A road trip to a country like Vikanias typically would not have been cause for joy or celebration. Purely a business trip, the Phoenixes should only have have had a win to take and go back home.
But this wasn't a typical road trip. This would be the first time Rick Jones would travel with the team since his successful Achilles surgery. At the time, Levins had insisted that Jones not concern himself too much with attendance at the games - primarily, the coach knew his former play at St. James well enough to know Jones would be jumping up and down in support, risking further injury to the ankle.
But after watching his team fall, flat and uninspired, to Dotivija in their own backyard, Rick called Coach Levins that very night. Let me travel with you, he pleaded. I'll stay seated, I promise. But let's put this team back together. And Levins agreed. He trusted his protegé, and besides, he knew well enough that Rick was right. He'd seen the way his team was in the locker room. They were broken, distraught, confused. He told Rick to meet the team in Crystal Lake that night. They were headed to Vikanias that morning. Could he make that happen?
Rick jumped out of his chair as quickly as his crutches would allow him. Corcorran to Crystal Lake was a brutal eight-hour monorail ride at this time of night, but for his team, he'd make it happen. Miraculously, he fell asleep quickly just outside Catherina and woke up to the sun rising in Salem, just an hour east of Crystal Lake. He called Levins with the address of the train station, and Levins would ensure they made a quick detour. As the bus did so, one of the Salem Wizards players, Cameron Wright, pointed out, "Coach, the airport's that way."
"Yeah, I know, we just gotta make a stop first," Levins replied.
Wright looked at Rodney Duncan to his right and shrugged. The bus pulled up to the monorail station. The players looked out the window quizzically. Then they saw their captain, crutches and duffel bag and all, ambling up to the bus.
Djordje Zubić was the first player to get up and hug his captain, showing restraint so as not to knock him off his foot. "How's the leg?"
"It's alright, man. You ok?" Rick asked.
"Yeah, man. Thanks for joining us."
It was just the right morale boost to get the team back on track. It was a cheery set of flights to and from Vikinias, and in the intermediate, the rejuvenated Phoenixes steamrolled their opponent 84-60. Zubić had 24 points and 12 rebounds. Jones saw his heirs apparent, Sifiso Ntenga, Cameron Wright, and Rodney Duncan, register meaningful time and positive performances.
He missed being out there, hated that he had to restrain himself while rallying on his squad, but he felt proud that he had fostered a program that could carry on the torch without him. He knew the team was in good hands whenever he was ready to step away.
Not just yet, though, he thought. Not without that ring.
