On the eve of the draft, as the city held its breath, I stood in Brooklyn watching history unfold—not just basketball, but a cultural reckoning. Es-Bali’s shadow loomed over MLB’s New York Mets, and the unspoken demand on Black athletes to ‘try harder’ echoed through every alley, every court. This isn’t about talent—it’s about who gets seen, and who gets silenced. I’ve seen it: 76 nights of silent pressure, 8+19 picks traded for silence. This is our story.