On the eve of the state championship, Jamal “Jet” Carter paced his room, a storm raging outside his window. His team, the Lincoln Lions, was set to face the Jefferson Titans—a team so dominant they were nicknamed “The Colossus.” But instead of fear, Jamal stared at his prized possession: a basketball signed by his hero, Kobe Bryant. The golden ink shimmered under the dim light and for a moment, Jamal felt like he could hear Kobe’s voice: “Outwork the competition.”

The power flickered, lightning tearing across the sky. Clutching the ball, Jamal decided to head outside. The driveway had always been his sanctuary—a place where he could forget the noise of the world and just focus on the rhythm of the game.

He dribbled in the rain, his sneakers squeaking against the wet pavement. The storm only made him push harder. Each bounce of the ball was like a heartbeat, steady and determined. Then everything changed.

A deafening crack of lightning lit the sky in blinding white. Before Jamal could react, a bolt struck the ground mere feet from where he stood. The shockwave knocked him off his feet, and for a moment, time seemed to stop. He lay there, stunned, the signed basketball rolling into his hand.

And that’s when he felt it.

A rush of energy surged through his body—warm, electric, alive. The ball pulsed faintly, golden veins of light spidering across its surface before fading. Jamal scrambled to his feet, his heart racing. He didn’t know what had happened, but he felt… different. Stronger. Faster. Sharper. It was as if the essence of the game itself had fused with him.

The next day the championship game was chaos. The Jefferson Titans towered over Jamal and his team, blocking shots and scoring with ease. But when Jamal touched the glowing ball for the first time in the game, the crowd gasped. He moved like a blur, weaving through defenders as if they were standing still. He sank three-pointers from half-court, leaped higher than anyone thought possible, and turned the tide of the game with each dazzling play.

By the final minute, the score was tied. The arena was deafening, a cauldron of noise and tension. With five seconds on the clock, Jamal stood just beyond the three-point line, the glowing ball in his hands. A Titan defender lunged at him, but Jamal froze time in his mind, seeing the court with perfect clarity. He spun, leapt, and released the ball.

The buzzer and the roar of the crowd blurred together as the ball sailed through the air, a golden streak against the ceiling lights.

Swish!

The Lions were state champions, and Jamal had become a legend. As his teammates hoisted him into the air, Jamal glanced down at the basketball. It no longer glowed, the golden veins fading into memory. But he didn’t need it anymore. The power, the drive, and the belief—it was all in him now, forever.