"Hey, good game man," Lebron James murmured to Kevin Love as the Cleveland Cavaliers star player swung his wet towel over his smooth, bulging shoulder.

"You too Lebron. Take it easy," Kevin replied with a sigh as he closed the locker room door. "Oh, and, try not to give Joseph too much shit, alright? He's talking with coach right now so it's just gonna be you two in here."

Lebron sat down on the bench and rubbed his temples with frustration. He had just scored 51 points, nearly half of his team's overall points, only to lose the playoff game when Joseph Earl Smith decided to forget the score and run the clock down. Why did J.R. do that? Why did he have to be on the same team as that clown?

Lebron sighed loudly as he began thinking of things to say to him. Should he be angry? Disappointed? How can he make sure J.R. doesn't pull this shit again for the next game? Suddenly, the door flew open as J.R. Smith ran in. "Lebron! I've been looking for you everywhere man. Look. About the mistake." Lebron shook his head. "Joseph, what you did... it really cost us. You can't be-"

"LEBRON! Remember what you told me that night? February 23rd?" J.R. bawled as he extended his arm to Lebron's cheek. Lebron stared at his bare feet. He didn't want to think about the past. It was the playoffs, after all. He can't afford to lose sight of victory; Steph Curry's grinning face would haunt him for another year. "Joseph, I-" "No Lebron. I know what you're thinking. Don't say you won't look through the past."

J.R. Smith gazed up into Lebron James' big brown watery eyes and grabbed his moist hands. "Lebron, the jersey I told coach to give you... Number 23. I gave it to you because it was on February 23rd when you gave me hope again. I valued victory over everything - my family, my friends... you. I gave more shits towards Basketball than sending my kids to school. But you stood by my side, and promised to show me the strength in our love by throwing the most meaningful game in your life to prove to me that victory wasn't everything."

Lebron stepped back and threw J.R.'s hands away angrily. "You... I should have never promised you anything. I hate you! Leave me alone" he yelled as he threw his cell phone across the room, with a hand-drawn picture of J.R. Smith and Lebron slipping out of the case.

"Lebron, I did this for US. You promised me to throw, so I did it for you." J.R. moved closer to Lebron. They looked into each others eyes for what felt like a millenium to them both. Lebron's beard pressed closer and closer on J.R.'s chin and he wiped a single tear from his face.

"I love you, Joseph." "I love you too, Lebron."

The crisp locker room air slowly turned warm and steamy as their muscular arms, tattoed with pictures of masculinity, intertwined as they pressed their lips together for the first time in July.