"My fantasy stats are looking pathetic next to yours! Leave some crumbs for us mortals, man!" Arshad was grinning ear to ear.

  James offered that blink-and-you'll-miss-it half-smile. "Just passing through," he murmured, looking down almost.

  "Passing through the net, my guy!" Arshad shot back instantly, ughing. "Seriously though, it's like watching someone py on 'easy' mode. Cheat code unlocked!"

  "Did you download an aimbot for basketball?"

  "Nah, probably just got those new shoes everyone's talking about," Sajid chimed in, jogging past with a grin. "The ones with the springs?"

  "Whatever it is, keep doing it!" Arshad added, giving James another pyful shove before getting into defensive stance. "We need that glitch!"

  Even Arshad's non-stop joking felt different now. The teasing was still there, obviously – Arshad wouldn't be Arshad without it – but it wasn't pointed anymore. It was yered thick with actual, genuine respect. Maybe even a little bit of fanboying, hidden under the jokes.

  It was their way of saying, "Okay, dude, the stuff you do is kinda nuts and maybe breaks the ws of physics, but holy crap, it's awesome, and you're our guy." It was an affectionate elbow nudge acknowledging the impossible things James just kept doing on the court.

  FWEEET! Kiyoshi’s whistle blew loud and long. "Water break! Hydrate or die-drate, people!" The team collectively sagged, ambling towards the benches like a zombie horde seeking Gatorade.

  Towels were snatched, water bottles guzzled. Kiyoshi motioned Ahsan over to the whiteboard, covered in X's, O's, and frantic arrows.

  "See that?" Kiyoshi murmured, keeping his voice low but intense, nodding towards the court. James was actually engaged in a conversation with Sajid and Faisal, looking surprisingly normal, maybe discussing a defensive rotation. "The whole vibe." The way the ball moves through him, not just to him.

  It's completely changed the geometry of our offense."

  Ahsan nodded, taking another long swig of water, his eyes thoughtful as he watched his teammates. "Night and day, Coach. Seriously. A week ago, maybe two, passing to him felt like buying a lottery ticket.

  You know, maybe it hits. Now..." He trailed off, shaking his head slightly in disbelief.

  "Now they expect it," Kiyoshi finished, his tone ced with a mix of analytical observation and something close to awe. He tapped the whiteboard near a diagram centered around James. "Every. Single."

  Time. It's not just hope flicked towards the hoop anymore; it's a calcuted part of the offense. It's reliance. Look around," he gestured subtly with his marker.

  "He's not just scoring points himself; he’s like a magnet pulling the entire team's confidence level up with him. Defenders have to respect him, which opens up nes for you, for Sajid, for everyone."

  "It's still kinda trippy to watch sometimes," Ahsan admitted, a slow grin spreading. "Like, how is he always in the right spot? But damn, Coach," he leaned in slightly, his voice dropping with relief, "it feels so good not being the designated punching bag anymore. Remember that pre-season game against Uttara?"

  Brutal. Now? Teams have to actually guard us. All of us.

  It feels… powerful."

  Kiyoshi cpped Ahsan firmly on the shoulder, a determined glint in his eyes. "Exactly. Leverage this. We gotta keep this engine running, keep this momentum building.