik — dunk.
Third minute: Kyle hits a corner three.
Sixth minute: Kyle sprints back on defense, rotates, takes a charge.
Every minute, he burned.
But every second, he left a mark.
When the 15 minutes were up, Eden was up 10.
Kyle sat.
Watched Zion finish the game.
Scouts took notes.
Commentators said: "He's not the same explosive athlete… but he's thinking the game now. He's evolving."
End of ChapterKyle limped to the locker room alone.
Pulled off the tape slowly.
Looked at his reflection in the mirror.
"Still here," he whispered.
Then he smiled — barely.
Because he knew:
Pain meant he hadn't quit.
And if he hadn't quit…
He still had a chance.