Instinctively, Day’Ron Sharpe dipped his head beneath the threshold and looked around the flat. It was shaped like a straight line that ran perpendicular to him, with a kitchen, living room, and balcony opening up in front of him, well lit by large windows, and two bedrooms and a bathroom to his left and right, respectively.
The fact that this brand-new skyscraper in Downtown Brooklyn was still covered in dust didn’t matter at that time. The fact that he had just stepped into an elevator with plywood flooring and insulation on the walls made no difference. It didn’t even matter that the fire alarm was blaring a low-battery warning every 60 seconds, or that the construction crew had left a ladder and Coke bottles in the living room. The only thing that counted was that he could picture himself living in this flat.
After just one hour on his house-hunting quest, Sharpe was acting like a veteran apartment buyer in New York City. He concentrated on the positive aspects of the residence, ignoring its shortcomings. With a smile, he said, “Oh, yes, this is it.”
Most people have some control over where they reside after they start working. Elite NBA prospects like Sharpe, a 6-foot-11, 265-pound center from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, however, do not share that sentiment. In the July NBA Draft, Sharpe was chosen by the Phoenix Suns with the 29th selection; the Nets then acquired his rights. And as packed as the city itself was his calendar for the next month. In order to sign his contract and finish his physical, he initially took a plane to New York. After that, he went back to his house in North Carolina to prepare for Summer League in Las Vegas. Before making another stop in North Carolina on his way back to New York, he spent the most of August in Nevada.
On August 28, Sharpe, a 19-year-old, had to look for an apartment for the first time in his adult life. Furthermore, he had to finish it by the time the Nets’ training camp started on September 28.
Sharpe didn’t appear to be feeling overwhelmed by any of this. He was wearing black T-shirt, gray sweatshorts, and high-top Jordan 5s. He stared at Manhattan’s skylines from the back seat of his chauffeured black Cadillac Escalade, mentally noting the eateries that others had suggested. Sharpe saw an Ample Hills Creamery store on the way to the first apartment, a 1,600-square-foot, three-bedroom unit on the 23rd floor with unhindered views of Midtown. He said, “That’s a huge bonus.” “It’s said that ice cream tastes great. I am eager to give it a try.