Extra Basket Chapter 56 - 43: Team Status
July 4, 2010
Time: 7:00 AM
Location: Graves Family Gym
The gym echoed with the rhythmic thumps of basketballs and squeaks of sneakers slicing across the wooden court. Morning light filtered in through the high windows, casting long streaks of gold on the floor like it was highlighting fate itself.
Ethan Albarado stood by the sideline, arms crossed, watching. Observing.
"(Hmmm...)" he thought, his golden hair glinting under the beam of light, sweat clinging to his brows from his early drills. His sharp blue eyes weren’t watching the ball. They were watching his team — his investment.
Starters (With +2 Boost Applied)
Evan Cooper (Point Guard) – Level: Slightly Above Average
[Offensive Attributes:]
Shooting Accuracy: 9
Layup Skill: 9
Dunk Skill: 7
Dribbling Skill: 10
Passing Skill: 10
[Defensive Attributes:]
Defense: 9
Blocking Ability: 7
Steal Skill: 9
[Physical Attributes:]
Stamina: 9
Endurance: 9
Speed: 9
...
Josh Turner (Shooting Guard) – Level: Average (Ankle on Healing)
[Offensive Attributes:]
Shooting Accuracy: 8
Layup Skill: 7
Dunk Skill: 6
Dribbling Skill: 7
Passing Skill: 7
[Defensive Attributes:]
Defense: 8
Blocking Ability: 7
Steal Skill: 8
[Physical Attributes:]
Stamina: 8
Endurance: 8
Speed: 8
...
Ryan Taylor (Power Forward) – Level: Average
[Offensive Attributes:]
Shooting Accuracy: 7
Layup Skill: 8
Dunk Skill: 7
Dribbling Skill: 6
Passing Skill: 7
[Defensive Attributes:]
Defense: 9
Blocking Ability: 9
Steal Skill: 8
[Physical Attributes:]
Stamina: 9
Endurance: 9
Speed: 8
....
Brandon Young (Center) – Level: Average
[Offensive Attributes:]
Shooting Accuracy: 7
Layup Skill: 8
Dunk Skill: 8
Dribbling Skill: 5
Passing Skill: 6
.....
[Defensive Attributes:]
Defense: 9
Blocking Ability: 10
Steal Skill: 7
[Physical Attributes:]
Stamina: 9
Endurance: 8
Speed: 7
........
Bench (With +3 Boost Applied)
Coonie Smith (PG/SG)
[Offensive Attributes:]
Shooting Accuracy: 8
Layup Skill: 6
Dunk Skill: 4
Dribbling Skill: 8
Passing Skill: 7
[Defensive Attributes:]
Defense: 7
Blocking Ability: 5
Steal Skill: 8
[Physical Attributes:]
Stamina: 7
Endurance: 7
Speed: 8
.....
Jeremy Park (Power Forward)
[Offensive Attributes:]
Shooting Accuracy: 7
Layup Skill: 7
Dunk Skill: 6
Dribbling Skill: 5
Passing Skill: 5
[Defensive Attributes:]
Defense: 8
Blocking Ability: 10
Steal Skill: 7
[Physical Attributes:]
Stamina: 9
Endurance: 9
Speed: 8
..
Kai Mendoza (Small Forward)
[Offensive Attributes:]
Shooting Accuracy: 9
Layup Skill: 8
Dunk Skill: 6
Dribbling Skill: 9
Passing Skill: 7
[Defensive Attributes:]
Defense: 9
Blocking Ability: 6
Steal Skill: 8
[Physical Attributes:]
Stamina: 8
Endurance: 8
Speed: 9
Ethan’s Thoughts:
He glanced at his system storage.
[Team Synergy Card] – 3 Uses
His fingers twitched slightly.
Not yet. Not until the real battle.
Then his eyes drifted.
Toward the far end of the gym.
Where was.
Lucas Graves – Guard/Forward (#10)
Level: Anomaly
Ability: Absolute Mimicry – Can copy and refine any skill or move he sees in real-time.
Time with Power: 3 Days
Background: Just 4 days ago, Lucas was at the bottom — overlooked, untalented, and ignored. But the moment he awakened Absolute Mimicry, he began absorbing techniques like a sponge. His improvement is so rapid, it’s unsettling. What he lacks in experience, he compensates with raw adaptation and elite stamina.
.....
[Core Attributes]
[Offensive Attributes:]
Shooting Accuracy: 10
Layup Skill: 10
Dunk Skill: 7
Dribbling Skill: 11
Passing Skill: 10 (
[Defensive Attributes:]
Defense: 8
Blocking Ability: 8
Steal Skill: 8
[Physical Attributes:]
Stamina: 15
Endurance: 15
Speed: 9
Ethan’s Thought:
Lucas was moving through a solo drill a brutal combination of elite crossovers, fadeaways, Eurosteps, and no-look passes. Every move wasn’t just copied. It was sharpened. Like he saw the flaw in the original and perfected it in real-time.
He was the kind of player you didn’t coach.
You just stepped back and prayed he wasn’t on the other team.
Evan Cooper approached Ethan, holding a ball under his arm. His gaze flicked toward Lucas, then back to Ethan. He tried to keep his tone even.
"What should we do, Ethan?" he asked.
There was no edge, but there was honesty and maybe a hint of jealousy.
Even though Evan was officially the team captain, even he couldn’t deny it.
When it came to strategy... pressure... game-breaking decisions...
Ethan Albarado was the heart of this squad.
And Evan?
He just wanted to win. That’s all that mattered to him.
Ethan responded with a calm breath.
The weight of the moment sat on his shoulders.
Ethan inhaled slowly, then spoke with quiet certainty.
"Since July 6 is our official match against the Thunderhawks... Yeah, you all know. All-girls team. But don’t let that fool you."
He paced forward slightly, his eyes locked on each teammate.
"They’re not weak. They’re not just good, they’re dangerous. They nearly made it to the championship last year. Only reason they didn’t?"
"One of their players got injured."
His voice tightened with intensity.
Then his gaze turned to Lucas.
"And their captain... Charlotte Graves. AKA ’The Silver Hawk.’ Or some of you might know her as—"
A short pause.
"The Silver Falcon. She’s that good. Plays like she belongs in a men’s league. Hell, she could school most of us without even trying."
Lucas froze for half a second.
("Sis...") He thought silently.
His grip on the ball unconsciously tightened.
Ethan let the weight of that moment sit before glancing around the gym. He exhaled again, then turned to Lucas and gave a respectful nod.
"Since we’re using your gym today..."
He gave a slight grin.
"Thanks, Lucas."
Lucas responded with a shrug, almost shyly.
"No problem."
Then, without skipping a beat, Ethan’s face twisted with mock frustration. He jabbed a thumb toward the empty office in the corner of the gym.
"As for Coach... well, let’s be real."
He raised his voice.
"That useless, lazy-ass sack of trash is probably still asleep in his bed, snoring like a goddamn pig."
The whole gym burst into laughter.
The kind of laugh that breaks tension and builds camaraderie. Even Lucas cracked a smirk.
Ethan clapped his hands once, loud.
It echoed like a gunshot.
"Alright! Enough standing around."
Ethan’s voice rang through the gym like a lightning bolt, sharp and alive. The players stopped, their muscles already warmed up from the drills they’d done before, but now they felt the real weight of what was to come.
"Let’s get to work. Training starts NOW!"
The gym’s echo still lingered when Coonie Smith raised his hand, a look of mild confusion on his face.
"What’s the training gonna be, Ethan?"
The question wasn’t disrespectful, just the kind of inquiry that came from someone trying to make sense of the moment. Coonie was solid — not a natural leader, but reliable in a clutch. He was just trying to understand the game plan.
Ethan blinked, his brows furrowed for a split second.
"Oh shit, I forgot to tell you guys."
Everyone sighed collectively. Ethan was the type who jumped into things and sometimes forgot to explain the details.
"You forgot? Really, Ethan?" Coonie muttered, shaking his head.
Ethan let out a half-grin, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.
"Alright, alright. Phase 1."
He raised his hands, palms out, signaling the start of something important.
"Phase 1: Foundation & Footwork. You want to know how to dominate the court? You build the base first. Every elite defender has impeccable stance, speed, and lateral movement. We work on those now. Trust me, the little things win games."
The team nodded, absorbing his words. This was the foundation of everything.
Ethan’s tone shifted, becoming steady again as he moved to the first drill.
"1. Mirror Slide Drill (Eye Contact Only) "
The gym’s air felt thick with focus as Ethan demonstrated, moving in fluid motion across the court, gliding effortlessly as if the floor was made of ice.
"Partner up." he instructed, and everyone quickly paired off.
Ethan walked over to Brandon Young, their eyes meeting for a moment before they fell into position. Lucas Graves stood across from Evan Cooper. The group quickly lined up in two parallel rows, facing each other.
"Remember," Ethan’s voice cut through the rising tension. "The goal is simple: mirror each other’s movement, but only with eye contact. Don’t get distracted. Keep the flow tight. Eyes locked."
Brandon looked at him skeptically.
"Just eyes? No ball?" Brandon asked, his voice tinged with disbelief.
"No ball. No fakes. Just you and your partner. You need to react faster than your brain can think. Focus on the tiniest movement." Ethan’s voice was firm, almost pushing Brandon to accept the challenge.
The two of them began. Ethan slid to his left, his body low and balanced, mirroring Brandon’s movement. Their eyes stayed locked as their feet shuffled back and forth in perfect synchronization. The tension in their stance was palpable, the entire gym quiet except for the sound of sneakers against the floor.
"Focus on staying low, always. Keep those knees bent." Ethan’s internal mantra repeated as he guided Brandon through the drill.
The rest of the team followed suit. It was grueling work, but they could feel the benefit — the connection between movement and mental focus sharpened with every second. Each time they mis-stepped, it was like their bodies recalibrated themselves for next time.
....
The next drill was on the horizon, and Ethan didn’t waste time.
"2. Cone Shuffle Gaun