Location: Mississauga, Ontario – Barrett Academy Offseason Program
Date: March 2018 – Start of Spring Break
Kyle Wilson – 16 y/o, 6'8", #31 National Ranking (declining)
Condition: Chronic knee soreness, back tightness, still raw offensively
Objective: Heal. Evolve. Stay alive in the 2019 race.
Flight NorthThe plane landed in a swirl of frost and gray.
Kyle stepped into Canada for the first time with nothing but a duffel bag, a foam roller, and a tight brace wrapped under his sweats.
It felt like entering enemy territory — not because the people were unfriendly, but because this wasn't about comfort anymore.
This was exile.
No cameras. No hype.
Just snow, silence, and pain waiting to greet him.
Barrett Academy – Private FacilityCoach Ron, RJ Barrett's uncle and longtime trainer, met him at the entrance.
He looked Kyle up and down.
"You taller in person."
Kyle extended a hand.
"Mi ready."
Coach Ron chuckled. "We'll see."
First Days – Stripped BareThe first two days? No basketball.
None.
Just therapy.
Massage tables. Knee decompression work. Ice bath plunges. Long, silent bike sessions with resistance bands.
Kyle hated it.
He felt like a broken machine left in a junkyard.
"Mi come here to play."
Coach Ron raised an eyebrow.
"You came here to last."
Other Trainees – Ghosts in the GymIt wasn't just Kyle in the facility.
There were others.
A Lithuanian kid recovering from an Achilles scare.
A Canadian point guard who'd reclassified from 2020 to 2019 after a hip injury.
One American center with a nasty wingspan and no ACL in his left leg.
Nobody talked much.
They all worked like ghosts.
Kyle felt at home.
Meanwhile, in the U.S. – Ja and Zion RiseKyle kept off social media mostly.
But sometimes he couldn't help it.
He saw Zion windmill on ESPN.
Saw Ja Morant drop 30 in an EYBL game.
RJ's face was on SLAM's digital cover: "Canada's Crown Jewel."
All around him, the class of 2019 was ascending.
And Kyle? He was stretching his hamstrings next to a bucket of melted ice.
"Mi missing it," he whispered one night.
But then Ron came in.
"You're not missing it. You're building the part of yourself that lets you last through it."
Week 2 – Back to BasketballFinally, he got back on the court.
The gym was dark. One light over the hardwood.
No full-court runs. Just skill work.
Mid-post footwork.
Fadeaways off one leg.
Floaters in traffic.
Reading doubles and passing blindside.
Defensive slides with a resistance vest.
Kyle broke down halfway through day one.
His back gave out mid-shuffle drill.
He screamed.
Collapsed.
Ron walked over slowly.
"You can tap out, kid."
Kyle didn't respond. He just got on all fours.
Then stood back up.
RJ Pulls UpOn day 10, RJ Barrett finally showed.
Grey hoodie. Beats over his ears. Calm presence.
He watched Kyle run drills in silence.
Then walked over and extended a fist.
"You're Ghost, right?"
Kyle bumped fists.
"Mi trying."
RJ nodded. "You'll make it. You move smart. Just don't rush the pain."
Later that night, they ate dinner in the facility's dining hall.
RJ leaned in.
"You ever play Ja?"
Kyle shook his head. "Not yet."
RJ smirked.
"You will. He don't talk much. But he'll break your ankles if you blink."
Kyle nodded slowly.
"Mi nah blink."
Scrimmage Day – Quiet FireAfter two weeks, Coach Ron called for a closed scrimmage.
Four players. Half-court. Nothing fancy.
RJ on one team. Kyle on the other.
First possession: Kyle caught in the post. RJ shaded baseline.
Kyle spun inside, absorbed the bump—
Turnaround jumper. Bucket.
Next possession: RJ drove hard, kicked out—
Kyle rotated. Block.
RJ grinned.
"You been working."
Kyle was breathing hard.
"Mi just getting started."
They battled for 40 minutes. Silent war.
By the end, Kyle's body screamed again.
But this time?
He didn't fold.
Canada Ends – A New KyleFinal night in Mississauga, Kyle packed his bag quietly.
Coach Ron handed him a sheet.
It wasn't a contract or offer.
It was a training plan.
"Stick to this when you're back in Jersey. You follow this, you'll be in shape for the summer circuits."
Kyle nodded.
Then Ron added:
"Peach Jam is in July. You'll see Zion. You'll see Ja. RJ might stop through."
Kyle raised an eyebrow.
"Yuh want mi to compete with dem?"
"No," Ron said. "I want you to prove you belong with them."
Return to Eden Hill – Spring EndsKyle came back different.
He wasn't limping anymore.
His touch at the rim had improved.
His lateral speed looked cleaner.
He even dunked in warmups — off one step.
Zion Dorsey stared.
"Who the hell did you train with, Ghost?"
Kyle smirked.
"Mi just met mi shadow."
Langston watched from his office window.
He scribbled two words in his notebook:
"Kyle's ready."
Final Scene – The Peach Jam PreviewKyle stood alone in the gym that night.
Lights off.
Only the hoop lit by the hallway spill.
He imagined Ja Morant coming at him full speed.
He imagined Zion crashing in from the wing.
He imagined RJ calling for a double.
He didn't flinch.
He stepped into a slide.
Closed out.
Jumped.
Blocked.
Imaginary? Sure.
But his body didn't lie anymore.
Not tonight.