Duke Hauser adjusted the lapel of his suit, his fingers grazing the Dallas Chaparrals pin attached to the fabric.
A roar of the local crowd sounded above him on Fair Park Coliseum.
He sat comfortably courtside at the home arena, his shoulder brushing against Tom Nissalke, the head coach of the Dallas Chaparrals.
A smell of cigarette smoke and roasted peanuts hung in the stadium air.
The metal bleachers were packed, fans stood on their toes in the upper sections, waving homemade cardboard banners.
It was a big departure from the empty seats Duke remembered from his initial purchase.
People definitely recognized him now. He was no longer just another wealthy anonymous Texas rich guy.
The box office numbers of his movie had kind of thrust him into the national spotlight.
Fans in the nearby rows pointed in his direction, Duke offered a relaxed smile in most ocassions.
He gave a casual wave to a group of teenagers sporting flared bell-bottom jeans and shirts unbuttoned at the chest.
He turned his attention back to the game.
The referee tossed the red, white, and blue ABA basketball high into the air.
The Chaparrals secured the opening tip-off against the Denver Nuggets.
Duke leaned back in his chair, as he watched his players move around.
When he first acquired the struggling team, dismal attendance figures were a persistent headache for the front office.
Winning changed that.
A reconstructed competitive roster gave the people of Dallas something to rally behind.
Of course it was also cheapre to go to a Dallas Chaparrals game than a Texas Cowboys game.
A game of the Dallas Chaparrals could cost 2$-7$ depending on the seat, meanwhile the Texas Cowboys was around 7$ to 10$.
Duke shook his head as he remembered how in 2026, it would be around 150$ to 400$ for a regular ticket
The loud buzzer sounded, signaling a timeout on the court.
Tom leaned close to Duke to be heard over the music echoing from the loudspeakers.
"The merger is finally happening next year, Duke," Tom said, his eyes scanning the opposing Denver bench. "The rumors are firming up. The NBA is getting ready to absorb four of the ABA teams."
Duke gave a slow nod. "I have been following the negotiations closely, Tom. We will need to pay a 12 million dollar entry fee to make the transition alongside the chosen teams."
Tom raised an eyebrow, wiping his sweating forehead with the back of his hand. "12 million dollars? That sounds like an awful amount of cash just to switch leagues and play different opponents."
"It is actually a bargain," Duke explained. "Look at the rest of the league map. We own the Texas market, we are in a unique spot."
Duke elaborated on his position. "We are one of the very few franchises remaining with a devoted fanbase, a competitive roster, and a media market large enough to properly support a professional television contract. Most of the other owners dont have that."
He patted Tom on the shoulder. "We hold the real leverage here. The NBA needs the Dallas television market just as much as we need the stability of their league. We are sitting in a strong position."
Tom accepted the logic, looking up toward the roof. "Are the plans for a new stadium still on the horizon? This arena is not ours, and its a little old. Not to mention that the NBA front office is going to expect more modern facilities from a new franchise."
Duke nodded, "I have already spoken to the executives at Chase Manhattan about the financing. After the Mattel stake, I can leverage additional capital for construction projects."
"I want to build a big arena right here in Dallas," Duke declared, "I am aiming for something versatile that can host basketball, concerts, and cultural events all year round."
He paused, letting the noise of the cheering crowd interrupt him. "But I am waiting for the merger paperwork to finalize first. I need to see exactly what kind of broadcast contracts we are walking into before I break any ground."
Tom checked his checkboard. "The players are focused on winning the final ABA championship. Iceman is playing out of his mind this season."
Duke loved the coach's dedication. "The fans deserve a championship parade. And if we win the title, the transition to the NBA will be that much smoother for our branding."
Duke reached down and pulled a manila folder from his leather briefcase. "I have been working on something, Tom. A new branding for the team after the merger goes through."
He opened the folder and showed Tom a series of sketches.
A new logo, new color scheme, and a new team name being proposed, The Dallas Mavericks.
Tom studied the colorful designs, "Mavericks. I like the sound of it. So whats the plan?"
Duke explained his broader vision. "We want to keep developing a local fanbase in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. But I am also thinking in places like Italy, Spain, and other parts of Europe."
The Dallas–Fort Worth area is the most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Southern United States, with a population exceeding 8.5 million.
"I want to tap into that overseas market," Duke continued, "I want to sell our jerseys, broadcast our games, and maybe even bring in talented European players to the team."
Duke closed his eyes as he remembered the Dirk Nowitzki Championship run in 2011 to get the Playoff Gauntlet.
Tom looked at his boss, and nodded, "That will take...time, same way that americans dislike soccer, europeans feel apathy to basketball"
Duke offered a smile. "That isn't true, most europeans don't know aobut the game but its not to the level of feelings that american have toward soccer."
The referee blew his whistle, signaling the end of the timeout.
The final quarter of the game was a physical battle, the fast-paced style of the ABA was very entertaining to watch.
The Chaparrals pulled away in the final minutes, winning a close game.
Tom and Duke stood up and shook hands as the crowd cheered the win.
Duke turned around and glanced up at the private suite near the ceiling.
He easily spotted Margaux standing near the front window.
She held Bradley in her arms, looking down at the celebration on the court.
Duke even from this distance, could see Bradley happily bouncing on Margaux's hip.
___
Later that evening, the door of Duke Dallas apartment clicked shut.
The space was a spacious apartment that served as his primary home whenever business brought him back to his home state of Texas.
The apartment had large windows overlooking the city skyline that Duke though would look great on a aura farming photo session.
Duke, Margaux, and Bradley were gathered around a wooden dining table.
Bradley sat in his high chair.
The baby banged a plastic spoon against his tray, demanding something.
Duke had ordered a large amount of takeout Chinese food from a local spot.
White cardboard filled with steaming fried rice, General Tso's chicken, and Beef and broccoli covered the center of the table.
Duke used his chopsticks to pick up small pieces of chicken from his portion of fried rice and carefully fed them to Bradley.
The baby eagerly gobbled up the chicken.
Margaux watched the interaction with a soft smile. "He loves that chicken more than anything else right now."
"The boy has great taste," Duke agreed, wiping a stray grain of rice from Bradley's chin with a napkin. He served himself another helping of beef and broccoli.
Margaux took a sip of her water and shifted the conversation to her recent audition.
"My audition for Rocky went amazing, Duke."
"I was nervous at first," she admitted, "But once I stepped onto the mark and started reading the lines with the casting director, it just clicked. The character felt very natural to me."
"The director was really encouraging throughout the entire process," Margaux continued, her eyes lighting up with excitement. "And Sylvester, the writer who is playing Rocky, was so nice to me. He kept telling me I was perfect for the role."
Duke smiled over his steaming carton of food.
He had hid the fact that he had already spoken directly to the director and Stallone days ago to ensure Margaux secured the role without question.
After all, Margaux was not a great actress.
"I am not surprised in the least," Duke said, "You are a talented actress. Youre perfect for the part of Adrian, they would be foolish to cast anyone else."
Margaux reached for a piece of broccoli. "The only real issue we ran into was my height. I am a little bit taller than Stallone when we stand barefoot next to each other on the casting floor."
"The director said they can work around it," she quickly added, not wanting to spoil the good news. "They plan to use specific camera angles, staging, and wooden blocks for him to stand on during close-ups."
Duke nodded, knowing the standard Hollywood tricks inside and out. "It will not be a problem at all. The character of Adrian is not about physical height after all."
Duke used his knife to cut small piece of his beef and offered it to Bradley with his chopsticks.
The baby eagerly grabbed the piece of steak with his greasy fingers.
He shoved it into his mouth and chewed it for a long moment, making happy, satisfied grunts as he worked the meat against his gums.
Suddenly, Bradley pulled the half-chewed piece of steak out of his mouth.
With a grin, he stretched his short arm across the tray and proudly offered the wet chewed beef back to his father.
Duke recoiled playfully, leaning back in his dining chair. "No, no, Bradley. That is your piece of steak. You keep that one to yourself, buddy."
Bradley laughed and shoved the chewed steak right back toward Duke's face, his tiny arm straining to reach his father's nose.
Margaux laughed and reached out, guiding the baby's hand away from Duke's shirt.
"He just wants to share with his dad," Margaux teased, wiping Bradley's hand with a cloth. "You should be honored that he is willing to part with his dinner for you."
Duke chuckled, "I appreciate the sentiment, but I will stick to my own plate tonight."
After the moment died down, Margaux took a bite of her rice and looked at Duke with mild curiosity.
"So, what is your next project at the studio? You have been unusually quiet about your production lately."
Duke paused, picking up a napkin. He carefully wiped a smear of brown sauce off Bradley's chubby cheek.
"I have been working on something special in the background," Duke admitted. "It is still deep in the early pre-production phases. We are building sets and designing costumes. I have not even started the casting process yet."
Margaux leaned forward, intrigued. "You always have a plan up your sleeve. What is the name of this new picture?"
Duke smiled at her interest, "Its a science fiction project, called Star Wars."
Margaux's expression changed. The excitement vanished, replaced by disinterest. "Oh. The science fiction book you published a while back. It didnt sell very well in the stores, did it?"
Duke nodded, the initial novelization had bombed in the literary market. "It was a financial disappointment on paper. The reading public just did not connect with the world-building on the page."
"But I still firmly believe in the core story," Duke argued, "Its a classic hero's journey set against a cosmic backdrop."
"People just need to see the spaceships and the lasers with their own eyes to truly understand it," Duke explained, "The special effects team at ILM is inventing technology that will blow audiences away."
Margaux did not press the issue any further. She knew better than to argue with Duke.
Besides, her attention was abruptly diverted by Bradley, who had managed to throw a little spoon of fried rice on himself for some reason.
The baby had managed to get rice grains across the tray, his clothes, and the floor.
___
Cause I don't wanna lose you now, I'm lookin' right at the other half of me
Next chapter: Star wars Casting and pre production focused
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