Basketball System: Rebound of the Underdog

The opening ceremony became the talk of the town.

No—the talk of the entire world.

In the span of a few days, there were some breakthrough athletes that became trendy because of the Global Games. Some of them gave a room tour of the hotel, some dancing to popular sped-up songs in their uniforms, while some raved about the banana muffins that the Elite Five loved but always missed. This was how they all gained recognition.

In the middle of that, there was the the torch-lighting ceremony. Of course, it was bound to be talked about. It gained organic fame because of the complexity of it all.

The morning after the ceremony, Kai woke up to a buzzing phone. Max's voice carried from the other bed. "Dude, check your phone. You're famous."

Kai blinked blearily at the screen and squinted. He had dozens of notifications. Messages poured in from Lina and his friends back home, and one name kept coming up: 'velocity edit.;

"What's everyone talking about?" he mumbled.

Max tossed his phone toward Kai's bed. "See for yourself. Some kid made a crazy edit of you, and it's blowing up."

Kai stared at the screen as Max pulled up the video. It was a short clip, no longer than 15 seconds. The footage was taken during his solo drill from earlier that week.

It showed Kai in slow motion, making him furrow his brows.

"What…is that?" he asked, still half-awake.

At the halfway mark, the video sped up with a velocity effect as Kai threw the ball into the ceremonial basket.

The sound they used was quite questionable. It wasn't concerned with basketball or any sports of that sort. Instead, it was a thirst trap type of song that made Kai frown even deeper.

"Stop watching yourself," Max deadpanned. "Look at the number of views and likes."

"What the heck?" Kai exclaimed.

The video had racked up nearly 3 million views and 1 million likes overnight. The caption was simple: 'China's hidden ace.'

Kai scrolled through the comments, and his face grew hot.

- Bro, how does someone's ankle coordination look like THAT?!

- Is it legal to be this smooth? Asking for a friend.

- Someone checks the court for oil. He's sliding through like butter.

- China came to SERVE, and they served me a whole meal.

- Not me watching this 67 times on repeat…anyway, your honor, I love him.

- I need his name, please. For research purposes.

Max burst out laughing. "I can't believe you're reaching worldwide fame."

Kai groaned and tossed the phone back at him. "This is so dumb."

"It's not dumb, bro. This is marketing." Max grinned. "But then again, this is putting more pressure on our team."

Kai rubbed a hand over his face, but even he couldn't deny the attention was unlike anything he'd experienced.

Max was right.

The pressure had increased once more.

***

By the afternoon, the attention had only grown as the tournament officially began. Everyone in the arena had their eyes glued to the court, and right now, the focus was on the United States versus Italy.

The U.S. team was a force to behold.

Their reputation as the most dominant basketball nation wasn't just hype; it was fact. The crowd roared every time they made a move. Even those supporting other countries went and watched them play.

Kai sat with the rest of the team in the stands, eyes glued to the game.

"This is insane," he muttered.

On the court, Steven Murr—one of the U.S. stars (and the one who complimented Kai for his performance in the opening ceremony)—caught a pass from his teammate.

Italy's defense collapsed around him instantly, two defenders stepping up to stop his drive. But Steven's footwork was immaculate. He faked left, then spun right, slipping through the narrowest of gaps with a quick crossover.

"Woah," Max whispered, his jaw dropping.

Steven didn't hesitate. He took one dribble, planted his feet, and rose for the shot. His jumper was picture-perfect—smooth release and balanced form. The ball sailed through the air before entering through the net.

The arena screamed.

"That's how you do it," Dong muttered from a seat behind them, nodding in approval.

But the U.S. team wasn't done. Moments later, Steven lobbed an alley-oop pass to his teammate, Ethan Myers, who soared high above the rim. Ethan caught the ball mid-air and slammed it down, the backboard shaking from the force.

The crowd lost their minds. Cheers echoed through the stadium, and chants of "USA! USA!" rang out loud and clear.

Kai felt a knot tighten in his stomach as he watched. This was the level they'd be up against. He already knew their opponents wouldn't be easy, but seeing it up close had confirmed it further.

They weren't playing high school basketball anymore.

"Man…" Zheng said quietly, breaking the silence among the group. "This is the worldwide class."

Kai swallowed hard. He wasn't the only one feeling it. Even Jian and Marcus, usually unshakable, had fallen quiet.

It was then that Kai's eyes caught something—a player on Italy's team. He was about their age, younger than most of the veterans on the court, but his confidence stood out. He moved differently than the others: sharp, unpredictable, and fast. Despite being outmatched, he held his own against the U.S. defenders.

"Who's that?" Kai murmured, pointing subtly.

"Number 21?" Max squinted. "I think his name's Luca Rossi. He's around our age."

They watched as Luca slashed through the defense with an impressive spin move, drawing a foul. He stepped up to the free-throw line with ice-cold composure, sinking both shots effortlessly.

Max let out a low whistle. "Kid's good."

Zheng crossed his arms. "How is he not scared? He's playing against guys twice his size."

Kai stayed silent, his eyes fixed on Luca. If someone their age could do that, then maybe there was hope. But that thought didn't last long.

Max groaned and leaned back, shaking his head. "How can we compete with that?"

For once, none of them had an answer.