Chapter 11: Can't Stop Ohio University? University of Florida is Going to Play Dirty!
Chen Hao's second mid-range shot was another swish!
Not only were the University of Florida players incredibly shocked.
Even his teammates were stunned!
Actually, Conley hadn't intended to pass the ball to Chen Hao just now.
Because he knew Chen Hao wasn't good at shooting.
But since Chen Hao had already spoken up.
He wouldn't refuse!
Unexpectedly, that pass easily earned him an assist.
To the shocked looks from his teammates and opponents.
Chen Hao shrugged and said:
"Isn't it perfectly reasonable to make an open shot?"
Conley and Oden were speechless after hearing Chen Hao's words.
What Chen Hao said was absolutely right!
The commentator on site exclaimed after seeing Chen Hao make two consecutive mid-range shots:
"Oh my God!
How did Chen Hao's mid-range shot suddenly become so accurate?
He didn't score any points from shooting in the last game!"
Even many NBA stars who were following this game.
Were fooled by Chen Hao's two accurate mid-range shots.
The camera switched to the Cavaliers' star, James, at this moment.
At this moment, James's expression was incredibly excited, and he was raising his hands, shouting something loudly.
Clearly, he was very satisfied with Ohio University's performance.
And taylor swift, who came to watch the game, also had a very surprised expression.
She only got to know Chen Hao as a player in the previous game.
Chen Hao's explosive dunks had deeply impressed her.
So, in order to watch this game live.
She had spent a lot of effort to get the tickets.
Chen Hao took the lead in showcasing his strength at the beginning of the game, which made taylor swift even more curious about him.
"This guy's improvement speed is too fast, isn't it?
And he's really handsome!"
At this moment, the University of Florida's Head Coachrealized the seriousness of the situation.
So he hastily called a timeout.
He had thought Chen Hao would only score with powerful dunks.
He didn't expect him to also have such an accurate mid-range shot.
Then the defensive strategy had to change!
Otherwise!
The University of Florida might really fall into a difficult situation.
"Guard that guy closely, absolutely don't let him have another open shot opportunity!"
The University of Florida's Head Coach said to Brewerwith a serious expression.
Brewer nodded with a grave expression.
As the leader of the University of Florida's guard line.
Brewer's defensive ability was actually very outstanding.
Since Chen Hao had shown his shooting ability.
Then he couldn't be allowed to have open shooting opportunities anymore.
Brewer didn't think Chen Hao was that strong.
Because he felt he could completely shut down Chen Hao!
The game continued!
University of Florida on offense!
After a series of passes.
The ball went into Horford's hands!
Horford received the ball and faced Oden's defense!
He chose to post up!
Oden's strength and defensive ability were both very strong.
So Horford couldn't push Oden around!
In the end, he could only choose a turnaround hook shot!
The result, of course, was a miss!
As Oden grabbed the rebound, he was already looking for his teammates.
He saw a figure quickly running to the front!
It was Chen Hao!
Oden threw the ball to the front court without hesitation!
He had already experienced Chen Hao's fast break speed in the last game!
So he wasn't worried that Chen Hao wouldn't catch his pass.
The University of Florida's defensive players simply couldn't keep up with Chen Hao's speed.
In the end, they could only watch Chen Hao easily catch Oden's long pass.
And complete the fast break with a one-handed 360-degree dunk!
A huge cheer erupted again at the scene!
From the beginning of the game until now!
Chen Hao was the only protagonist on the court!
He had already scored six consecutive points!
This start was unexpected by many.
Chen Hao continued his hot streak from the previous game.
This made more Fans develop a strong interest in Chen Hao.
They now even focused all their attention on Chen Hao.
Whether it was Oden or Conley, they had become numb to Chen Hao's various performances.
Although they didn't know what exactly happened to Chen Hao.
But Chen Hao's exceptional performance was a good thing for them.
That was enough!
As long as it could help the team win, other things didn't seem important!
Most importantly, Chen Hao was their teammate!
The University of Florida players had truly become incredibly cautious about Chen Hao!
When they were on offense, they didn't dare to dribble rashly in front of Chen Hao.
They mostly looked for shooting opportunities through passing.
Although they were continuously suppressed by Chen Hao at the beginning.
The University of Florida's strength was still there.
Moreover, basketball is a five-person sport.
No matter how strong Chen Hao's defensive ability was, he couldn't defend five players alone.
So, after adjusting their mindset, the University of Florida.
Their offense also started to find its rhythm.
A mid-range shot broke their scoring drought.
When it came to defense.
The University of Florida focused even more on guarding Chen Hao.
Even when Chen Hao received the ball, they directly double-teamed him.
The goal was to prevent Chen Hao from scoring easily!
Little did they know, Chen Hao was very satisfied with the University of Florida's double-team defense.
This way, he could rack up assists!
So, when he was double-teamed.
Chen Hao decisively passed the ball to Oden!
Oden's destructive power in the paint was super strong!
Noah and Horford simply couldn't stop him!
So Ohio University still held an absolute advantage on the offensive end.
The University of Florida simply couldn't find a way to limit Oden.
When the first half of the game reached the 8-minute mark.
The score between the two sides came to 16:6!
Ohio University was already leading the University of Florida by as many as 10 points.
This score difference made the University of Florida's Head Coach on the sidelines very anxious.
He called another timeout.
The live commentator even said directly:
"The University of Florida is currently facing great difficulties.
Whether it's offense or defense, they have many problems that cannot be solved!
It remains to be seen how their Head Coach will adjust!"
Kobe, the Lakers' star who once commented that Chen Hao's offensive ability was average.
Was also watching this game at home at this time.
At this moment, a serious expression appeared on his face.
He had thought Chen Hao was just a flash in the pan.
Unexpectedly, this guy also had a decent mid-range shooting skill.
This meant that Kobe's previous remarks about Chen Haowere incorrect.
This made Kobe feel a bit embarrassed.
So his current mindset was hoping that the University of Florida could show some fight.
At the very least, they couldn't let Chen Hao continue to have high-light performances.
"What are these University of Florida players doing?
Their defense is simply too soft!"
Kobe complained discontentedly.
Back to the scene!
The University of Florida's Head Coach had reiterated the defensive priorities.
"When you are defending Gregg, if you are not confident!
Then just foul!
And it must be decisive and fierce!
Don't let him have a chance to get a 2+1!"
When saying these words, the University of Florida's Head Coach had a fierce look in his eyes!
Chapter 12: Chen Hao's shocking dunk makes taylor swiftwet herself!
The University of Florida players all nodded, indicating they understood what the Head Coach had said.
Especially Noah!
He knew exactly what the Head Coach wanted to convey!
Because before this game started...
The Head Coach had spoken to him privately.
He told him to be prepared.
If he couldn't limit Oden's scoring...
Then he should put enough pressure on him defensively.
If necessary, he could even foul him aggressively.
Especially since Oden was still injured.
Then he could target his injured right wrist.
Now that the Head Coach had given this signal...
Noah knew what he should do!
Noah gave Oden a cold look, a plan already forming in his mind.
After the timeout, the game resumed!
University of Florida offense!
Brewer received the ball at the free-throw line!
After using Noah's screen, he quickly drove to the paint.
He chose to challenge Oden!
He threw the ball up only after colliding with Oden with his body.
This aggressive layup successfully drew a foul from Oden.
And when Brewer made body contact with Oden...
He also intentionally or unintentionally bumped Oden's knee.
It should be known that besides his injured right wrist...
Oden's knee had also suffered injuries before.
So, after being hit in the knee by Brewer, Odenimmediately cried out in pain.
He sat directly on the floor!
Regarding Oden's fall, Brewer even openly mocked him:
"No way?
I barely touched you, and you fell?
You're too soft, aren't you?
Calling you a softie isn't an exaggeration, is it?"
Chen Hao, who was nearby, overheard all of Brewer's taunts.
His expression instantly became playful.
Oden, feeling a dull ache in his knee, didn't have time to trash talk with Brewer.
After Brewer made both free throws, he was about to go back to play defense.
But he found Chen Hao blocking his path.
By this time, Oden had also gotten up with the help of his teammates.
After simply flexing his knee, the problem wasn't too big, and he could continue playing.
Brewer saw Chen Hao blocking him.
His expression also became very impatient:
"Hey, get out of my way!"
But Chen Hao, after hearing Brewer's words, retorted with a bright smile:
"Hey, I just heard you say someone was very soft?
Are you sure you weren't talking about yourself?"
Chen Hao's taunt instantly made Brewer's face turn ugly.
He was about to continue trash-talking with Chen Hao.
But he didn't expect Chen Hao to take a step back and say:
"It's fine!
Later, I'll show you what 'tough' means!
You'd better not guard me!
Otherwise, you might die!"
After speaking, Chen Hao turned and walked to the frontcourt.
Chen Hao's words completely enraged Brewer.
He stared intently at Chen Hao's retreating figure.
"Damn it!
He actually dared to threaten me?"
Brewer had already decided to teach Chen Hao a good lesson.
Since Chen Hao told him not to guard him...
Then he was going to entangle with Chen Hao properly!
So Brewer actively came to Chen Hao's front.
Seeing Brewer voluntarily appear in front of him...
Chen Hao's smile became even brighter!
"You're really obedient enough!"
As soon as his voice fell!
Chen Hao suddenly took off!
His acceleration was incredibly fast!
Brewer didn't even react!
By the time he wanted to keep up with Chen Hao...
It was already too late!
Chen Hao quickly cut to the basket!
And Conley, at the top of the arc!
Immediately threw the ball high above the rim!
Judging by this posture, was he trying to complete an alley-oop with Chen Hao?
This was too presumptuous!
You know, Horford and Noah were guarding the paint!
And they both saw Conley's pass immediately.
So they both jumped up at the first opportunity, ready to intercept Conley's pass!
But only after they jumped did they realize!
Conley's pass was simply too high!
With their vertical leap, they simply couldn't intercept the ball!
However, they relaxed instead!
Because if even they couldn't intercept the ball...
Then Chen Hao had even less chance of jumping higher than them!
But just as this thought had barely surfaced...
They were horrified to discover Chen Hao's figure appearing behind them!
And this figure appeared above their heads from behind them!
The first thought that came to their minds was:
"How did this guy jump so high?"
The next moment!
Chen Hao had already firmly caught the ball with both hands!
In the terrified eyes of Horford and Noah!
From an overhead position!
He slammed the ball into the hoop with both hands!
Another shocking alley-oop dunk that rocked the entire arena!
And it was completed over the heads of the University of Florida's two interior players!
Chen Hao's dunk was simply too explosive!
It directly ignited the entire arena!
The atmosphere in the stadium reached its peak at this moment!
And taylor swift in the stands was so excited that she jumped out of her seat:
"Oh my God!
This guy jumps so high!
It feels like he could jump directly onto the rim!"
taylor swift said, her face full of shock.
And the live camera captured this scene of her.
It was immediately displayed on the big screen.
The live commentator, upon seeing taylor swift's shocked expression...
Even joked with a smile:
"From taylor swift's expression, one can tell...
She greatly appreciates Chen Hao's dunk.
I just wonder if after watching Chen Hao's wonderful performance...
She will have some inspiration...
And thus create a new song?"
The commentator's words were coincidentally overheard by taylor swift.
She immediately said excitedly:
"Yes!
I can totally use this guy as a prototype!
To create a new song!
Mainly, this guy's fame is very high now.
If it's created specifically for him...
Then it's really very likely to be popular!"
After all, Chen Hao's reputation was still very high now.
So, creating a song with him as the prototype...
Was actually taylor swift leveraging Chen Hao's popularity.
taylor swift didn't care about any of that now.
Since there was popularity to leverage, she had no reason to give it up.
So when she sat back down in her seat...
Her mind was already immersed in creation.
Now, let's bring the focus back to the scene!
After Chen Hao completed this shocking alley-oop dunk...
The first thing he said upon landing was to Brewer:
"Sorry!
I ran a little too fast just now!
Next time, I'll try to be a bit slower!
To give you a chance to keep up!
That way...
You won't look so foolish!"
Brewer was so angered by Chen Hao's words that he almost spat blood.
After all, his original intention was to teach Chen Hao a good lesson.
But now it seemed that Chen Hao had humiliated him instead.
He couldn't swallow this anger!
He had to release it quickly!
So Brewer demanded the ball!
And he wanted to score while being guarded by Chen Hao!
Only then could he vent his hatred!
Chapter 13: Are quasi-NBA players strong? Even all of them combined aren't enough for Chen Hao to abuse!
Brewer is 2.06 meters tall, but weighs less than 90 kilograms.
His technical characteristic is his fast offensive speed and good finishing ability.
Players taller than him aren't as fast as him.
Players faster than him don't have his height.
Therefore, Brewer has a very good advantage in his position.
He was now determined to score over Chen Hao to prove himself.
So when he dribbled to the top of the arc, he immediately signaled for his teammates to clear out.
He wanted to challenge Chen Hao one-on-one!
The Fans in the arena erupted the moment they saw Brewer's move!
After all, this was what they most wanted to see.
Although basketball is a five-on-five game, if there could be some exciting one-on-one matchups...
That would definitely make the game even more thrilling.
It's important to know that any core player on a team must possess the ability to play one-on-one.
After all, in the final moments of a game, if tactics no longer work...
Then the All-Star is the team's last resort!
For example, Kobe of the Los Angeles Lakers, or James of the Cavaliers.
When the game reached a stalemate, the ball would automatically go into their hands.
It was up to them to solve the problem.
Brewer's status at the University of Florida was actually similar to Kobe's status with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Although his draft stock wasn't as high as Horford's, his role on the team was extremely important.
Because neither Horford nor Noah had the ability to attack with the ball.
They were both assist-dependent players; only Brewerpossessed the ability to initiate offense.
So!
When he signaled for his teammates to clear out, the University of Florida players quickly spread out.
This way!
Only Chen Hao and Brewer were left at the top of the arc!
The commentator on site became even more excited seeing this scene:
"Oh my goodness!
The game just started!
Corey is already going head-to-head with Chen Hao!
It seems Corey really wants to score over Chen Hao!
I wonder if Chen Hao can stop him this time?"
No sooner had he spoken than Brewer had already made his move.
Facing Chen Hao's defense, Brewer's offense was simple and direct.
After just one crossover dribble, he attempted to forcefully break through Chen Hao's right side!
If the defender hadn't been Chen Hao, Brewer's breakthrough speed would have been enough to get past him.
Unfortunately!
At this moment, Chen Hao possessed the 'Death Entanglement' skill and the Tungsten-Titanium Alloy Constitution.
If a 'skinny' player could forcefully break through successfully, then this Tungsten-Titanium Alloy Constitution would be useless!
The moment Brewer made physical contact with Chen Hao, his expression became incredibly shocked.
Because he felt as if he had run into a wall!
And this wall was made of solid metal!
And so!
A scene that left the Fans dumbfounded unfolded!
It was clearly Brewer who initiated physical contact with Chen Hao and actively ran into him.
But the final result wasn't Chen Hao being knocked backward; instead, Brewer, as if hitting a wall, retreated several steps with both himself and the ball, nearly losing his balance and sitting down on the ground!
This huge contrast almost caused the Fans' cerebellums to shrink!
Because this truly defies common sense!
Although Brewer's physique was a bit slender...
His actual physical confrontation ability would never be so easily defeated.
Because in previous games, he had many strong offensive performances.
Many defenders were even directly knocked away by him!
So why did he, instead, retreat several steps today?
Even Brewer himself felt a moment of bewilderment about this offensive attempt.
He even wondered if he was dreaming!
But the next moment!
Chen Hao's action told him this was not a dream!
Because the moment he retreated, Chen Hao pounced on him!
Brewer, having lost his balance, naturally couldn't control the basketball well.
So Chen Hao easily completed the steal!
By the time Brewer fully came to his senses and turned to chase back on defense...
It was already too late!
Brewer, who was near the backcourt logo, could only watch helplessly as Chen Hao completed a powerful, mid-air, reverse-hand, folding back dunk!
"Oh my goodness!
Is Chen Hao treating this game like a dunk contest?
That dunk alone just now...
Could qualify for the NBA All-Star Weekend Dunk Contest!
I guarantee that dunk would score at least 45 points!"
The commentator on site shouted excitedly.
As Chen Hao completed this dunk, the Fans in the arena once again fell into a frenzy.
This was the NCAA Tournament final!
Almost all of America's Fans were watching this game.
This even included many NBA All-Stars and team general managers.
And Chen Hao!
From the start of the game until now!
He was undoubtedly the most eye-catching focal point on the entire court!
Whether on offense or defense, his performance was flawless!
Before the game!
All the experts and Fans believed this would be a closely contested match.
But the outcome after the opening tip surprised everyone!
Chen Hao, whom many predicted would be a flash in the pan, once again displayed a phenomenal performance!
Chen Hao was no longer an unknown!
His name was destined to be deeply etched in the hearts of every Fan watching this game!
Including many NBA All-Stars and team general managers.
Chen Hao's steal dealt a heavy blow to the University of Florida's morale.
Their Head Coach quickly called a timeout.
On the sideline, he tried to use encouraging words to rekindle his players' confidence and morale.
But the spectacular replays of Chen Hao on the big screen, however, caused immense pressure for the University of Florida players.
Because only after confronting Chen Hao directly did they truly feel the terror of his strength.
Especially the suffocating feeling he brought on the defensive end, which made them feel like they couldn't breathe.
Chen Hao just stood there, and his defensive aura had already spread across the entire half-court.
At first, they couldn't feel Chen Hao's terrifying aura.
But after Brewer collided with Chen Hao and was stripped of the ball, they clearly perceived this atmosphere.
Now, the University of Florida urgently needed to overcome this fear of Chen Hao.
Only then could they fully display their characteristics and strength.
However, the timeout was only two minutes long; they simply didn't have enough time to make adjustments.
The game continued!
University of Florida offense!
Although the timeout wasn't entirely effective, it at least helped the University of Florida players calm down a bit.
They began to attack at their own pace!
Oden was out due to injury, so they would start from the inside!
The basketball was passed to Horford!
And Chen Hao was forced to guard the center position!
Thus!
Horford vs. Chen Hao!
This, by all accounts, was an excellent matchup!
And Horford thought so too!
But as he began to dribble with his back to the basket...
He realized things were far from as simple as he had imagined.
He even began to understand why Brewer had retreated several steps after colliding with Chen Hao!
Chapter 14: Block + Fast Break + Self-Alley-Oop! Is this really not a dunk contest?
Brewer recoiled after bumping into Chen Hao because Chen Hao's body was like an iron wall.
Even Horford himself couldn't budge Chen Hao!
And the first time he tried a post-up dribble, he used almost all his strength.
He knew this was a rare opportunity, so he had to seize it quickly.
But what was the result?
The result was that Horford not only failed to push Chen Hao away, he almost recoiled like Brewer!
Fortunately, at the critical moment, Horford managed to hold his ground.
At this moment, Horford's mind raced.
Since he couldn't budge Chen Hao, there was no need to clash with him head-on.
It would be better to use his height advantage and go for a high-post shot directly!
With that thought, Horford immediately made his move!
He gathered the ball and turned!
Raising his left hand and pivoting on his left foot, he directly chose to turn and shoot a hook shot!
This is a must-learn move for center players.
And the characteristic of this hook shot is that it can effectively evade the defender's block.
After all, his left hand was already raised, pinning the defender in front of him.
Moreover, Chen Hao's height was nowhere near Horford's, so his offensive choice was quite reasonable.
The commentator on site also said with emotion:
"Ohio State University is really struggling without Gregg!
Now Chen Hao is forced to play the five position.
This is a golden opportunity for University of Florida.
Now Al Horford can easily dominate Chen Hao!
His height gives him an absolute advantage!"
As soon as the commentator finished speaking, the Fansin the arena erupted in a huge gasp.
Because they were shocked to find that Horford's seemingly certain turn-and-hook shot had failed to go in!
If it had just been a miss, it wouldn't have shocked the Fans so much.
The reason for their shock was that Horford's turn-and-hook shot was directly swatted away by Chen Hao!
It was like a spike in a volleyball game, incredibly violent!
The basketball was even swatted directly to the opposite half of the court.
The Ohio State University players also didn't expect Chen Hao to deliver such an explosive block.
So none of them were able to pick up the basketball in time to complete a fast-break score.
They could only watch, dumbfounded, as the basketball rolled out of bounds on the opposite baseline.
They had seen many blocks, but rarely such a crazy one!
The camera at this moment focused on Chen Hao and Horford after the block.
Their expressions were worlds apart.
Horford's face was filled with horror, and his eyes were full of confusion.
As for Chen Hao, his expression was calm, and his eyes were full of mockery.
The Ohio State University players had already rushed to Chen Hao's front.
They excitedly high-fived Chen Hao in celebration.
After seeing this explosive scene, the commentator's expression stiffened.
In the end, he could only say grudgingly:
"It seems I'm the jinx today!
But Chen Hao's block truly shocked me.
Because ordinary people simply cannot block a ball like that.
Even Mutombo, who is best at blocking in the NBA, couldn't deliver such an explosive block so effortlessly!"
The commentator's words resonated with many Fanspresent.
After all, Fans who enjoy watching NCAA games mostly also watch NBA games.
So, of course, they had seen countless spectacular blocks.
It's just that Chen Hao's block this time was truly astonishing.
A swingman, defending an opposing five-position center.
Was actually able to deliver a clean and crisp block!
This already explained a lot of problems.
To complete this block, timing was extremely important.
Jumping too early wouldn't work, and jumping too late wouldn't work either.
And!
The most important point was that the jumping speed and vertical leap had to keep up quickly!
All of this!
Chen Hao did it flawlessly!
So Horford being blocked by Chen Hao was truly not unfair at all.
At this moment, Chen Hao saw Horford's bewildered expression and directly mocked him:
"Actually, you don't need to look like that!
After all, similar things!
Will happen frequently in this game!
You better be mentally prepared!"
Horford: "..."
At this moment, Horford really couldn't think of suitable trash talk to retort to Chen Hao.
After all, even he himself found it hard to believe.
His little hook shot, in the entire NCAA, was an unrivaled existence.
How did it go wrong against Chen Hao today?
It seems he really underestimated Chen Hao's ability severely.
It's still University of Florida's offense!
In the eyes of University of Florida's players, Chen Hao's successful defense against Horford just now was an accident.
Such things would definitely not happen frequently.
And the interior was still their advantage!
So!
The basketball was once again passed to Horford!
Horford, holding the basketball at this moment, felt extremely frustrated.
He had wanted to pass the ball back to his teammates.
But at this time, his teammates had all spread out!
Even the opposing Ohio State University defenders had directly given up on double-teaming him.
Wasn't this blatant disrespect towards him?
Although he had just suffered a setback against Chen Hao, in this situation, even if Horford didn't want to shoot.
He had to!
Otherwise, the team's morale would definitely suffer a fatal blow!
Horford vs. Chen Hao 2.0!
This time, Horford chose a face-up offense!
He held the ball with both hands, made a triple-threat move, and stared intently at Chen Hao's feet.
He continuously faked shots, trying to trick Chen Hao into lifting his center of gravity.
Unexpectedly, Chen Hao was completely unmoved, which greatly frustrated Horford.
Not jumping, huh?
Then he would just have to shoot directly!
Horford actually had a decent mid-range shot.
So he chose to directly pull up for a mid-range jumper!
After all, after continuous probing, Chen Hao hadn't jumped.
So Horford wanted to catch Chen Hao off guard.
Little did he know, the moment Horford truly released the shot!
Chen Hao instantly activated!
Horford didn't even see Chen Hao's knees bend at all.
He shot up like a rocket launching!
The basketball was already released!
Horford's expression became extremely terrified.
He even already anticipated that Chen Hao would block his shot!
Facts proved that Horford's sixth sense was quite accurate!
Chen Hao not only blocked his shot, but he himself, after completing the block, quickly sprinted towards the basketball!
With his Tungsten-Titanium Alloy Constitution, when Chen Hao pushed his speed to the limit, no one could catch up to him.
So!
He easily scooped up the ball!
At this moment, Chen Hao had already crossed half-court!
He quickly dribbled to near the free-throw line!
Chen Hao suddenly threw the ball towards the backboard!
The moment the basketball hit the backboard and bounced back!
Chen Hao had already leaped high, waiting in the air for a long time!
He caught the basketball with his right hand!
The next moment!
The basketball was slammed fiercely into the hoop by Chen Hao!
The entire arena instantly fell silent!
Chapter 15: Chen Hao's Outrageous Stats Shock All-America!
This block by Chen Hao directly led to a fast break!
A self-tossed, self-alley-oop dunk off the backboard captivated all the Fans in the Stadium!
After a brief silence, the entire Stadium erupted!
"Did you see that?"
"When he dunked, his head was already above the rim!"
"Yes! It was absolutely terrifying!"
"Is this guy really human?"
"Why do I feel like even if he went to play in the NBA now, there wouldn't be many people who could stop him?"
"How did this guy suddenly appear?"
"I've never even heard of such a person before!"
The Fans were abuzz with discussion; Chen Hao's performance was truly explosive.
His sudden emergence completely stole the spotlight from all the new generation players!
Even his teammates were completely overshadowed by Chen Hao's brilliance!
In the past, when Ohio State University was mentioned, the first person that came to mind was definitely Oden, followed by Conley.
No one would have known that there was a person named Chen Hao on this school team.
But now, things have changed!
When Ohio State University is mentioned, the first person people think of is Chen Hao!
That freak who played the national championship game like a dunk contest!
For the NBA General Managers watching the game live, their mood was quite frustrated and stuffy.
Because at this time, the team's standings were basically set.
Those teams that had been tanking since the start of the season were undoubtedly the happiest.
Because they now had so many players to choose from.
There was the All-America college center, Gregg Oden.
And the All-America college small forward, Kevin Durant.
And Chen Hao, who had suddenly emerged in the last two games, also became a focus of attention for many team General Managers.
However, teams that had been targeting Oden and Durant from the beginning were now experiencing conflicted emotions.
Logically speaking, one or two eye-catching games don't really prove much.
Because as a professional player, his form fluctuates.
So, performing well when he is in good form is understandable.
For team General Managers, what they value more is the player's consistency and his future potential.
Therefore, even if some players performed quite impressively in the semifinals and finals, it wouldn't surprise these General Managers, nor would it shake their ideal candidates.
But this time, Chen Hao was really different!
Although he only had two eye-catching performances, he had already ignited All-America!
Some team General Managers even began to consider whether to trade draft picks with the bottom-ranked teams.
Because the talent and potential Chen Hao displayed were simply too enticing!
Most importantly, judging from his performance in these two games, it's clear that Chen Hao not only possesses a big heart but also has a unique ability to read the game.
He can even seize various opportunities during the game to fully showcase his abilities.
Especially his playing style, which is very much to the American taste.
So, in just two games, and even before the second game was over, Chen Hao's draft stock had already undergone a tremendous change.
Some experts, after seeing Chen Hao's self-thrown, self-rebounded dunk, immediately concluded:
"Chen Hao absolutely deserves to be a top-three pick in this year's draft!
If he's not selected in the top three!
Then, in my opinion, the General Managers and scouts of those teams who had the chance to pick him but didn't should all be fired!"
What this expert said was not an exaggeration, because many NBA team General Managers on site were pulling out their phones at this moment, starting to inquire about the possibility of getting an early pick!
Returning our attention to the Stadium.
After the timeout ended, the game continued!
The University of Florida players all had very grim expressions.
Chen Hao had successfully defended Horford twice in a row and even completed fast-break scores.
This dealt a heavy blow to their morale.
The pressure Chen Hao put on them was simply too great.
Although the Head Coach had called a timeout and instilled enough pep talk in them, when they re-entered the court and faced Chen Hao again, the oppressive feeling he brought returned!
Especially Horford, his mind was still full of images of Chen Hao blocking him.
He had developed a psychological shadow regarding Chen Hao.
This is not a good thing for a player, especially since this game is the final.
Once psychological problems arise, the subsequent games will be very difficult to play!
After the timeout, the University of Florida's offensive strategy had already been adjusted.
They no longer dared to attack the paint and began to look for scoring opportunities from the perimeter.
However, the Ohio State University players were very active in defense.
No matter how quickly the University of Florida players passed the ball, they were able to keep up in time.
The University of Florida's offense stalled!
Brewer's shot at the last moment missed!
After Chen Hao secured the defensive rebound, he quickly initiated a counterattack!
Once he picked up speed, no one could keep up with him!
Especially when facing a defensive player, he directly used the skill of quick change of direction without slowing down.
This stunned all the Fans in the Stadium.
It should be known that this skill of changing direction without slowing down puts immense pressure on a player's knees.
One wrong move could very likely lead to a torn or ruptured knee ligament.
The consequences could be quite severe!
But none of this existed for Chen Hao!
After all, his Tungsten-Titanium Alloy Constitution meant he would never get injured.
So he could easily complete these astonishing moves!
Chen Hao, changing direction without slowing down, easily blew past the last defender!
Immediately after!
Another spectacular dunk was delivered!
This time, Chen Hao spun three hundred and sixty degrees in the air!
Only then did he complete the dunk and score!
The University of Florida players watched as Chen Hao, with a smile, delivered another explosive 360-degree dunk.
They were completely numb!
They despairingly realized that in front of Chen Hao, they were no match!
From the beginning of the game until now, it had always been Chen Hao causing them trouble.
And they simply couldn't defend Chen Hao!
This result left them incredibly frustrated.
Although they tried their best on offense, the effect was not obvious.
Although the University of Florida's offense occasionally managed to score, every time they scored, Chen Haowould definitely score on the next possession.
And his scoring methods were not just the simple and crude dunk; he even had a stable mid-range jump shot!
And as long as he was open, Chen Hao's shooting percentage was almost 100%.
He could even make shots under heavy interference.
This was the most despairing part for them!
Game time passed minute by minute, and Chen Hao's individual stats continued to rise.
After the first twenty minutes of the first half were played, Chen Hao's individual stats had reached an outrageous level!
Chapter 16: National Championship in Hand! Chen Hao is MOP! Aiming for the 2007 NBA Draft!
24 points, 12 rebounds, 12 assists, 5 steals, 5 blocks!
These were Chen Hao's individual stats in the first twenty minutes of the half.
In just twenty minutes, Chen Hao had already secured a triple-double.
And he also had 5 steals and 5 blocks.
Just looking at these stats was terrifying enough.
At this point, the score difference between the two teams had already widened to more than 20 points.
50:30!
This outcome surprised everyone; Chen Hao's explosive performance made everyone realize that he was the sole protagonist of this game.
As for the other players, they all became supporting roles, or perhaps not even supporting roles.
For example, Oden and Conley, before the semifinals, their performances were quite outstanding and consistent.
And if not for Oden and Conley, they might have even been eliminated in the Round of 32.
Therefore, Oden and Conley were the absolute core players of Ohio State University.
But after the semifinals began, their status within the team changed.
Chen Hao became the absolute core player of Ohio State University, and his presence made the game much easier.
In today's final, Chen Hao delivered an incredible performance.
In just twenty minutes of one half, Chen Hao achieved a big triple-double, and even dunked on every University of Florida player.
Therefore, Chen Hao deservedly became the protagonist of this game.
Even many NBA general managers watching the game live had to re-evaluate Chen Hao.
In fact, NBA general managers typically wouldn't change their views on draft prospects based on the performance of one or two games.
After all, the sample size of one or two games is too small to prove anything.
These team general managers value a player's consistency, which needs to be verified by data from many games.
But now their thinking had changed.
Although Chen Hao only had two explosive games, his impact in the games was quite evident.
If not for Chen Hao's outburst, Ohio State Universitymight have been in real danger in this game.
After all, Oden had some knee issues due to a previous collision with Brewer.
So his condition wasn't too good.
Without Chen Hao's exceptional performance, Ohio State University would not have been able to lead by so much at halftime.
That made Chen Hao's role even more prominent.
This was also a point that many team general managers valued about Chen Hao; his control over the game was simply too strong.
Moreover, he wasn't just playing alone; he could also use his gravity to attract defenders and create scoring opportunities for his teammates.
This point was quite similar to the Cavaliers' star player, James.
So some general managers had even made James Chen Hao's draft template, and they were surprised to find that Chen Hao could perfectly fit the James template.
For many NBA stars, this NCAA Tournament final shocked them greatly.
Chen Hao successfully captured their attention.
Especially James, in his opinion, Chen Hao was a very promising player for the future.
He even posted directly on social media, saying:
"This guy Chen Hao is just too cool!
I think if this guy enters the draft, he will definitely be selected in the top five!"
James's remarks immediately sparked heated discussions among Fans.
Many Fans believed that James's draft prediction for Chen Hao was too high.
Although Chen Hao's performance in these two games was very eye-catching, it couldn't prove that he would necessarily have consistent performance in the future.
It's important to know that there are eighty-two games in an NBA regular season; a player needs to go through a long regular season schedule, and durability is also very important.
So they didn't believe Chen Hao could really be selected in the top five; at most, being selected in the top fifteen would already be impressive enough.
Chen Hao, at this time, was naturally unaware of the draft pick discussions online.
And what he needed to focus on now was the game in front of him.
After the fifteen-minute halftime break, the game continued!
Although many Fans thought that being twenty points behind was not a huge deficit, and the University of Florida still had a chance to overtake them.
But in Chen Hao's view, the University of Florida had completely lost hope of a comeback.
Because he was going to unleash his full strength in the second half.
After all, this was his last game of his college career.
And Chen Hao was not planning to continue playing in college; he was going to bring his talent to the NBA.
So today's game was his opportunity to fully showcase his skills.
He had to fully display his abilities!
So, when the University of Florida players adjusted their mindset and prepared to fight with all their might!
Chen Hao, however, was the first to unleash his power!
He started with a steal, immediately followed by a spectacular between-the-legs dunk!
In the next possession, Chen Hao delivered a crushing block to Horford.
And it also created a fast break opportunity!
This time, Chen Hao and Conley teamed up, and Chen Hao successfully assisted Conley for a dunk.
As the game progressed to this point, all the Fans in the arena were ecstatic!
Because Conley was even dunking, which meant that Ohio State University had completely opened up the game!
This was the final of the NCAA Tournament!
In such a game, Conley, a guard who usually didn't dunk much, was performing dunks.
That indicated that in this game, their mindset had completely relaxed.
This showed that the Ohio State University players had completely treated this game as a stress-relief game.
This was quite terrifying!
So the remaining time completely became a performance time for the Ohio State University players.
To be precise, it should be Chen Hao's led performance time.
Chen Hao's deterrent power on the defensive end was simply too great, causing the University of Florida players to not know how to initiate an offense at all.
Whether inside or outside, they had to constantly guard against the risk of being stolen by Chen Hao.
This would make them very hesitant on offense.
Hesitation is a big no-no in offense, and the ultimate result, of course, was missing shots.
After missing shots, the rebounds were secured by Ohio State University, allowing them to easily form counterattacks.
Chen Hao's impact on fast breaks was simply too strong!
No one could stop him; even if they truly pulled him down hard from the air, he would still make the shot as he fell.
So the ultimate result was watching Chen Hao complete a 2+1.
And that wasn't even the most outrageous part!
The most outrageous part was that Chen Hao seemed to be immune to injury!
He would clearly fall hard to the ground, but in the next second, he would quickly get up as if nothing happened, calmly completing the free throw.
Even the live commentators exclaimed in horror:
"Is this guy's body made of vibranium?
How does it feel like he'll never get injured?"
Ultimately, Ohio State University crushed the University of Florida by 40 points!
Ohio State University successfully ascended to the highest podium of the NCAA Tournament!
Chen Hao deservedly became the MOP of this competition!
The name Chen Hao became thoroughly famous across All-America!
Chapter 17: The Right Agent Appears! Rob Pelinka! Creator of Miracles!
As Chen Hao held high the NCAA Tournamentchampionship trophy and the MOP trophy, the on siteannouncer loudly read his individual stats for the game:
"50 points, 16 rebounds, 18 assists, 10 steals, 10 blocks!
These are the stats Chen Hao achieved in this game!
Even now!
I still can't believe these are numbers a college player can achieve!
Even if LeBron James were here...
I would still have a question mark over him!
Because everyone knows how difficult it is to achieve these stats!
But Chen Hao actually did it!"
The announcer's words successfully amused all the Fanspresent.
As the commentator said, Chen Hao's massive five-double stats were truly outrageous.
These stats are unprecedented in the entire history of the NCAA Tournament.
Chen Hao successfully made all the Fans remember him!
And, just the stats from this one game are enough to infinitely raise Chen Hao's draft position!
The discussion James posted on social media has now been agreed upon by many.
It seems that Chen Hao entering the top five of this year's draft is no longer out of reach.
After the awards ceremony concluded, Chen Hao was quickly surrounded by reporters.
The first question they asked was whether Chen Hao was sure he would participate in this year's NBA Draft.
And Chen Hao, facing the numerous reporters, calmly stated his thoughts:
"Of course!
I have made my final decision.
I will participate in this summer's NBA Draft!
I want to bring my talent to the NBA!"
Chen Hao's affirmative answer once again ignited the entire draft market.
Although Chen Hao only had two high-performance games, these two games were crucial.
Players who perform exceptionally well in important games are generally called 'big-heart' players.
And Chen Hao is now synonymous with 'big-heart'.
Of course, his current performance has also successfully attracted the attention of many team general managers.
No less than ten teams have already added Chen Hao's name to their tryout invitation lists.
Because before the draft begins, many NBA teams will first arrange tryouts for players participating in the draft.
They will use tryouts to judge a player's development potential and to discover his strengths and weaknesses.
Therefore, tryouts are a very important part of the process.
Since Chen Hao announced his participation in the draft, teams interested in him will, of course, invite him to try out.
They also want to see how strong Chen Hao's abilities truly are.
Actually!
The reason Chen Hao so confidently announced his participation in the draft was because after the finals, Chen Hao received a mission from the system:
"[Detected that the host has won the NCAA Tournament championship, triggering the Road to NBA mission!]
[Road to NBA Mission: Enter the NBA with a draft pick no lower than the top three. Upon mission completion, two S-level treasure chests will be awarded!]
The system had already made clear mission arrangements, and Chen Hao could only choose to accept.
Moreover, the difficulty of this mission is truly not low, requiring him to enter the NBA with a pick no lower than the top three.
So he would at least have to become the third overall pick in this draft to get two S-level treasure chests!
This is truly not an easy task!
Chen Hao still remembers the draft order for the 2007 NBA Draft quite clearly.
The first pick was Oden, the second was Durant, the third was Horford, Conley was the fourth pick, Jeff Green was the fifth pick, and A'lian was the sixth pick.
So, to successfully enter the top three, he would at least have to push Horford out of the top three.
Analyzing it this way, it doesn't seem particularly difficult.
After all, in the finals, Chen Hao had thoroughly dealt with Horford.
This resulted in Horford only scoring a pathetic 6 points in that game, and he didn't even get double-digit rebounds.
He was also blocked by Chen Hao a total of 5 times.
So!
Just looking at the performance in that one game, Chen Hao truly crushed Horford.
But Chen Hao also knows very well that NBA team general managers don't just look at the performance of one game.
They value a player's sustainable development potential and his future growth potential.
These are important indicators for selecting a player.
Thinking of this, Chen Hao knew that to win the favor of these team general managers, tryouts were also crucial.
However, Chen Hao is very confident that as long as he is given the opportunity to try out, he will definitely surprise these team general managers.
Thinking of this, Chen Hao realized that he needed an agent.
After all, if one participates in the draft without an agent, doing things would truly be quite inconvenient.
And if the agent is chosen well, many things will be twice as effective with half the effort.
Thinking of this, Chen Hao began to search his mind for agents he knew.
Soon, a name appeared in Chen Hao's mind.
Rob Pelinka!
This guy is currently Kobe's agent, and his business acumen is quite outstanding.
When Kobe was embroiled in the "Eagle County Incident" scandal, he was the one who took over Kobe's agency affairs.
Everyone knows what happened later; he successfully reshaped Kobe's image.
So, Chen Hao still trusts Pelinka's business capabilities very much.
Of course, Chen Hao has not yet contacted Pelinka.
But he isn't worried at all; he has even thought about how to get Pelinka to come to him.
At the post-game celebration banquet, when reporters asked Chen Hao if he had found a suitable agent yet.
Chen Hao smiled, shook his head, and said:
"I don't have an officially partnered agent right now.
But I believe a suitable agent will definitely reach a cooperation with me!"
Chen Hao's remarks quickly spread.
Soon, many famous NBA agents had already begun to look for suitable opportunities to speak with Chen Hao.
This included Kobe's agent, Pelinka.
In fact, these NBA agents pay no less attention to the draft market than NBA team general managers.
Because these players in the draft market are all their potential clients.
It's important to know that for every signing facilitated, these agents receive a considerable commission.
So, the larger the contract amount, the higher their income.
Therefore, players are their clients; players are their bread and butter.
So these agents will also go to great lengths to get high salaries for players, even going so far as to create hype to raise the player's draft position.
Because current rookie contracts are tied to draft position; the higher the position, the higher the salary one can naturally get.
As early as the semifinals, Pelinka had noticed Chen Hao.
He was also full of interest in Chen Hao.
Now that the opportunity has come, he certainly won't miss it!
Soon, he called Ohio State University Head Coach Mata.
As a well-known NBA agent, connections are also a very important resource!
Chapter 18: Partnering with Pelinka, Tryouts Shock All League Teams!
When Coach Mata received Pelinka's call, he had already guessed Pelinka's intentions.
After all, Chen Hao had already expressed his thoughts, so an interested agent would naturally come knocking.
Coach Mata had a good impression of Pelinka; this guy was Kobe's agent.
Now, his approach to him was simply to connect with Chen Hao through him.
Wouldn't that solve Chen Hao's agent problem?
As for whether Chen Hao would ultimately partner with Pelinka, that was not Coach Mata's concern.
The most he could do was introduce the two of them.
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Pelinka told Coach Mata that he wanted to meet Chen Hao.
Coach Mata readily agreed.
After getting Chen Hao's contact information, Pelinkadidn't hesitate and immediately dialed Chen Hao's number.
To Pelinka's frustration, he couldn't get through to Chen Hao several times in a row.
It was either a busy signal or no one answered.
It wasn't until three days later that Pelinka finally reached Chen Hao.
Actually, during these past few days, Chen Hao had basically not been home.
He was either celebrating or on his way to celebrate, mostly with his teammates.
Oden and Conley were among the organizers.
They were very enthusiastic about Chen Hao, always inviting him whenever there was an outing.
In Conley's words:
"We've played for a year, and we've won the championship! Can't we enjoy ourselves?"
Oden strongly agreed with Conley's view, and he believed that the three of them would definitely be selected by NBA teams in a very high position in the draft.
After all, their trio had easily defeated the University of Florida and won the NCAA Tournament championship.
Although Chen Hao only had two standout performances, they were enough to be astonishing.
So Oden believed that Chen Hao would at least be selected by an NBA team in the first round.
Chen Hao didn't offer many opinions on Oden's prediction of his draft position.
In fact, in Chen Hao's opinion, as long as those NBA general managers weren't blind, they definitely wouldn't let him go easily.
Especially his astonishing performance in the finals, which had already showcased incredible talent, and even that perfect control over the game.
These two points alone were enough to make these NBA team general managers go crazy.
So Chen Hao himself was very confident that he would be selected in the top ten, and even the top five was not impossible.
Of course!
Chen Hao would not be arrogant enough to think he would become the first pick in this draft, as his game sample was simply too small.
If he had even ten or eight impressive performances, then Chen Hao would be very confident in surpassing Odenand Durant to become the first pick.
However, Chen Hao did not attach much importance to the title of the first pick, because he already possessed the system, and as long as he entered the NBA, he would have plenty of opportunities to showcase himself.
When Chen Hao received Pelinka's call, he knew his approach had been successful.
He had used the media to tell everyone that he needed an agent.
Chen Hao believed that Pelinka wasn't the only one who wanted to work with him.
It was just that Pelinka had gotten a head start and obtained his contact information first.
During Chen Hao and Pelinka's first meeting, Pelinkamade a surprising statement, confidently telling Chen Hao:
"Hey, Chen, I'm very optimistic about your talent and potential. I think you can become the first pick in this draft!
Your talent is not inferior to Kevin Durant and Greg Oden!"
Chen Hao remained very calm in response to Pelinka's complimentary remarks.
Because Chen Hao knew very well that Pelinka was absolutely right.
His talent indeed surpassed Durant and Oden, so Pelinka's judgment was quite normal.
Actually, Pelinka had been observing Chen Hao's facial expressions. When he said those words, Chen Haoremained remarkably calm, without any hint of smugness.
This greatly surprised Pelinka, because it indicated Chen Hao's extreme confidence in his own abilities.
If he wasn't full of self-confidence, then when praised by others, he would at least show signs of pride or humility.
But Chen Hao showed neither!
This showed that he strongly agreed with Pelinka's remarks, even believing that Pelinka was merely stating a fact.
Pelinka was very satisfied with Chen Hao's reaction.
Because he liked to work with players who had a clear understanding of their own abilities, as it made discussions between both parties much simpler.
Just as Pelinka was about to explain how he would market Chen Hao, Chen Hao spoke first:
"From now until the draft, there are no major games left for me to showcase my abilities.
Is it still possible for me to gain more attention from teams during this period?"
Pelinka was well-prepared for Chen Hao's question.
"Of course!
During this time, it's the period when every NBA team invites draft-eligible players for tryouts.
We can make a lot of moves during this stage!
And this is the best opportunity for teams to get to know the draft prospects better!"
Chen Hao nodded silently; Pelinka's statement was correct.
Subsequently, Pelinka also told Chen Hao that as long as they reached a partnership, his commission rate would be directly aligned with Kobe's commission rate.
Kobe was a major client for Pelinka, and he was also on a max contract in the league.
So Pelinka would definitely offer Kobe a relatively favorable commission, a privilege reserved for superstars.
Now, he was directly offering Chen Hao such treatment, indicating that he was truly optimistic about Chen Hao's potential.
Chen Hao was quite satisfied with Pelinka's sincerity.
Thus, he readily agreed to a partnership with Pelinka, and Pelinka officially became Chen Hao's agent.
Henceforth, all of Chen Hao's draft-related matters would be handled by Pelinka, and he would even personally negotiate salary after entering the league.
When the news broke that Pelinka had become Chen Hao's agent, it immediately caught the attention of many NBA general managers.
They were already very interested in Chen Hao, and now that Chen Hao's agent had been confirmed, they could contact Pelinka.
So, in the following period, Chen Hao began to participate in various NBA team tryout invitations as arranged by Pelinka.
Many lottery teams invited Chen Hao for tryouts, and Chen Hao readily accepted them all.
Moreover, Chen Hao took the tryouts very seriously, and after each tryout, the inviting team was greatly shocked.
More and more teams became interested in Chen Hao!
Time quickly arrived at the Draft Lottery ceremony, and all the draft order rankings were finally fresh out!
Chapter 19: Undercurrents Before the Draft, the Battle for Chen Hao Begins!
The Portland Trail Blazers became the lucky team in this draft, successfully drawing the first overall pick!
This result made the Trail Blazers' owner and general manager extremely excited.
Even their Fans immediately began to celebrate!
Because news had long spread that the Trail Blazers had a strong interest in Oden.
Furthermore, their current roster lacked a pure inside player, and in this era, the league still adhered to the belief that "he who controls the paint controls the world."
As a traditional center, Oden's various center skills were quite refined, and he was even hailed as the strongest player after James.
Therefore, the call for Oden to be the first overall pick was very high.
The Seattle SuperSonics drew the second overall pick, while the Hawks drew the third overall pick.
Chen Hao was actually quite clear about this draft class.
After all, A'lian was participating in this year's draft, and Chen Hao certainly wouldn't forget that.
A'lian was eventually selected by the Bucks with the sixth overall pick, becoming another Dragon Country player to enter the NBA with a high pick after Yao Ming.
At that time, Fans across the entire Dragon Country placed great hope in A'lian.
However, due to injuries, A'lian's journey in the NBA was quite arduous, and he ultimately failed to meet the Fans' expectations.
For many Dragon Country Fans, this was indeed a very regrettable matter.
However, for Chen Hao now, none of that mattered.
Because he had already entered the fray, and after a series of tryouts, his draft stock had soared.
As of now, authoritative draft websites even believe Chen Hao will be selected in the top ten.
According to media reports, almost all teams that tried out Chen Hao gave him a perfect score.
They all believed that Chen Hao's physical qualities were explosive and that he possessed unlimited potential.
In fact, after the draft order was determined, many NBA team general managers began to operate according to their plans.
Especially Angie, the general manager of the Boston Celtics, he was even more interested in Chen Hao.
Especially after trying out Chen Hao, he was incredibly shocked by Chen Hao's abnormal physical qualities and astonishing defensive talent.
He thought that once he got Chen Hao, the Green Army's defensive ability would definitely improve by a level.
In fact, after the end of this season, Angie, the general manager of the Green Army, had already been brewing a shocking trade.
Because the Green Army's roster was truly rotten to the core.
This season, their record was even at the bottom, and they had initially hoped to draw the first overall pick, but unexpectedly only drew the fifth overall pick.
This made Angie very dissatisfied!
So he had already set his sights on the free market, and a crazy idea had even formed in his mind!
But when he watched the NCAA Tournament final, Chen Hao's performance shocked him beyond measure!
This final could even be said to be Chen Hao alone defeating the University of Florida!
Whether it was offense or defense, Chen Hao's performance was impeccable!
In this situation, Chen Hao's astonishing strength was even more highlighted!
So after learning that Pelinka had become Chen Hao's agent, Angie eagerly invited Chen Hao for a tryout.
Although he had great interest in Chen Hao, Angie did not lavish praise on Chen Hao in front of the media, saying how excellent he was.
Instead, he did the opposite, constantly praising Jeff Green's excellent talent.
This led many media outlets to believe that the Boston Celtics were interested in Jeff Green, which successfully avoided the chance of being poached by others.
Of course!
To ensure a 100% chance of selecting Chen Hao, Angiestill felt this wasn't safe enough.
After all, there were four earlier picks before the Boston Celtics.
If these four teams selected Chen Hao in advance, Angiewould truly cry!
So he secretly kept asking the general managers of these teams for information, inquiring about what kind of help they wanted.
He even tried to trade up to get an earlier pick.
However, the general managers of other teams were not fools; they also would not explicitly tell Angie which player they would ultimately choose.
But what put Angie slightly at ease was that the general managers of these four teams all clearly stated that they had no interest in Jeff Green.
That meant that the general managers of these four teams did not know that Angie's real target was Chen Hao.
Of course, Angie also casually mentioned Chen Hao's name during a chat.
He believed Chen Hao was very suitable for the Trail Blazers and suggested that the Trail Blazers select Chen Hao as the first overall pick.
In reality, this was still Angie testing the Trail Blazers to see if they were interested in Chen Hao.
The Trail Blazers' general manager's reply made Angietremble with fear:
"Chen Hao's talent and potential are indeed historically rare.
But I believe his playing style makes him prone to injury.
So he is not suitable for us!"
Angie said the same thing to the other three general managers, and the replies were almost identical.
They all believed that Chen Hao's talent and potential were very good, but there was a risk.
The only thing that made Angie uneasy was the Hawks' general manager's words:
"Although Chen Hao dominated Al Horford, we will still choose Al Horford!
Don't worry about it!"
Upon hearing this, Angie instantly knew that the Hawks' general manager had seen through his intentions.
Moreover, the implication was to threaten him that if he didn't make a trade with him, he might very likely poach Chen Hao.
If Chen Hao was really poached, then Angie's plan would truly go to waste.
So Angie could only bite the bullet and have a sincere conversation with the Hawks' general manager.
After some back and forth, Angie ultimately had to agree to the Hawks' demands:
The Hawks could help the Boston Celtics select Chen Hao first, and then trade him to the Boston Celtics.
The Boston Celtics would need to give up a first-round pick and select Horford with the fifth overall pick; if Horford was selected by another team, then they would choose Conley or another player.
The Hawks' demand actually had the implication of taking advantage of the situation.
After all, there was only one pick difference between them and the Boston Celtics.
But now the Hawks just wanted to take advantage, and they felt that selecting Chen Hao actually had no downside.
Although he wasn't a perfect fit for their roster, at least Chen Hao's talent and potential were visible to the naked eye.
If they gained an additional first-round pick because of this, it would truly be a windfall.
So the Hawks, of course, were fearless; in any case, they wouldn't suffer a loss.
After Angie heard the Hawks' demands, he considered it repeatedly and decided to agree to them!
After all, the Boston Celtics' record was already at the bottom, so he might as well take another gamble!
Thus, the Boston Celtics and the Hawks directly reached this trade.
This agreement was known only to the general managers of these two teams, and they would inform the league of this trade agreement on the day of the draft.
Time flew by, and Draft Day finally arrived!
Chapter 20: Not that I can't be the First Overall Pick, but the Third Overall Pick is more cost-effective!
For Chen Hao, this Draft was not particularly important.
Because he was sure he could enter the NBA, and that was enough!
As long as he entered the NBA, he would have various ways to earn the trust of the team's Head Coach and secure a significant role on the team.
After all, he had the system cheat. If he couldn't even achieve that much, then he would truly be quite useless!
However, his agent, Pelinka, did not think that way. He genuinely valued Chen Hao's potential and believed that many team general managers had also noticed Chen Hao.
So, Pelinka's approach was to communicate with the general managers of the top ten teams in the Draft to confirm if they were truly interested in Chen Hao.
Although it was impossible for these team general managers to tell Pelinka their true thoughts, talking with them allowed Pelinka to infer their real intentions from their scattered remarks.
Pelinka proved himself a professional agent. Through his efforts, he successfully captured some crucial information.
That was, the general managers of the Hawks and the Celtics seemed to have a special interest in Chen Hao. Pelinka was absolutely certain of this.
The only thing that remained uncertain was what kind of deal these two teams had secretly reached.
However, the good news was that Chen Hao should be selected within the top five picks. This was Pelinka's confidence in his own judgment.
After reaching this conclusion, Pelinka finally relaxed.
This Draft position already made him very satisfied, as Chen Hao's emergence was a bit late.
Despite his explosive performance in the NCAA Tournament Finals, the number of games was still too few, and some team general managers would still be quite concerned.
But now, none of that mattered. As long as Chen Haocould be selected within the top five picks, Pelinka was confident he could secure a rookie max contract for Chen Hao.
This was his professional capability as an agent, and it was also how he pursued greater profits for himself.
And when Chen Hao heard Pelinka's assessment, he was also a bit surprised.
Chen Hao had no particular personal feelings for either the Hawks or the Celtics.
Although he used to be a fan of Yao Ming, he developed a fondness for the Rockets out of affection for Yao Ming.
But now that he was personally involved, he no longer approached NBA teams with such private sentiments.
However, if Chen Hao had to choose between the Hawksand the Celtics, he would still prefer the Celtics.
After all, compared to the Hawks, the Celtics' market was relatively larger, and their team history was more glorious.
Especially the Green Army and the NBA powerhouse Los Angeles Lakers, they had many historical feuds, and later on, they also had many stories with the Cavaliers.
This ensured the Celtics received more attention, which was very important.
While individual strength is crucial in the NBA, reputation is equally important. The more attention one receives, the more easily one's reputation naturally becomes renowned.
Since he had become an NBA player, he naturally wanted to be the most dominant one in the NBA.
So, choosing the Celtics would at least provide more exposure opportunities, given their market.
At the same time, Chen Hao was quite familiar with the Celtics this season. Their general manager would complete a groundbreaking three-team trade with the SuperSonics and the Minnesota Timberwolves in the summer, forming the Green Army's Big Three.
The next season, they had already successfully won the Championship, thus initiating the NBA's era of super teams.
But if the Celtics selected Chen Hao, would they still form the Big Three?
A question mark hangs here; Chen Hao did not know the true intentions of their general manager, Angie.
However, if Chen Hao were to make the decision, he definitely would not choose to form the Big Three.
After all, with him, they would already have the qualification to contend for the Championship. The rest would be to give him the ball and let him go win that damned Championship.
Thinking of this, Chen Hao smiled knowingly. It seemed the gears of NBA history were about to start turning after this Draft!
June 28, 2007.
Madison Square Garden, New York.
The 2007 NBA Draft would be held here.
ESPN in the United States would broadcast the Draft live to over 200 countries and regions worldwide.
This was also a grand event for NBA teams.
At the Draft venue, all the participating players were dressed in formal attire, mostly in suits and ties, sitting nervously around small round tables.
The camera first focused on the hot favorites for this Draft: Greg Oden and Kevin Durant, and of course, Chen Hao, who had been making waves recently.
From the camera, it was clear that Chen Hao appeared the most composed.
He even actively waved at the camera, his expression quite relaxed.
As for Oden and Durant, their expressions were very serious, especially Oden, who already had a perpetually grim look; he now appeared even more solemn.
Especially his forehead wrinkles; if no one mentioned it, people would think he was already forty years old.
As for Durant, who would later become the King of Swag, his eyes were filled with confusion at this moment, as if he was very uncomfortable with such a scene.
Chen Hao looked at Durant's expression and found it hard to imagine that he would later become a famous internet troll.
Indeed, you truly cannot judge a book by its cover. Who would have thought that a guy who seemed severely socially anxious would utter remarks like "I want to drink Scarlett Johansson's bathwater"?
Just as Chen Hao's mind was racing, the venue suddenly stirred.
When Chen Hao looked towards the Draft podium, he realized that Commissioner David Stern was already standing there.
The old man was still hale and hearty at the moment, his voice loud, and his speaking pace unhurried.
He announced with a smile that the 2007 NBA Draft officially began, and the Portland Trail Blazers, holding the First Overall Pick, would have five minutes to select a player.
After speaking, David Stern stepped down from the podium.
And the next five minutes, for many of the top Draft prospects, were destined to be a long wait.
Especially Oden and Durant, their expressions became even more nervous. Chen Hao even noticed that Oden's feet seemed to be trembling.
As for Durant, his eyes became even more unfocused, as if he might fall asleep at any moment.
For Chen Hao, these five minutes passed quickly. David Stern soon returned to the podium.
The Portland Trail Blazers' general manager also handed the envelope containing the player's name to a staff member.
Inside this envelope was the name of this year's First Overall Pick!
All eyes in the arena were focused on this envelope.
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