We Are the Champions!

Returning from the timeout, Stephen Curry sank his free throw to complete the three-point play, bringing his total for the quarter to twelve points. On the next possession, Hansbrough attacked the paint again, drawing a hacking foul on Kyle Visser to earn two free throws. Seeing that they couldn't contain Hansbrough by ordinary means, Prosser used the dead ball to substitute Kevin Swinton in for Visser, shifting to a small-ball lineup. Hansbrough converted both free throws, tying the score once again at 14–14 for the Tar Heels. Russell Westbrook ran a pick-and-roll with Serge Ibaka and attacked the interior, floating a shot over the dropping Hansbrough to drop it through the net, finally securing his first points of the night. Yet at the other end, Hansbrough's power move under the basket drew a holding foul on Swinton. Just as Yang Shuai had thought earlier, the small-ball lineup had worked wonders against Duke because McRoberts lacked a post presence, whereas Hansbrough was vastly more destructive inside. Hansbrough returned to the line, this time making only one of two. Ibaka secured the defensive rebound, and the Demon Deacons unleashed their transition offense using the speed of their small-ball unit. However, the Tar Heels sprinted back defensively. When Westbrook found no clear path to the rim on the fast break, he whipped a pass to Curry trailing on the weak side. Curry caught the ball and went into his shooting motion as Danny Green threw himself recklessly into a contest. It was eerily similar to the earlier play, the only difference being that the defender flying at him was the bigger Green rather than Ty Lawson. Yet Curry made a completely different choice this time. Instead of pulling the trigger immediately, he gave a pump fake. Waiting until Green flew past his eyes, he calmly took one gather dribble, squared his shoulders, and fired a three-pointer. Green sailed past like a crow fading into the horizon, managing only a hurried glance over his shoulder. *Swish!* Curry drilled his fourth three-pointer of the quarter! The fans in the arena were dumbfounded. Curry had already erupted for 15 points in the period, and he hadn't missed a single shot! "God is wearing the number thirty jersey!" Ian Eagle couldn't help exclaiming. Yang Shuai was having the time of his life watching from the sideline. This was no longer just a self-fulfilling prophecy; Curry had entered "the zone," that state of supreme performance popularized by the basketball god himself, Michael Jordan. Or perhaps Curry had summoned the NBA version of himself tonight. Curry couldn't contain his excitement after the shot went down. Straightening both arms, he roared toward his teammates, "We can win this!" It was the first time Curry had shouted so directly at his teammates. Before this, that had always been Westbrook's domain. Precisely because it came from him, not just Curry, but every single member of the Demon Deacons truly believed they would win! They dialed in on defense more intensely than ever before. Swinton still couldn't hold his ground against Hansbrough, but Ibaka's swipe at the ball forced Hansbrough into a premature spin, causing him to lose control under pressure and send the ball out of bounds. Possession turned over. Westbrook took a pass out of the pick-and-roll and pulled up from midrange; though Hansbrough's desperate contest forced a miss, Visser crashed the glass and jumped hard to punch in the putback. Lawson cut along the weak side, caught a pass from Hansbrough, and adjusted in midair for a reverse layup, drawing a foul on Ibaka. Sinking both free throws, he stemmed the bleeding for the Tar Heels. Coming back down the floor, Curry caught the ball beyond the arc and used a single pump fake to send both Lawson and Green flying. Tucking low, he drove to the free throw line. When Hansbrough stepped up to contest, Curry floated a lob toward the rim, and Ibaka soared through the air to hammer down a two-handed alley-oop dunk! The Wake Forest faithful in the arena went completely wild. Earlier, though the Demon Deacons had gone back and forth with the Tar Heels, it had felt like the byproduct of Curry playing out of his mind. No one knew how long he could sustain that level, so everyone had been uneasy. Now, not only was Curry maintaining that magical form, but the rest of the roster was stepping up just as Eagle had hoped. What reason was there not to believe they could win? The Tar Heels naturally refused to hand victory over easily, but every time they showed signs of cutting into the deficit, the Demon Deacons answered with clutch baskets to steady the ship. As the contest wore on, an uncontrollable dread began creeping into the minds of some UNC players: a sinking feeling that they were going to lose. That premonition grew increasingly palpable in the second half, and their turnovers noticeably climbed. A self-fulfilling prophecy wasn't limited to positive outcomes; it applied to negative ones as well, better known by another famous name: Murphy's Law. When the game entered the final five minutes, the Demon Deacons held a 68–60 lead. Fans on both sides could no longer stay in their seats, rising to roar and chant for their teams in a deafening back-and-forth atmosphere. Yet the morale of the players on the court was worlds apart. The Demon Deacons were an unstoppable force. Theoretically, a leading team in that situation would slow the pace to bleed the clock, but they continued pushing the tempo on transition offense, looking as if their energy reserves were bottomless. By contrast, the Tar Heels were visibly spent. When they should have been pushing the pace to erase the deficit, they instead slowed into half-court sets, hunting for high-percentage looks. With one minute left on the clock, the double-digit lead remained intact, and the outcome was beyond doubt. Wake Forest fans had already started celebrating early, hugging one another and pumping their fists, each face more ecstatic than the last. Even in the Chris Paul era, they had only reached the top of the A League in the regular season. But now, they were the A League Tournament champions! Before the season began, who would have thought they could achieve this? It felt like a dream! When the final buzzer sounded, the scoreboard froze at 78–68. The two teams lined up for the postgame handshakes. The Demon Deacons could barely suppress their joy, while the Tar Heels looked like beaten roosters. Once the handshakes concluded, the fans along the court and the players on the floor erupted into wild celebration, chants of "Wake Forest!" echoing wave after wave. Yang Shuai's words were validated in the closing moments: they were born for championships! The broadcast cameras quickly panned to Curry, who was swarmed by his teammates. Curry had shot 8 of 11 from three-point range tonight, racking up a game-high 40 points! This was Wake Forest's championship night, and it would be Curry's breakout night on the national stage. When Curry emerged from the sea of celebration, he looked like a drowned rat, soaked in water and sweat, but he paid it no mind. Spotting Yang Shuai, he rushed over, wrapping him in an emotional embrace and pounding his back. Words of thanks poured from his mouth over and over. After a night like this, he believed in destiny without a shadow of a doubt. Yet deep down, he knew that having this opportunity at all was entirely because Yang Shuai had brought him here. To Curry, defeating every program that had written him off with his own hands meant far more than simply hoisting an NAA tournament trophy. Yang Shuai's face broke into a broad smile. "I told you, we were born for championships." He didn't bother agonizing over whether this was destiny or a self-fulfilling prophecy. After all, what ending could be more perfect than this? "I bet your dad is kicking himself right now," Yang Shuai teased. Missing the chance to witness his son's crowning moment firsthand, Dell Curry was bound to be drowning in regret. "He won't be," Curry said with a grin, looking past Yang Shuai's shoulder. Yang Shuai turned and saw Dell Curry step into view. Yang Shuai blinked, then quickly understood. Just because Dell Curry hadn't dared enter the arena didn't mean he hadn't traveled to Tampa. Wake Forest had practically locked up the victory five minutes before the end, giving Dell Curry plenty of time to hurry from the hotel to the arena. "I arranged an after-party. You have to come," Dell Curry invited Yang Shuai the moment they met. Back when Stephen had wanted to commit to Wake Forest because of a scout, Dell had opposed it, convinced his son was being sweet-talked. After all, Bob McKillop, the head coach of Davidson College—the other school pursuing Curry—was an old acquaintance of his, and their sons had often played baseball together as kids. In the end, because of Stephen's persistence, Dell had respected his son's decision. By now, that decision had proven to be undeniably right. Curry might have posted flashier numbers over a season at Davidson, but his development would never have been this rapid, and more importantly, he would never have had the chance to topple the giants who had looked down on him. Yang Shuai nodded with a smile; he had no reason to decline. Wake Forest's NAA journey was far from over, and the NAA Tournament was a much grander stage. But for him, securing this conference championship had already delivered the explosive splash he had envisioned from the start. With Ian Eagle's commentary and Prosser's suspension thrusting him into the spotlight, he had gained even more notoriety than expected. It was time to start planning for the NBA. Following the Demon Deacons' on-court celebration, the A League Tournament award ceremony took place. On the strength of his consistent play across the entire tournament, Westbrook was named tournament MVP, while Curry's brilliant finals performance earned him a spot on the All-Tournament Team. Before this, Jamon Gordon and Zabian Dowdell of Virginia Tech had been hailed as the premier backcourt duo in the A League. Now, that crown was officially changing hands. Once the ceremony wrapped up, Yang Shuai hopped into Dell Curry's car alongside Stephen. They didn't head for a local Tampa bar; instead, they drove straight toward Miami.