Thud!
The basketball hit the ground with a sharp, echoing smack, reverberating like a slap across the faces of Lisa, Shawn, and the others. It stung, a burning sensation of humiliation.
No one had expected Darnell to actually make a shot from ten meters away, let alone nail it in one go.
The crowd, who had been eagerly waiting to see Darnell fail, now wore expressions of disbelief. Lisa rubbed her eyes repeatedly as if trying to wake herself from a dream. She couldn’t believe what she had just witnessed.
Karlee, however, was ecstatic. She waved her fists in the air, shouting, “It went in! Amazing! Absolutely amazing!”
If it weren’t for the fact that this was just the beginning, she might have rushed over to hug Darnell right then and there.
“Ref, does that count as a score?” Darnell ignored the stunned expressions around him, his gaze fixed on the equally dumbfounded referee. “How many points?”
The referee tugged at his collar, his throat dry. He glanced around the court, forcing a smile. “It counts… three points.”
Then, he blew his whistle, recorded the score, and immediately announced the continuation of the game.
“Damn it!” Shawn was furious that Darnell had stolen the spotlight right from the start. He waved his hand, signaling his teammates to get their act together.
“Spread out! Full offense and defense! Pass more! Let’s tire him out!”
Amid his shouts, he gestured for a tall teammate to pass him the ball. The big guy roared, spun the ball in his hands, and sent it flying toward Shawn.
But just as the ball left his hands, Darnell, who had been standing still, suddenly shifted his feet. With a powerful burst of energy, he leaped into the air, his wrist flicking effortlessly.
The ball spun into Darnell’s hands.
Before anyone could even process what had happened, Darnell flung the ball back with a swift motion.
The basketball, propelled by both speed and precision, whistled through the air like a high-speed train, leaving only a faint yellow blur in its wake.
Swish!
The ball went straight through the net again.
The crowd’s jaws dropped in unison, their faces a mix of shock and disbelief. Only Karlee cheered again, “Yes! It went in again!”
The referee coughed. “Three points!”
6 to 0!
Shawn was livid. He grabbed the ball himself and directed his teammates to surround Darnell. “Block him! Block him! Don’t let him get close!”
“I don’t believe it! I refuse to believe we can’t take you down today!”
Three teammates closed in on Darnell, while Shawn and another player charged forward from the left and right. The sound of basketballs slapping against the floor filled the air, pounding against everyone’s eardrums.
Lisa and the others couldn’t help but cheer, “Go, Shawn! Go, Shawn!”
Amidst their encouragement, Shawn felt his blood boil with excitement as he moved closer and closer to Darnell’s basket.
Swish!
Just as the three teammates turned to watch Shawn prepare for a shot, Darnell shifted his feet again, appearing in front of Shawn in an instant. With a swift motion, he blocked the shot.
Thud!
Darnell smacked the ball out of the air, crushing Shawn’s momentum. Then, in one fluid motion, he grabbed the ball as it fell to the ground.
Shawn was fuming, his frustration boiling over. “Stop him! Stop him!”
The three defenders charged forward, howling like wild animals.
But Darnell didn’t give them a chance. With a quick flick of his wrists, he sent the ball soaring over ten meters toward the opponent’s basket.
Shawn and his teammates watched with wide eyes, their hearts pounding. They silently prayed. “Miss it! Miss it! Miss it!”
Clang!
The ball hit the rim and spun around, teasing the hearts of everyone watching. Shawn and his team saw their chance and rushed back to try and save the play.
Swish!
But just as they moved, the ball dropped through the net, landing with a crisp thud that froze Shawn and his teammates in their tracks.
The referee called out again, “Three points!”
Karlee jumped for joy. “Darnell, you’re amazing! You’re amazing!”
“Darnell, do you even know how to play basketball?” Lisa couldn’t hold back any longer, stomping her foot as she shouted, “We’re here to play a game, not just watch you shoot!”
Shawn joined in, “Yeah, don’t just rely on your shooting skills. If you’ve got the guts, try dribbling past us!”
“Try taking us down!”
Lisa sneered, “Try dunking!”
“Does the rulebook say you can’t shoot three-pointers? Who says shooting three-pointers doesn’t count as playing basketball?” Darnell looked at Lisa and Shawn with an innocent expression. “Don’t you guys shoot some three-pointers when you play?”
Shawn was momentarily speechless, his cheeks burning. Three-pointers were something players took pride in, and now they were criticizing Darnell for relying on them. It felt like they were just making excuses.
Lisa, however, snorted, “You’re humans, not shooting machines. What’s the point if there’s no confrontation?”
“If you’ve got the skills, try dribbling past a few people and dunking!”
She looked at him with disdain. “What’s so impressive about just shooting from a distance?”
Many in the crowd fell silent, unable to argue with her logic. Shawn didn’t say anything either-they couldn’t contradict themselves.
Darnell chuckled. “Why don’t you just say that using your hands to shoot isn’t impressive either?”
Lisa was furious. “You-”
“But you’re right. Shooting a three-pointer against rookies like you is boring.”
Darnell gestured to Shawn and his team. “Let me show you what else I can do.”
“Don’t get cocky!” Shawn roared, “Let’s go, guys!”
With that, he led his four teammates in a fast break, passing the ball quickly and pushing forward at lightning speed. In no time, they were near Darnell’s basket.
Thud!
This time, Darnell didn’t try to block them. He just stood under the basket, waiting.
Shawn faked a move, then passed the ball to the big guy on the other side, who immediately took the shot. The ball arced through the air, heading straight for the basket.
Just as it was about to go in, Shawn and his team started to celebrate.
But then, Darnell leaped into the air, his head level with the rim. He effortlessly intercepted the ball.
“How is this possible?”
Darnell’s jumping ability was beyond anything anyone had ever seen. Even the best professional players couldn’t jump that high, let alone with such ease.
Before anyone could process what had happened, Darnell landed with the ball, spun around, and charged toward the opponent’s basket.
Karlee screamed, “Darnell, you’re so cool!”
Even some of the girls who had been mocking Darnell earlier now looked at him with a hint of admiration.
Whoosh!
Darnell moved like a rocket or a gust of wind that could travel a thousand miles in the blink of an eye. The distance seemed meaningless to him.
In just a few seconds, everyone was once again left in awe.
Whoosh!
As Darnell approached, a tall guy roared, planting his left foot and twisting his torso to the right.
His hand shot into Darnell’s control zone.
But Darnell flicked the ball to his left hand, then swiftly brought it back to his right, moving like a breakdancer. With a powerful burst from his left foot, he slipped past the defender with a graceful spin.
“What the-”
Shawn, who had retreated to guard the inside, was stunned when he saw his teammate so easily bypassed.
He quickly regained his composure, bending his knees and focusing all his energy on Darnell, who was charging toward him at full speed.
He was ready to deliver a brutal block, to teach Darnell a lesson and turn the tables.
“Here he comes!”
Darnell increased his speed, dribbled once, and then launched himself into the air. The ball in his hands looked like a blazing fire, so bright it was almost blinding.
Shawn stared in shock as Darnell flew toward him with an unstoppable, almost reckless determination.
Overwhelmed by Darnell’s sheer presence, Shawn instinctively covered his head and crouched down, trying to avoid the unstoppable force coming at him.
The entire court held its breath, the tension and excitement palpable. It felt like a surge of adrenaline was coursing through everyone’s veins.
Darnell, with the ball in hand, bypassed every defender and appeared in front of the opponent’s basket.
Boom!
His body came to an abrupt halt, then exploded with a thunderous force. His feet slammed into the ground, sending a cloud of dust into the air.
With an unstoppable, lightning-like momentum, he slammed the ball into the basket.
Crash!
The deafening sound of the dunk echoed through the court.
Darnell hung on the rim, pulling it down with such force that it bent from a perfect circle into an oval.
A dunk!
The entire court fell into stunned silence.
Lisa’s face was ashen, utterly defeated.