Brandon Baylor

Brandon Baylor
(Polar Bear, C/F)
ID# 1308

No. 24 – Las Vegas Wildcards
Position	Bigfur
Species	Polar Bear ( Ursidae )
Gender	Male
Nickname(s)
Ice Bear
Personal information
Phonetic	Brand-in Bae-ler
Born	(2004-12-12) December 12, 2004 Anchorage, Alaska
Listed height	7 ft 4 in (2.24 m)
Listed weight	345 lb (156 kg)
Shoots	Right-handed
Career information
School	Black Tundra University
FBA draft	2023 / Round: 1 / Pick: 2nd overall
Selected by the Las Vegas Wildcards
Pro playing career	2023–present
Career history
2023 - present	Las Vegas Wildcards
Career highlights and awards
FBA Rookie All-Star (2024)
Contract information
Contract year	2023
2026 Salary	$14 million
2027 Salary	$15 million
2028 Salary	$16 million
2029 Salary	$16 million
Player Contacts
(IC) Agent	Xenos Blade
(OOC) Creator	Xenos Blade
(OOC) Actor	Unknown
(OOC) Usage	Ask me before any use

Biography

Making it to the Furry Basketball Association is a very difficult accomplishment only a few thousand furs can ever achieve. So when you are born into a family that has athletes that not only made it, but actually became a face of a franchise within the league, well you can say that is a pretty sweet situation to be in. However, being a part of that legacy is a lot more stressful than what many outside realize. A lot of eyes will be on you. There are certain lofty expectations that are thrown by everyone around you and people just assume that you would achieve them with ease. Anything under those expectations is viewed as a disappointment.

That’s what Brandon Baylor would tell you.

Brandon Baylor was born on December 12, 2004. Only a few months after his father’s rookie season began. That bear was Bobby Baylor, one of the few furs that has been the face of Alaska Arctics for many years to come. While his life was filled with some sort of quiet luxurious life early on. He never really saw his father too much, but he had seen him play countless times from the courtside seats when the Arctics played at home, and on the tv screen with his mom when they were on the road.

As the young cub grew older, his father never really had time to focus on him growing up. Sure he sees him every now and again during the off-season, but that’s usually when he is on his way out to workout with local teammates. So Brandon’s thoughts about his father and the sport of basketball in the beginning were very mixed. When the rare chances he sees other kids his age, it’s usually during basketball camps where many are mesmerized with him for being the son of Bobby. He usually responds with “Yeah I guess it’s cool.” Which can be tiresome because many kids at the camp wanted to rely on him to be the best player or try to isolate him to show their skills against the young cub. He grew tired of that as it seemed everyone saw him as a Baylor… but not as Brandon.

However, his tune started to change about that notion when Marcus Baylor started to spend more time with the family in his later years of his career. Marcus was always a family bear and has wanted to spend more time with Brandon during his time off from the game. Many, including his brother, had a bit of criticisms of not taking the time to improve his game and have a better career in the FBA. However, Marcus’ sacrifice gave Brandon a love for not just the Baylor name, but basketball as well.

That especially was the case shortly after Marcus had retired in 2015, when Brandon was 10 years old. While Marcus quickly became one of the main play by play commentary announcers in the Sports Den Casts, his schedule became a lot more flexible. Which gave Brandon the opportunity to ask Marcus to push for his goal to make it to the FBA. It was a long discussion about the reality of how difficult that process is, and how much effort it took to prove to be the best of the best. Especially considering what his last name is. Brandon understood what he was getting into, and he was ready to not just walk into the same footsteps as his father, but overtake them out of spite.

As his aspirations grew, his expected growth spurt came with it. What none of the Baylors expected was how big of a spurt it was going to be. By the time he was 14, he was already the same height as Marcus. In turn it immediately placed Brandon where he was playing Power Forward and sometimes Center in most drills he participated in. By the time he turned 18, he was already 6'11"" the same height as his father. He became very dominant as a player in high school and many scouts were obsessed with his physical prowess and confidence in the paint. When many compared him to his dad, Brandon was quick to deny that claim. Even going as far to say he's already a step above his old man.

Bobby didn't take too kind to that, and the two got into a nasty argument. Bobby wasn't too keen on Brandon pursuing the FBA. However, the straw that broke the bear's back was when his son proclaimed that he will get the one thing that eluded Bobby's career: A ring. What Brandon didn't know at the time, was that his father had an opportunity to return to the FBA. That same year was when Bobby was hired to be the new Head Coach of the Edmonton Totems (now known as the Excavators). There were a lot of reasons that were rumored as to why Bobby took this very bold move. In Brandon's mind, his father did it in spite of his son.

In 2022, Brandon committed to Black Tundra University, the local college to the Alaskan area. Even though he could have gone to just about any school with his impressive stature, he decided to stay close to home and enter a school that is not well known for developing bigfurs. He mainly chose BTU due to nostalgic Arctics fans that wanted to come see him play. While BTU wasn't able to make it to the FCAA tournament this year. That didn't stop a lot of scouts from witnessing the amazing skills Brandon had developed over the year as he grew once more to a towering 7 '1 Polar Bear. Once the season was all said and done, Brandon did not take long to commit to the 2023 FBA draft to not only be a top pick this year, but also be the first Baylor to grab gold.

Stories

Family Reunion Part One Written by Xenos Blade © Xenos Blade

It’s very rare to see the Baylors all be in one place nowadays. It’s funny because when you talk about a family that has more than one professional player in the FBA, they would rarely see each other since usually siblings will be on separate teams and be on the road constantly, at least back then. However, the Baylors were the exact opposite. They played together for well over 20 years in high school, college, and even in the pros. However, since Marcus retired, the two became way too busy to catch up with one another. With Marcus becoming a big name as a commentator for the prime time games in Sports Den, he didn’t really feel the need to rely on his older brother who was more accomplished on the court. However, that doesn’t mean Bobby wasn’t doing his own thing. One would think Bobby would be focused on relaxing and being more of a family bear since retiring in 2017. However, that did not last long after he got the call from Edmonton in 2020. He took the reins as a coach and headed straight to Canada to help revitalize a team that hasn’t been the same since going to the Finals way back in 2014. So that made the schedules clash even moreso. Not enough time to talk to Marcus outside of a text or two every now and then, and especially not enough time to see how Brandon was doing as he grew up. It wasn’t a secret that Brandon knew his father just as much as anyone else did. Even during the little down time Bobby has had, the younger polar bear didn’t really see him thinking without wishing to have the ball in his paws just one more time only to get the one thing that has eluded him all his career: A ring to call his own. The two never really saw eye to eye, especially when Brandon told his dad that he was going to take basketball a lot more seriously in hopes of making it to the FBA. A lot of furs love to compare Brandon to Bobby, both within the family, as well as within the public. While it did annoy Brandon to no end, it did give him an easy full ride to Black Tundra. Not to mention the publicity he was getting within Alaska as they knew the Baylor name well. Still, it bugged him that no matter what he does, the people will always see him as Bobby’s kid. That’s probably why he got along with Marcus so well. Marcus knew what it was like being stuck in that shadow, so he was always willing to lend an ear, and even train with him solo if time allows it. So it comes to no surprise that Uncle Mark is seen as more of a father to Brandon than Bobby is. With how much time the Baylors are away from each other, one of the few times they are able to see one another face to face is at the combine that happens every year. This year’s combine is probably going to be the most interesting yet, with Brandon declaring for the draft after his freshman year at Black Tundra. While the school itself didn't do very well, Brandon made sure he was to stand out above and beyond. The young polar bear was extremely confident in himself, and he aims to improve his stock at the combine. Which is where his Dad and his Uncle come in. — Marcus was already exhausted from having to wake up so early in the day. While it's always exciting to be able to talk to the draft hopefuls, it can be a bit much to handle considering some of the shenanigans these young players want to do. Though when he did check the list of who he has on for today. That's when the bear's eyes begin to brighten when he notices his nephew's name. Marcus certainly had more of a pep in his step as he quickly put on his blazer and brushed his fur a few times before rushing out of his dressing room. Out of all the players that have scheduled to talk to him, Brandon was one he was very excited about. I mean who wouldn't want to interview a family member, especially with a family member that has been very close. While walking down the hall, he received a message from his phone. With not so much of a surprise, it was from the aspiring big fur who seems very eager for this interview. WHATS GOOD UNCLE MARK!!! READY TO KILL THIS SHIT?!?! 💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻 Marcus couldn't help but chuckle. The one thing about Brandon is that when he is all in on something, he gets a little too ecstatic about it. He couldn't blame him though. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for any draftee to be interviewed on such a large platform like FSPN. He responds: You know it big guy! Ready to give you those hard hitting questions. ;D As Marcus went to the break room to grab an ice cold water, he did take a moment to think about the kind of questions he would like to ask his nephew. However, that's when the thought of his older brother came through him and he began to frown. He was never a fan of the comparison between Bobby and Brandon people love to bring up. While yes the two are related, Brandon was not one to shy away from disproving that comparison to the point where he tends to speak negatively of his father. So Marcus always had to check him if he got too far. While he understands the frustration of being constantly thrown into that shadow, he was never the one to express that publicly. Something he hopes to teach Brandon as he enters his professional career. If there's one thing Marcus knows during his time in the media: Don't put an easy target on yourself. READY AS I'll EVER BE. 😤 Marcus sighs before chugging the water to try and refresh his mindset. However he gets another text from someone that he really didn't need this morning. Bobby Baylor: Don't go easy on him Marcus groaned as he finished the last of his water before responding to Brandon. Well just a heads up, The producers want me to ask about your Dad. So when I do, please don't say anything you're going to regret. Marcus took a few deep breaths as he walked over to the studio, trying to prepare himself for whatever could happen. He gets one last message from Brandon. Don't sweat it Uncle Mark. Mom told me the same thing, I won't go hard on the old man I promise. As Marcus entered the studio, he saw everything already set up. The spotlights were all on center stage with a variety of cameras surrounding the area and a titantron that featured the Black Tundra University colors for the background. As the producers signal that they have 5 minutes left before recording. Marcus puts his phone to the side and looks across the stage to see his Nephew show off his large confident smile and a thumbs up. Marcus returned a smile and took one more deep breath before he mumbled to himself, "I hope so. For your own sake…" — When given the signal, Marcus positioned himself in front of the camera and gave out his signature smile. He took a breath before beginning his introduction. "Hello Ladies, gentlefurs, and my lovely NBs. Welcome to the 2023 FBA Combine here in Montana, as we get a preview of the next generation of FBA stars that will enter in this year's draft! My name is Marcus Baylor, and throughout the combine I will be reviewing this upcoming draft class to know more about them! Today's draftee, I'll admit, is someone who I'm very excited to get a chat with. It might be because we both know how to fill the room!" The polar bear chuckled a bit as he continued. "In all seriousness, this is someone I know very well to where I can say he's family. I'm very happy to introduce you the young bigfur coming out of Black Tundra University: Brandon Baylor!" That was when Brandon was cued to walk in, and he did so with a lot of confidence. When Marcus said he knew how to fill a room, he meant it. Being a 7'1", 315 lb giant can certainly prove that claim to be right. When Marcus offered his standard handshake, Brandon instead pulled him out of his chair and gave his Uncle a nice good ol' fashioned bear hug. Marcus couldn't help but laugh and gave into Brandon's embrace. It made the producers heart skip a beat when the younger Baylor sat down, being thankful that the sofa they used was able to survive against such a stature of a bear. Marcus took a moment to sit down once more as he smiled. "Thanks for taking the time for us to chat." "It's not a problem at all Uncle Mark! Oh uh… is it cool I call ya that? Or do I just go with Marcus, because Mr. Baylor is definitely off the table." "Pfft what? Can't respect your elders enough to be proper?" "Bro come on, you know I have nothing but respect for you, but do you know how weird it would be if I answer like this," the younger polar bear replied as he started doing a terrible proper voice. "Yes Mr. Baylor, Oh no Mr. Baylor, would you like a cup of tea Mr. Baylor." The two couldn't help but laugh at the silliness Brandon was expressing, even getting a laugh from some of the backstage crew as well. They were in sync when it came to chemistry and it felt like a genuine conversation was brewing. "That's fair. Marcus is fine," the older bear responds. "Alright let's get to the nitty gritty. You are a big guy, but as you know it takes a lot more than being big to make a huge impact within this league. So what are some things you think people take notice of when they see your tape other than the size?" "Well obviously when you've got the amount of size I do, people tend to focus super hard on how aggressive I can get within the paint. But what I think people should really look at is how I use that aggression tactically. I can't be bulldozing people around, that's a quick way to get ejected… as fun as it could be.” Marcus gave Brandon a joking glance. “I’m kidding, I’m kidding!” Brandon exclaimed. Both bears continue to chuckle till their heart's content. Really expressing their likeness to one another as they have these little moments. It’s been a while since Marcus has even had a conversation as genuine as this, not since his time with Bobby after he retired initially. “Well I do have a question about your school choice. Black Tundra University, it’s definitely an interesting choice since they aren’t known for their big fur talent, and don't have the most success. Why did you choose it over schools like Vanderbarn or North Star?” Marcus asked. The younger polar bear shrugged. “I mean I kinda wanted to stick close to home ya know? I know my mom loves all of us more than anything in the world, so sticking with her was the biggest thing for me. That and well, the Baylor name does have a lot of weight in Alaska, so I wanted to give those folks a bit of treat on what they will be seeing once I come in and wreck this league! Sure, making the tournament would’ve been nice and all, we were close but it is what it is. However, to me, going to some big name school with a bunch of other big name prospects where I could easily get lost in the shuffle wasn’t my style. Besides, I’d say I made a pretty big statement during my time in college, and I appreciate the coaches for where I am now!” Marcus nodded and for a moment he took a deep breath before beginning to speak once more. “I getcha. In speaking of big names and being well known, let’s talk about your relationship with your dad, and my brother, Bobby. I’m sure he’s been able to teach you a thing or two about the FBA and its challenges, what has he taught you?” Brandon smirk slowly faded away as he leaned in a bit. Marcus tried his best not to look too concerned in front of the camera because he already knew the answer to this question. However, he really hoped that the younger polar bear wouldn’t try to rip his father a new one because that could really down his stock if he answered carelessly. There were a few moments of silence as Brandon cleared his own throat before speaking. “Well… I guess if Dad taught me anything… It’s to have an edge and put people on notice. Considering that we haven’t had a whole lot of time together when I was growing up or well… since he got into coaching, the one thing I learned from the old man is to be resilient and don’t take crap from anybody. No matter who the fur is. That’s something he’s always been good at.” Silence began to fill the room again as Marcus didn’t have much of a response. He was mixed with emotion because deep down he knew Brandon was right. At the same time, he also knows that this was a take that’s going to hover over him throughout his entire time in the combine from here on out. That’s when whispers from furs backstage were heard, so the damage seemed to already be done. However, Brandon shrugged and quickly leaned back with a ton of confidence once again as he killed the dead air. “But enough about him, there has been something that I learned from you actually!” Marcus couldn’t help but tilt his head in curiosity. While yes the two have grown close, Marcus never thought of himself to be much of a teacher. Sure he helped out where he could depending on his own schedule, but not to where he thought it would stick with his nephew. “Really? What would that be?” Brandon smiled wide as he looked at his uncle with a lot of pride in his heart as he said, “To find your own way to make an impact in this league.” Marcus’ heart began to fill with so much happiness with that response as a soft but flustered smile escaped him. Of course the backstage crew couldn’t help but feel a sense of love for this moment. He nodded with a bit of bliss as he responded, “That’s very kind of you to say Brandon.” “Any time Uncle Mark! You know I love you through hell and back.” Marcus choked up a bit and cleared his throat, “I love ya too Brandon, but I think that may be all the time we have for today. I appreciate you taking the time to come on again, and I wish you luck for the rest of the combine!” “Thanks Uncle Mark, I appreciate it!” The two bears got up and hugged once more as the producers called it shortly after.

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