B-Hop is serious about his feet.

For furry athletes, wearing shoes is optional. Some won't play without them, some won't play with them, some go back and forth depending on the conditions. As a rabbit, Buck was used to playing bare-pawed as a kit. But in high school, his coach insisted on the players wearing shoes, so Hopper got used to balling in size 16 kicks.

It was in college when the basketball coach at Lapine State gave him a chance to play bare-pawed on hardwood. And it lit up his game. Buck had always been fast, but he felt like he had more control of his speed, had more snap to his crossover when his toes were touching the court. After his freshman year, he never played with shoes again, but he quickly learned the dangers of going bare-pawed. How even a tiny injury to his sole would hamper his game, how a cold floor could stiffen the muscles, how dry feet could slip and risk twisting an ankle. By the time he graduated, Buck had gotten his foot care down to a science, figuring out exactly where to shave the fur from his soles, what lotions to use on the skin, how often oil should be applied to get just the right amount of tackiness on the court for tight grip and quick cuts.

Once he was making big money in the FBA, he took it up another notch by hiring a full-time personal trainer-- just for his feet. The doe he hired was a trained podiatrist who could spot problems early and recommend the right therapies to keep everything perfect. Thankfully, she didn't have to do that much, as the foot care regimen was so good, B-Hop didn't have to worry about it at all. In fact, his daily foot massages had gotten to be boring, as routine for him as practice or playbook meetings.

During one off-season media event, his trainer had to take time off for a family wedding. When it came time for his daily foot rub, she had sent a young otter assistant of hers with explicit instructions on what to do for B-Hop's feet. He was nervous coming into the hotel room and meeting the FBA superstar for the first time. But then he got down to work.

B-Hop couldn't help but notice the otter was breathing pretty heavy for just giving a foot rub. When his regular trainer saw what time it was, she texted B-Hop to make sure everything was going okay.

"Hes a little excited" B-Hop texted her, trying not to notice the way the otter stared at his sole while his heavy tail wagged.

She texted back, "heehee XD yeah hes been wanting to touch yr feet for a long time".

B-Hop made a face.

"u back monday, rite?"

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I had the idea for this commission for a long time. Being a bare-pawed baller, I figured B-Hop had to be as serious about his foot care as NBA athletes are about their shoes. And with the fondness for paws so common in the fandom, I saw a fun dovetail between the boring routine of regular athletic training and the love for furry feet. The idea of B-Hop being bored while an excited trainer rubs his paws seemed like a funny setup to me.

And it was finally brought to life by one of my favorite artists,  metal, during a livestream session! Big thanks to you, Cat-of-Steel!