Falling Apart On The First Game

The third quarter of the USA vs. Italy match made one thing painfully clear. 

The United States team was on a level all their own. 

The scoreboard reflected the story everyone had expected—an overwhelming lead for the Americans. Even with Luca Rossi putting up an impressive fight for Italy, the result seemed inevitable.

Kai sat in his seat, arms crossed, as he watched Luca. They'd researched him well throughout the game—courtesy of Zheng.

They couldn't wait until the end of the game to satiate their curiosity, so they searched nearly everything about him now. They even knew about his dog's name! 

 Luca was two years older and already made waves in college basketball. 

A prodigy. 

The media painted him as Italy's shining star, a player destined for greatness. But as the game went on, even Luca's skill couldn't bridge the gap against the U.S.