A great Hunger Was Born.
After the Buffalo defeated the Komodo Dragons, something changed inside the gym.
It wasn't just confidence.
It was hunger.
The kind that doesn't disappear after one big meal, but grows stronger because now they know what winning against giants feels like — and they want it again.
Practice started earlier.
Not because Coach Ed ordered it.
But because players arrived before sunrise on their own.
Victor was already running suicides when the lights were still half-off.
Tony stayed after training to lift weights until his arms shook.
Santino asked the assistant coaches to rebound for him so he could shoot another hundred jumpers.
And Elias…
Elias trained like someone who knew that expectations were now sitting on his shoulders.
He worked on footwork, on balance, on absorbing contact without losing control.
He practiced passing out of double teams, because he knew they were coming.
Sometimes, when the gym was quiet, he stayed alone, dribbling under dim lights, replaying every mistake he could still remember from last season.
Because the win against Komodo didn't erase the past.
It reminded him of what was possible — and what could still be taken away.
Coach Ed watched them all quietly.
He didn't shout much anymore.
He didn't have to.
This team was now pushing itself.
And that was the most dangerous kind of team.
A few days before the opening of the 3rd season of the National Open Basketball League, Eliza arrived at the gym earlier than usual.
She asked Coach Ed to gather everyone.
When the players saw chairs being arranged at center court, they already felt it.
Something important was coming.
Sweat still dripping from practice, they sat down in a loose circle, breathing hard, towels around their necks, muscles aching.
Eliza stood in front of them, smiling — but her eyes were serious.
"You all know what's coming," she said softly.
Silence followed.
"In just a few days, the season opens. And this year… things are different."
She looked around.
"For the opening ceremony, we will have Ms. Roxy as our game muse."
Some players whispered.
Santino nudged Victor.
"Bro, that's huge. She's famous."
Eliza continued.
"And we will also unveil our new team uniform."
At that, Coach Ed stepped forward and nodded toward the equipment staff.
Boxes were brought in.
Big ones.
Heavy ones.
Eliza's voice grew stronger.
"This uniform is not just for design. It represents who we are now."
The first box was opened.
Red.
Black.
Sharp lines.
A raging buffalo charging forward across the chest.
Not standing.
Charging.
The words printed below:
BUFFALO — NO TURNING BACK
For a moment, nobody spoke.
Then Tony whispered,
"Man… this looks like war gear."
Victor slowly stood up and touched the fabric.
"This doesn't look like the uniform of a weak team."
Elias stared at it quietly.
Inside his chest, something tightened.
This meant expectations.
This meant they were no longer invisible.
Eliza spoke again, firm and proud.
"When you wear this uniform, people will no longer see you as just participants. They will see you as contenders."
She took a breath.
"We are not entering this season to play games."
Her voice rose.
"We are entering to win games."
The words hit the room hard.
Some players clenched their fists.
Others swallowed, feeling both excitement and fear.
Because winning also means pressure.
And pressure changes people.
Each player received their uniform.
Some held it carefully.
Some hugged it to their chest.
For many of them, this was the first time in their careers they felt truly seen.
Not as fillers.
Not as underdogs.
But as a team that mattered.
Early morning at the Buffalo gym, Coach Ed ended practice early one evening.
Not because they were tired.
But because he wanted them fresh — mentally.
He gathered them again.
"No matter what happens this season," he said, "remember this."
He pointed to the floor.
"This court doesn't care about reputation. It only respects effort."
He looked straight at Elias.
"And leadership isn't about highlights. It's about who stays calm when the game gets ugly."
Elias nodded.
Tony raised his hand.
"Coach… do you think we can really compete this year?"
Coach Ed didn't answer immediately.
Then he said,
"I know you can."
That was all.
But for this team…
That was everything.
Across the League ....
Other teams trained quietly, but their conversations changed.
"If Komodo can lose like that to Buffalo, maybe they're not that strong anymore," one coach said.
Another team's captain laughed,
"Maybe the champions are getting old."
And many teams began shifting their focus.
Less on Komodo.
More on Buffalo.
Because suddenly, Buffalo looked beatable but dangerous.
The perfect target.
What they didn't know…
Was that Komodo was planning something.
Something big.
Something that had not yet been announced.
Something that would only be revealed on opening night.
And inside Komodo's camp, no one was laughing.
They trained harder.
More aggressively.
With silence instead of jokes.
Because humiliation doesn't fade.
But Something HUGE Is Coming that no one expected.
As opening day drew closer, excitement spread across the league.
New uniforms.
New rivalries.
New expectations.
Behind the lights and ceremonies…
Something dangerous was building.
Buffalo was rising.
And Komodo…
Was not done yet.
Not even close.