The next morning didn’t feel real. The Corry Siggs walked into their home gym in Erie like it was any normal day at the rec center, except now there were cameras, reporters, and NBA banners hanging from the rafters.

Big Red had to duck under one and just shook his head. After beating the Lakers in their debut, people were calling them the miracle team. Arts Cass tried not to think about it, but Jacks Lathe read headlines out loud on the bus to keep the energy high. Then the league confirmed the news: the SuperSonics were joining, and somehow Dank Memes, Inc. was officially back too with real funding, real jerseys, and something to prove.

Head coach Dan Maestro didn’t waste time. He pulled the team to center court and told them everyone thought their first win was a fluke. Practice that day was intense. Arts Cass worked on shots from even deeper than before. Big Red stayed late running suicides. Jacks Lathe shot from the corners until the lights flickered. Nobody wanted the magic to fade. Their next game was against Dank Memes, Inc., and the arena was louder than ever when both teams ran out.

The game was tight from the start. Big Red got into early foul trouble, and for the first time the Siggs were down double digits.

At halftime nobody panicked. Arts Cass reminded them they were just a rec center team with a cheap bus not long ago, and they were still standing. In the second half, Park Nichs dove for loose balls, Cobe Myes knocked down key jumpers, and Jacks Lathe hit back-to-back threes. With four minutes left, Arts Cass pulled from deep and buried it. Tie game in the final seconds, defender in his face, he stepped back at the buzzer — nothing but net.

The crowd stormed the court like it was a championship. Dank Memes, Inc. walked off quietly again. Coach Maestro looked at his team and told them this wasn’t just a good story anymore — it was becoming a real season. And for the first time, the Corry Siggs didn’t just feel lucky to be there. They expected to win.