The days after the game moved like a storm Marcus could not slow down. What started as talk in barbershops and markets spread quickly beyond the neighborhood. Clips of him outplaying Adrian jumped from phone to phone and then onto television screens. His name, once spoken with disappointment or not spoken at all, was suddenly everywhere.
Sports writers who had forgotten him were writing again. Old photos resurfaced. A younger Marcus smiling with promise in his eyes. But it was the new images that held people's attention. Marcus rising into the air. Muscles tight. Eyes locked on the rim. Focus written clearly across his face.
Marcus tried to keep his routine the same. He still woke before sunrise. Still ran the quiet roads. Still trained with Hammond in the small gym that smelled of dust and effort. But the world refused to let him stay unnoticed.
One afternoon Hammond walked into the gym holding a newspaper. He placed it beside Marcus without a word.
The headline stared back at him.
Marcus Stuns Rising Star.
Marcus picked it up slowly. The photo showed him mid dunk arms wide body stretched face fierce. For years his name had meant failure. Now it sat bold on the front page.
"They see you now" Hammond said. Pride softened his voice. "This is just the start."
The story traveled far beyond the city.
In Marcus's village men read the headline aloud in small shops. Women who once whispered about his drinking grew quiet. People who had laughed when he stumbled through dusty paths now avoided each other's eyes.
His father sat outside the house when a neighbor brought the paper. He stared at the photo for a long time saying nothing. He had called Marcus a failure for years. Now his son was celebrated across the country.
Marcus's mother cried openly. She remembered the nights of worry the prayers whispered in silence the shame she carried alone. Seeing her son's face in print felt like an answer she had waited years to receive.
Those who had mocked Marcus lowered their heads when they passed her. Words no longer came easily.
Back in the city the pace only quickened.
A week after the game Marcus's phone rang with a number he did not recognize. His hands shook as he answered.
The national team wanted him. Not for a trial. Not for a camp. For the squad itself. A friendly match against a top international side was coming and Marcus had been called up.
"Are you sure you have the right person" Marcus asked quietly.
The voice on the line laughed. "We are sure. Everyone has seen you. Report next week."
When the call ended Marcus sat still. Hammond watched him closely.
"You earned this" Hammond said. "Nothing you went through was wasted. This is where it was leading."
Marcus smiled slowly. Not with pride but with gratitude.
The news spread fast. Children scribbled his name on old jerseys. Young players crowded courts copying his moves. People spoke of him as proof that a man could fall hard and still rise.
But admiration carried shadows.
Adrian was named to the squad too. His talent and reputation made that unavoidable. When asked about Marcus he smiled thinly.
"He had his moment" Adrian said. "The national stage is different."
Behind the calm words his anger burned. He had not forgotten the crowd lifting Marcus above him. He promised himself it would not happen again.
When Lena read the news pride rushed through her followed by worry. At home her parents talked endlessly about Adrian. His wealth. His future. His global reach.
"Do you see" her father said. "This is where real men belong. Marcus is just a story."
Lena said nothing. She had seen the work behind Marcus's rise. She knew this was only the beginning.
Training camp opened under bright lights and noise. Cameras flashed. Scouts watched. Questions came fast.
"How does it feel to be back" someone asked.
Marcus answered simply. "It feels like I never left."
Adrian arrived later polished and smiling. Attention split between them. The tension was impossible to miss.
Training was relentless. Conditioning. Drills. Scrimmages. Marcus welcomed it. Every ache reminded him of the road he had walked. Adrian pushed just as hard always chasing the spotlight.
At night Marcus sat alone thinking about the journey. The shame. The laughter. The empty days. Now he wore his country's colors. Clubs overseas were already calling Hammond. For the first time Marcus had choices.
Still one truth stayed steady.
The court does not lie.
The friendly match approached quickly. Tickets sold out. The country waited not just for the game but for the clash everyone felt coming.
As Marcus laced his shoes Hammond leaned close.
"You are playing for more than yourself now. Remember that."
Marcus stood tall. From rejection to redemption his path had led here.
And he was ready to take the next step.