NBA: GIANT KILLING

Sorry for the lack of update yesterday. I got lost watching a new show 🫣

2 chapters today.

________________________

He had just been hugged.

And kissed.

Oliver touched his cheek where the mark remained.

Recalling the faint fragrance from the girl who had just run off, he thought—yeah, did that really just happen?

"Oliver, my name is Jenna! You better remember it—it's your future girlfriend's name!"

Jenna shouted before dashing away, leaving Oliver completely dumbfounded.

She left as quickly as she arrived.

"Damn, man, must be nice."

"Lucky bastard."

His teammates gathered around, grinning and giving him a hard time.

They were all jealous.

Meanwhile, the 'lucky' person himself is befuddled.

He then cleared himself of any distracting thoughts and focused on what's important.

With the regular season coming to an end, the Atlantic Athletic Metro League playoffs were up next.

The format was simple: the top seed played the eighth seed, the second seed faced the seventh, third went against sixth, and fourth played fifth.

A single-elimination format ensured high stakes, drama, and better TV ratings.

Every year, there were upsets where top-seeded teams got knocked out early.

But not this year.

Not for Aina University.

Not with Oliver.

His fans knew it. His fans expected it.

Oliver was simply too dominant for this league.

He was already competing on par with elite NCAA players.

Even some professional players.

And, just as expected—

Against their first-round opponent, eighth-seeded Rider University, Oliver barely had to break a sweat.

In just 21 minutes, he racked up 16 points and 12 assists.

One of his highlights? A filthy nutmeg pass, threading the ball between his defender's legs to find an open teammate for an easy bucket.

On defense, he was just as ruthless, snagging five steals.

When the game ended, Rider's point guard, Charles, hugged Oliver with tears in his eyes.

"You're leaving for the draft after this season, right?" he asked, almost pleading.

Oliver just smiled.

Charles desperately hoped the answer was yes.

Because facing Oliver again? Terrifying.

Semi-Finals: Niagara's Fall

Niagara University had finished as runners-up last year.

Their fans were still clinging to hope.

"Their defense will handle Oliver. He's overrated," they claimed.

They were so wrong.

Niagara got demolished.

Even Aina's fans felt a little bad for them.

Just a tiny bit.

Niagara had planned to double-team Oliver, believing his recent games showed a tendency to pass more.

They thought he'd prioritize assists again.

They were dead wrong.

From the very first possession—Oliver went for the kill.

He wasn't just scoring.

He was hunting.

His step-back threes were unstoppable.

One after another, the ball swished through the net.

The scoreboard exploded.

By halftime, the game was already over.

Oliver finished with 36 points on a ridiculous 15-for-19 shooting.

From three? 6-for-7.

Niagara had been buried alive—by Oliver's sheer firepower.

The Championship: The Manhattan Rematch

The final game was set—Aina University vs. Manhattan College.

Before tip-off, a group of Manhattan students flooded the stands.

They weren't cheering for Manhattan, though.

They were holding up Oliver's face on posters.

Front and center?

Jenna.

Still rocking her long legs and smug grin, eyes locked on Oliver.

The crowd was overwhelmingly on Aina's side.

And once the game started, Oliver made sure they weren't disappointed.

If Manhattan defended the three-point line, Oliver just blew by them and dunked.

If they collapsed inside, he simply rained threes on them.

By halftime, he had 20 points and Aina led by 16.

He didn't even play the whole game.

Final score: Aina 89, Manhattan 76.

Aina University were the 2002-03 Atlantic Athletic Metro League Champions.

Now, the media finally got a whiff of the tiny hurricane.

The Media Explosion

After the game, FOX Sports journalist Tony wasted no time publishing his column:

"Oliver—The Overlooked Dark Horse!"

His article barely mentioned Aina University.

It was all about Oliver.

"The first time I saw him, I assumed he lacked the physicality to dominate.

I was so, so wrong.

Oliver's frame is like steel—if you challenge him, it's you who hits the floor.

His vision is elite. He makes plays before the defense even realizes what's happening.

He's lightning-fast, a knockdown shooter, and steps up in the biggest moments.

Last season, Aina finished fifth and got bounced in the first round.

This season? A perfect 20-0, capped off with a championship.

Oliver is about to become the nightmare of 'March Madness.'

Brace yourselves."

The article went viral across college basketball.

Some dismissed it as hype.

Others? Excited.

_____________________________

Georgia Tech Practice Facility

Fresh off leading his team to an Atlantic Coast Conference championship, Chris Bosh was drilling post moves.

A quick pump fake, explosive drive—slam dunk.

"Hey, Chris!" teammate Jarrett Jack waved a newspaper.

"Check this out! Some kid named Oliver is stealing all the headlines!"

Bosh skimmed the article, then laughed.

"Pfft, you really think I should be worried about a 5'9" guard?"

"Come on, Jarrett. A point guard that's not even 6 ft?" Bosh laughed. "Dude's getting stuffed if he comes near me."

Bosh wasn't being cocky—he had the skills to back it up.

Just last game, he dropped 34 points and 12 rebounds.

He was already one of the best big men in the country.

And he wasn't scared of some undersized guard.

Meanwhile, at Syracuse University

Projected NBA lottery pick Carmelo Anthony was reading about Oliver, deep in thought.

"Come on, Melo," a teammate chuckled.

"Don't tell me you're buying into the hype. That kid's probably all talk."

Anthony shook his head.

He kept staring at the photo of Oliver.

The numbers could be exaggerated.

The words could be biased.

But a photo doesn't lie.

A 5'9" player shouldn't have that kind of bounce.

Shouldn't have that kind of explosiveness.

But Oliver did.

And that made Anthony curious.

Excited.

Last year, in high school, he'd gone head-to-head with LeBron James.

It was one of the greatest battles he'd ever experienced—two prodigies clashing, pushing each other to their limits.

Since then, no one had given him that same challenge.

But looking at Oliver?

Maybe.

Just maybe.

A grin spread across Anthony's face.

"I hope you're as good as they say," he muttered.

"I really, really do."

Because he wanted a real fight.

And March Madness was coming.