Victor Sosa woke with a gasp in his studio apartment near one of Aberdeen's lone basketball gyms, clutching his chest as two lifetimes of memories collided.
Victor Moon, 23, died in his sleep from an undiagnosed heart condition while dreaming of his 2k player. Victor Sosa, 18, North Dakota foster kid who'd aged out of the system.
The alarm clock read 4:37 a.m. June 1, 2018. Victor's new hands (large) fumbled for his phone. The movements felt alien yet instinctive, like muscle memory from a life he'd never lived. Victor stumbled to the full-length mirror. The reflection showed a 6'6 lanky stranger with light brown eyes and short black curls. His work badge from the rec center gleamed on the nightstand - the job that paid for this shoebox apartment.
"No fucking way," he muttered, recalling Victor's scattered memories. "I time-traveled, transmigrated, or something."
He grabbed his phone and pulled up Twitter. The timeline showed LeBron's Lakers signing, the World Cup, and memes about the Warriors' inevitable three-peat.
"I don't remember lottery numbers, but sports betting I know," he whispered, immediately noting three underdog bets that had paid huge in his original timeline. His pulse quickened as he calculated potential earnings. "I hope this isn't some apocalypse shit."
[BASKETBALL GOD SYSTEM ACTIVATED]
[HOST BODY SYNCHRONIZATION: 99%]
Height6'6"
Wingspan
7'0"
Weight
(195)230 lbs
Age
18
Close Shot 99
Mid-Range Shot 99
Three-Point Shot 99
Free Throw 99
Post Fade 99
Driving Layup 99
Driving Dunk 99
Standing Dunk 99
Post Hook 99
Ball Handle 99
Pass Accuracy 99
Speed with Ball 99
Interior Defense 99
Perimeter Defense 99
Steal 99
Block 99
Lateral Quickness 99
Defensive Rebound 99
Offensive Rebound 99
Speed 99
Acceleration 99
Strength 99
Vertical 99
Stamina 99
Shot IQ 99
Pass Vision 99
Pass Perception 99
Victor's breath caught. These were his 2K created MyPlayer stats. Maxed out. In real life.
He glanced at his rec center badge. Right - his shift started at 7 AM.
The empty gym smelled of lemon cleaner. Victor grabbed a ball from the rack. He stood at the free-throw line.
Swish.
Swish.
Twenty in a row without touching the rim.
Victor moved to the three-point line. Logo range.
Swish. Swish. Swish.
The net barely moved. Perfect rotation every time.
He tried a move he'd only ever done in video games – Dunking from the free-throw line.
His body executed it flawlessly.
"Holy shit," Victor breathed.
For 1 hour and 30 minutes, Victor just had fun fade ways, palming the ball, one-handed shots with hangtime.
By 6:00 AM, he wasn't even winded.
Back in his apartment, Victor mapped out his strategy:
Sports bets- Make money through sports bets
Westchester Knicks- Open Tryout in September; get a call up for a Knicks tryout
Billions- join the NBA and become rich
Victor grabbed his work badge. Time for his shift at the rec center. He spent his first two weeks scraping together every dollar he could: Maxed out his $1,500 credit card cash advance. Worked double shifts at the rec center. By June 14, he'd assembled $3,300.
Group Stage Bets (June 14-28)
June 16: Mexico vs. Germany (FanDuel)
$1,000 on Mexico ML (+425)
$500 on Correct Score 1-0 (+900)
When Lozano scored, Victor's accounts jumped to $7,750.
June 17: Brazil vs. Switzerland (DraftKings)
$1,500 on Switzerland +0.5 (+210)
$300 on Draw (+375)
The 1-1 draw netted him $5,925.
June 18: Sweden vs. South Korea (BetMGM)
$800 on South Korea ML (+1200)
$200 on Son Anytime Goalscorer (+350)
Kim's VAR winner and Son's penalty made this $11,800.
June 22: Argentina vs. Croatia (FanDuel)
$2,000 on Croatia ML (+250)
Modrić's masterpiece turned this into $7,000.
June 27: Germany vs. South Korea (DraftKings)
$3,000 on South Korea ML (+1200)
Son's stoppage time goal brought his balance to $51,000.
Knockout Stage (June 30- July 11)
July 1: Spain vs. Russia (BetMGM)
$5,000 on Russia to Advance (+350)
Akinfeev's penalty saves earned $22,500.
July 3: Belgium vs. Japan (FanDuel)
$8,000 on Belgium -1.5 (+180)
The miraculous comeback paid $22,400.
July 6: Uruguay vs. France (DraftKings)
$10,000 on France ML (-150)
Varane and Griezmann delivered $16,667.
July 11: Croatia vs. England (BetMGM)
$15,000 on Croatia to Advance (+200)
Mandžukić's extra-time winner made this $45,000.
The Final (July 15)
Victor sat in an Aberdeen sports bar, $25,000 on France to win at +450 (placed June 15 on FanDuel). When Pogba made it 3-1, he finally smiled. The first step was complete.
Final Payout: $137,500
[TOTAL WORLD CUP PROFIT: 284,542]
By the tournament's end (July 15), Victor had:
$284,542 in gross winnings
$68,290 in federal taxes withheld
$8,252 in state taxes set aside
$207,000 net proceeds.
Now as to how to explain this if asked "fuck it we ball".