Stephen Curry, born in 1988, is a professional basketball player who plays point guard.

In the 2009 NBA draft, the Golden State Warriors selected Curry with the seventh overall pick, starting his NBA career. In his rookie season, Curry performed brilliantly, being unanimously voted into the All-Rookie First Team and successfully establishing himself in the league.

Last year, as a sophomore, Curry's steady performance gradually made him an indispensable member of the Golden State Warriors, starting in seventy-four games and truly finding his place in the professional league.

Without a doubt, Curry was becoming a rising star in the NBA.

Like Lu Ke, Curry was also a sponsored athlete for Under Armour. It was clear that Under Armour was steadily working to expand into the market of young athletes. However, Curry was a basketball player and Lu Ke was a football player. They had no connection, so seeing Curry at the commercial shoot right now filled Lu Ke with confusion.

Could this be a visit arranged by Under Armour?

Lu Ke's tired steps paused for a moment, but he didn't linger. He walked straight to a bench in the rest area and slowly sat down, taking the initiative to greet him. "Is it your turn next? Are you going to be tortured? Does this mean I can rest for a little longer?"

His nonsensical words, delivered in a teasing and playful tone, broke the silence in the rest area. Curry reflexively looked over, blinking with a face full of questions. His first reaction was, "Are you talking to me?"

Seeing the bewildered expression on Curry's face, Lu Ke laughed. "When I was in high school, I saw white kids talk like this all the time. They'd show off their humor and quickly make new friends. I always wanted to try it. Now it seems I've used it incorrectly. Isn't there a manual I can read and learn from?"

This kind of self-deprecating humor was indeed a way young people talked. Lu Ke's speech was so fluent and natural that it gave Curry the illusion that he was the immigrant and Lu Ke was the native-born local. With their roles reversed, Curry couldn't help but burst out laughing.

"Strictly speaking, we're both the same. If you find a manual like that, you should let me know. I should probably read it, too." After recovering, Curry also laughed and chimed in.

As a Black man, if they trace their roots, he was an immigrant just like Lu Ke. Of course, to be more precise, Native Americans were the local residents, and everyone else was an immigrant. America was a country built on immigrants.

"Lu Ke." The small joke broke the barrier between strangers and built a connection. Lu Ke then introduced himself.

"I know you. I mean, I watched your game against the Detroit Lions this week. You're an incredible player." Curry showed a shy smile, still with a hint of boyishness. "I'm Stephen, Stephen Curry."

"Sorry, Stephen, I haven't watched any of your games because I'm a Los Angeles Lakers fan." Lu Ke's answer stunned Curry, and for a moment, he didn't know how to respond. Then he saw a deep smile in Lu Ke's eyes, and Curry immediately realized he had been pranked again.

After his prank succeeded, Lu Ke added, "You had a great Skills Challenge last year."

In the 2010-2011 season, Stephen Curry successfully won the All-Star Weekend Skills Challenge, which was a testament to his solid fundamentals.

"Ha! Ha!" Curry let out two exaggerated, dry laughs, looking at Lu Ke with a helpless expression. He deliberately said sarcastically, "That was hilarious. I'm actually not a San Francisco 49ers fan. I only paid attention because I heard an undrafted rookie became a starting quarterback and won games."

Unfortunately, Curry's baby face wasn't very convincing, and his sarcastic tone still sounded like a joke.

"That's not surprising," Lu Ke said with a calm expression, which instantly made Curry's "sarcastic" expression freeze at the corners of his mouth. His eyes were filled with helplessness. "I'm not a San Francisco 49ers fan either. In fact, I'm a Green Bay Packers fan. How about you?"

With such a serious question, Curry couldn't keep up. Before he could react, he answered honestly, "The Carolina Panthers." After he said it, he added, "I grew up in Charlotte. The Panthers were a new team back then, so you could say I grew up with the team."

The Carolina Panthers were one of the youngest teams in the NFL. They were established in 1993 in Charlotte, North Carolina, becoming the twenty-ninth team in the league and the first new team since 1976. The team's entire history was only eighteen years old.

In the nineties, Curry's father, Dell Curry, played for the Charlotte Hornets. He was a well-known three-point sharpshooter in the league and is still the team's all-time leading scorer.

"Ah, it seems we are not destined to be friends. The Carolina Panthers' rookie quarterback and I are rivals." Lu Ke said with a serious expression, as if he was discussing a matter of great importance. Seeing Curry's stunned expression, Lu Ke continued, "Haven't you heard? That quarterback and I got into a big fight at the rookie training camp. We wanted to tear each other apart."

Lu Ke's expression was so sincere that Curry couldn't tell if he was joking or not. His words started to stutter. "Uh, actually, I... I haven't watched football for the past two years. You know, because of the NBA's professional schedule, it's too packed. I don't even know that rookie quarterback..."

"No problem, no problem." Lu Ke nodded repeatedly, waved his hands, and comforted him. "Everyone has a team they support. Luckily, we're not division rivals, so it's not that bad." Then Lu Ke shrugged his shoulders. "At least from my point of view, the rivalry between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Golden State Warriors is a lot more intense, isn't it? After all, they're both California teams, right?"

Then, Curry saw Lu Ke's eyebrow raise slightly, and a playful glint appeared in his eyes. At first, Curry didn't react. "Wait, you just said..." Then he saw the smile on Lu Ke's face grow, and Curry realized that it was another prank and that he had fallen for it again. "You..."

Curry raised his right hand, pointed at Lu Ke, and then slammed it on his knee, groaning in frustration. He didn't know what to do. Rhetoric wasn't his strong suit, so he could only scratch his head in disbelief.

Lu Ke, who was chuckling, added, "I'm serious. If you could choose, maybe you should follow the San Francisco 49ers. After all, we're brothers. I think the sponsor would also like to see that."

Curry's team, the Golden State Warriors, was located in Oakland, California. Their name, the "Golden State," came from California's nickname, which also came from the Gold Rush era. This was similar to the origin of the San Francisco 49ers' name. Both Oakland and San Francisco are in the Bay Area.

As Lu Ke said, in a way, they were "brother teams."

This time, Curry learned his lesson. He widened his eyes and tried to seriously state his position. "Even if I were to choose a brother team, I should choose the Oakland Raiders. The San Francisco 49ers should be at the back of the line." But the smile he couldn't hide at the corners of his mouth betrayed Curry, and he had no intimidation factor at all. The atmosphere became completely relaxed.

In this back-and-forth, Lu Ke and Curry immediately became familiar with each other.

Lu Ke then learned that Curry had come specifically for the commercial shoot to join him. Lu Ke's random teasing was a happy accident. Under Armour intended to pair Curry and Lu Ke together for a promotional campaign.

Both players were young, up-and-coming athletes, only a year apart in age. Both players belonged to California teams, and both players had faced immense pressure in their rookie seasons and delivered impressive results.

The slender and short Curry was also questioned during his college and draft years. He was even thinner than Lu Ke.

From a marketing perspective, this was an interesting choice that could spark more discussion through a cross-sport collaboration.

"Phew, it looks like my guess was right. I can finally get a good rest." Lu Ke leaned back on the chair in an exaggerated manner, his arms dangling down to show his exhaustion.

Curry couldn't help but laugh. "It's always like this at first. Eventually, you'll get used to it." Then, Curry looked around and, after making sure no one was around, lowered his voice. "But I still think shoots are so boring. I'd rather go home and shoot a thousand three-pointers than waste my time here."

"You think so too? God!" Lu Ke agreed repeatedly, and they exchanged a glance and chuckled together.

He turned his head and saw the photographer and other staff standing not far away. They were all looking at Lu Ke and Curry with puzzled expressions, not understanding what was going on. The two young men immediately started laughing even harder.

In his line of sight, a staff member quickly walked over. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I was so busy I forgot to introduce you. This is Stephen Curry, #30 of the Golden State Warriors. And this is Lu Ke, #14 of the San Francisco 49ers. You two will be shooting together today..."

Was this introduction a bit too late? Lu Ke and Curry exchanged another glance and chuckled.

As the staff member spoke, he realized something was off but couldn't pinpoint it. He could only give up. "Take another ten-minute break, and then Lu Ke will shoot first."

Before he could finish his sentence, the smile on Lu Ke's face froze. He was completely stunned. This time, it was Curry's turn to burst out laughing.

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