Sooley(87)
When his name was called as the ninth pick, he stepped onto the stage, and some fans in the crowd began chanting, “Sooley! Sooley! Sooley!”
* * *
·?·?·
As his players partied in the big city, Arnie worked well into the night on the trades that sent Darrell Whitley to the Indiana Pacers and Sooley to the Washington Wizards. At seven the following morning, he had breakfast with Washington’s GM and ironed out the contract, a four-year deal worth $14 million, with half guaranteed.
* * *
·?·?·
Flying home, Sooley decided he needed a break from South Beach. He got off the plane with Murray at Raleigh-Durham and said goodbye, and thanks, to Arnie and Reynard. From the sleek Falcon they walked through the private terminal to the parking lot, and to Murray’s little blue pickup truck that was so old the odometer had stuck at 220,000 miles. The automated parking meter demanded $18 on a credit card, and Sooley happily paid.
Driving away, he asked, “Did you hear the part about the loan?”
“Not all of it. Arnie advances some money?”
“Yeah. I told Reynard I didn’t have a car and he said no problem. Arnie will loan me a hundred thousand now and I’ll pay him back in a month when the first check comes in.”
“Is that legal?”
“Reynard says it is. Says some agents loan players money long before the draft and that’s not exactly legal.”
“Yeah, that kid from Arizona State got caught a few years back, didn’t he? The NBA decertified the agent and he filed suit. It was a big scandal.”
“Well, Reynard says it’s okay now because I’m out of school and officially a pro. How do you like that?”
“Sounds okay. I guess we’re going car shopping, as soon as you pass the driver’s test.”
“Oh that. Look, Murray, here’s the deal. I need some help. I need to buy a car and find a place to live in D.C., right? I need to do a lot of things and they’re all pretty intimidating. I want you to help me out, at least for the rest of the summer.”
“You trying to hire me?”
“That’s it. Reynard offered to help but he’s a busy dude. And I trust you, Murray. What do you say?”
“How much?”
“Eight dollars an hour.” Both roared with laughter that went on and on, and when it died down they rode in silence for a while. The thrill, and disbelief, and giddiness of the past two days began to soak in.
Murray finally said, “You’ll have to convince Miss Ida. She won’t like it.”
“I’ll bet she likes it a lot more now, with fourteen mil on the way. Plus, I can talk her into it. She thinks I’m special.”
“You are special, Sooley.”
“Still Samuel to you.”
“Whatever.”
More silence followed, then Murray asked, “So what kind of car are you thinking?”
“A Ford Explorer, that SUV.”
Murray laughed and said, “No, no, Samuel. You don’t sign for this kind of money and drive a Ford.”
“I’ve made up my mind. Coach Grinnell has one and he let me drive it.”
“Coach Grinnell is married with three kids. You’re in the NBA, Samuel, and you can’t drive a Ford. You need some fancy sports car, like a Porsche.”
“I’m not ready for that. Plus, they cost too much. I saw a Porsche online for over a hundred thousand.”
“So?”
“So, I picked out a Ford Explorer for only forty thousand.”
“Wow. You have so much to learn.”
They stopped at a Wendy’s for burgers and fries, then drove to the Legal Aid office where Sooley got a hero’s welcome. Miss Ida had tears in her eyes as she hugged him and showed him off.
When they were alone in her office, she got down to business. She was pleased to hear of the trade and that he would be living so close. She explained, with little room for questions or disagreement, that she would prepare a simple will that would leave everything in trust for his mother and brothers.
“I never thought about that,” Sooley admitted.
“There are a lot of things you haven’t thought about, but I have. Health insurance, your visa. Other stuff. When do you expect to sign the contract and get the money?”
“In about a month.”
“Okay. The amended contract you signed with Mr. Savage requires that ten percent of the money comes into your bank account. He keeps the rest for allowances and investments. You understand this?”
“Yes ma’am.”
“So, you’ll need to add the name of someone else to your account in case the money needs to be accessed. This person can’t touch it unless something happens to you.”
“Why are you worried about something bad happening to me?”
“Because I’m a lawyer and you’re my client. It’s my job to worry about everything.”
“Come on, Mom,” Murray protested.
“Just do as I say, okay.”
“Arnie’s loaning me a hundred thousand until the big money comes in.”
“I assume that’s legal.”
“It is.”
Murray said, “He needs to buy a car. Wants a Ford Explorer.”