Three seconds on the clock. One pass that would have won the game. Nico didn't make it.He had the open man. He saw Romy wide open in the corner, defender a step behind.He took the shot anyway.It clanged off the iron and dropped into the other team's hands as the buzzer blared.Season over. And Nico knows exactly whose fault it is."You had me," Romy says in the silence of the locker room. "I was wide open, Nico. All you had to do was pass.""I thought I could make it.""You wanted the glory. You wanted to be the hero. And you lost us the game."Nico has spent his whole life believing he's the one who carries the team.His mother works two jobs so he can chase this dream. There is a scout who might be watching. A championship still within reach. And a best friend he just shoved away with one selfish shot, in a locker room so silent that a muttered curse would have felt like mercy.But the gym is full of things nobody says out loud.There is a phone Romy keeps hiding, shoving it away fast, like he doesn't want anyone to see.There is a rival across the city with a knowing smile.There is a coach whose silence cuts deeper than any speech.There are transfer papers, a scout's report, and a secret that could break the locker room apart before the final whistle.To get one more shot at the title, Nico will have to do the hardest thing on the court.Trust someone else with the ball.And before the final buzzer of his last season sounds, he'll learn that the truest measure of a player isn't the shot he takes alone, it's the teammate he's willing to lift.Everything to Prove is a heartfelt, fast-breaking YA sports novel about teammates and rivals, second chances, hard-earned humility, family sacrifice, brotherhood, and the secret that tests a championship season.Perfect for readers who love underdog sports stories, locker-room loyalty, coming-of-age basketball, and emotionally honest YA in the vein of Mike Lupica and Kwame Alexander. A standalone novel with a triumphant ending.