CHAPTER 51: CHAPTER 51 :NAMED TO THE RISING STARS CHALLENGE ROSTER

Ryan checked in even earlier this time.

Just three minutes into the game—a full minute sooner than his last outing against the Crows.

After surviving LaVonte and Holloway’s suffocating defense, after navigating the Crows’ army of lanky, steal-happy pests, facing the Vipers’ "defense" felt like... well, like playing against third-stringers in garbage time.

Except even deep bench guys tried. These Vipers? They defended with the intensity of a pickup game at a retirement home.

It was like going up against five Luka Dončićs—if Luka never tried on defense.

Now, to be fair, if Luka actually locked in on defense, he wouldn’t be bad—slow lateral movement, sure, but smart, strong, and good hands.

But most nights? The man treats defense like an optional add-on.

He’s been roasted for it so many times that even popular meme pages on X—like NBA Memes—turned it into a running joke:

"Play defense or go to the moon. Luka Doncic:"

Below the pic: A photoshop of Luka in a spacesuit. Classic.

Anyway, back to Alpha Earth.

End of the first quarter:

Roarers 41, Vipers 33.

Ryan?

12 points, 4 assists.

By halftime:

Roarers 79, Vipers 64.

Ryan had lit them up for 25 points and 8 assists.

Third quarter—three minutes in, Ryan notched his 10th assist. A casual double-double. Crawford pulled him.

His stat line:

32 points, 10 assists, 7 rebounds.

End of the third:

Roarers 114, Vipers 92.

Up in the booth:

"Another triple-double loading for Ryan," the play-by-play announcer mused.

His partner grinned: "Might even drop his first 40-piece if Crawford lets him feast in the fourth."

Start of the fourth, and Ryan checked back in.

Before long, just five minutes remained.

Scoreboard read: Roarers 139, Vipers 112.

Garbage time? By all accounts, yeah.

But the Vipers refused to wave the white flag—or their starters. As long as there was theoretical hope, they were still grinding. (Or stat-padding. Hard to tell.)

Ryan?

Already sitting on a monster triple-double:

42 points, 14 assists, 10 rebounds.

His first career 40-piece. And it came wrapped in a blowout-sized triple-double.

Coach Crawford eventually called a timeout—couldn’t, in good conscience, let Ryan keep torching what was left of the Vipers’ dignity.

The Garbage Time Big Four made their grand entrance—Omar fake-adjusting his already pristine jersey, DeShawn pretending to stretch like he hadn’t been napping on the bench, Brent adjusting his headband like a crown, and Jalen sprinting to the scorer’s table like he was checking into the Finals.

Stanley just shuffled behind them...

The Vipers? Their starters stubbornly played on for two more minutes before finally conceding to the deep bench.

Final score: 147-125.

The moment the final buzzer sounded, the cameras naturally gravitated toward Ryan Carter.

Fresh off a monstrous triple-double—42 points, 14 assists, 10 rebounds—he was the undisputed star of the night. The sideline reporter just pointed toward him, mic in hand, already walking.

She had barely raised it when Ryan launched into what had become his trademark opener:

"First, I wanna thank Zero9 for keeping me hydrated all night—best sports drink in the game."

The reporter’s smile froze. Two questions later—"Thoughts on your first 40-piece?" and "How’d you exploit the Vipers’ defense?"—she practically sprinted off the court.

Back in the locker room, post-showers and suited up, the team’s mood was electric. High-fives flew, towels snapped through the air, and Jalen and DeShawn had already started an impromptu dance circle by the lockers.

But the celebration had a strange undertone.

Darius sat slumped in front of his locker, staring at the league’s disciplinary notice on his screen: "Pending review. Verdict within 24 hours." Six years ago, it’d been an 8-game suspension for the same damn punch. This time? Probably worse.

Kamara scrolled through his feed, then whistled. "Yo Ryan—congrats, kid. You made the Rising Stars Challenge."

Ryan froze, then practically tackled his own duffel bag trying to find his phone.

"Seriously?"

There it was—an official ABA press release, posted across every league platform just minutes earlier:

ABA Official Announcement

Subject: 2025 ABA All-Star Weekend – Rising Stars Challenge Roster

Following review and approval by the ABA Competition Committee, we are pleased to announce the official player pool for the 2025 Rising Stars Challenge:

Rookies

Colter Frye (Vega Tigers)

Ryan Carter (Iron City Roarers)

[...and several others]

His eyes darted to the details:

Draft Date: February 6, 4 PM – livestreamed on the ABA App and official social channels

Game Date: February 14, 2025

Venue: Zentron Celestial Center, home of the Vega Tigers

The Rising Stars Challenge aims to showcase the league’s most promising rookie and sophomore talents in a fast-paced, high-energy setting.

Ryan grinned, nodded to Kamara, and practically jogged toward the media hallway. Of course he was doing the postgame presser again. On nights like this, no one else stood a chance.

Just as he reached the interview room, the league’s PR rep stepped in his path, one hand casually patting the pocket of his warm-up pants.

He pulled out a bottle of Zero9 like a TSA agent uncovering contraband, smug as hell.

"We’re not kidding around, Ryan. Next stunt like this? It won’t just be a fine."

Ryan tossed him the bottle. "Keep it. Hydration’s important."

The press conference opened without the usual tension. No one brought up Darius—Coach Crawford had already been grilled about it earlier, and his answers were so thoroughly polished you could see your reflection in them. Something about "internal review," "awaiting league guidance," and "emotions running high."

Now, the media had bigger things to focus on.

First question: "Ryan, 42-14-10. Career night. What was working for you out there?"

Ryan rubbed the back of his neck, trying to play it cool.

"I mean, everything was just flowing. Guys were hitting shots, spacing was great. Felt like I could read every coverage before it happened."

Second question: "Any thoughts on your Rising Stars selection? Especially considering you’ve only played a handful of games."

Ryan’s eyes lit up. This part wasn’t forced.

"I’m incredibly grateful," he said, straightening up in his seat. "To be honest, I wasn’t expecting it. I’ve only been in the league for a short time, and there’s so much talent out there. But I’m honored they saw something in me. I can’t wait for February 14th. I’m ready to hoop."

Flashbulbs popped. Reporters jotted notes.