Snoopy turned his head, and sure enough. From the player tunnel emerged Miley Cyrus, gracefully gliding forward in a long white dress. Her figure appeared instantly on the four giant arena screens.
At sixteen, her face still carried the pure, sunny smile of a teenage girl. The crowd at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum erupted in cheers.
After her breakout role in Hannah Montana, Miley Cyrus had already become the number-one teen idol in America. The public adored her, especially since all the previous Disney idols had already seen their reputations fall apart. Of course, no one knew that this new batch of Disney idols would one day turn into headline-making troublemakers. But for now, the audience greeted her with applause and affection.
"Hi everyone, I'm Miley Cyrus. Tonight, I'll be performing my new single, 'Just the Way You Are'. The lyrics and music were written by someone very special, who also happens to be here on the court tonight, wearing number 10 for Los Angeles."
As she said that with her signature bright smile, gasps filled the arena.
Number 10? Playing for Los Angeles? Could it be Snoopy? No way, Snoopy's a basketball player! He writes songs too? Is that how he and Miley met?!
"This is a duet, a love song," Miley continued. "I hope Snoopy will join me on stage. And of course, I'll split the performance fee with him, fifty-fifty. Plus, it comes with a sweet candlelight dinner."
She lifted her microphone toward the audience, and the atmosphere exploded.
"Snoopy! Snoopy! Snoopy!"
Once again, the entire Memorial Coliseum roared with a single voice.
Meanwhile, every player on the UCLA Bruins bench turned to stare at Doug "Snoopy."
He froze, utterly embarrassed, like someone whose secret fling had just been exposed in public.
"You still say you've got nothing going on with her?" Leon gritted his teeth and pressed harder on Snoopy's knee. Leon was a hardcore "S x JL" loyalist, he'd been openly rooting for Snoopy to end up with Jennifer Lawrence, and he was firmly against the Disney princess getting too close.
Snoopy didn't understand why Leon was taking this so personally, but when Leon pressed with all his strength, he felt something loosen in his knee.
"Harder," Snoopy muttered.
At that moment, a staffer walked over and handed him a microphone that had clearly been prepared in advance.
The crowd's cheering only grew louder.
"Snoopy, get out there, man! You can't let eleven thousand people down," Bryan Wright said with a grin.
Even the staffer pleaded, "Please, if you don't go, it'll be a live show disaster!"
Snoopy frowned. He hated this kind of public pressure, it felt like emotional blackmail. But with the fans screaming his name, it would be too cold to refuse.
So he stood up, microphone in hand, and walked toward center court. As soon as Snoopy stepped forward, the crowd hit its peak.
Everyone wanted to see what he would do next.
"Let's hope this isn't a train wreck," Charles Barkley muttered. "But either way, Snoopy's owned the night."
TNT was the only one of the four networks broadcasting the halftime show; the others had cut to commercials.
Then Snoopy began to sing:
"Oh~ her eyes, her eyes,
Make the stars look like they're not shining…"
The moment that metallic, magnetic voice came through the speakers, the entire arena went still.
Every jaw dropped.
They'd expected him to sound awful. Or maybe decent. But this, this was on another level. It was powerful, unique, mesmerizing.
"Man, maybe this kid'll be at the Grammys someday," Kenny Smith said in awe, voicing exactly what every TV viewer was thinking.
Then Miley joined in with her sweet, playful tone. Their voices contrasted beautifully, intertwining into a melody that radiated the feeling of being in love.
The crowd started clapping to the rhythm. The Memorial Coliseum turned into a full-blown concert.
"'Cause girl, you're amazing,
Just the way you are!"
As the final chorus faded, the lights brightened and the song ended perfectly.
A love song so sweet it hit everyone straight in the heart. The audience could practically smell romance in the air.
Then, out of nowhere, the chants began:
"KISS! KISS! KISS!"
The crowd wanted more.
Shaquille O'Neal, up in the VIP section, was practically dancing in excitement, looking ready to storm the floor himself and shove their faces together.
Snoopy heard the chants and immediately tried to step back but Miley suddenly tossed her mic aside, grabbed his hand, stood on tiptoe, and kissed him.
The arena exploded.
As her lips brushed his chin, Snoopy's mind went blank. His heart pounded wildly in his chest. Then, seizing the moment, Miley jumped slightly and kissed him full on the lips. And then, she slid her tongue forward.
A French kiss. In front of 110,000 people. The crowd screamed like an earthquake had hit.
"Hey! Why isn't Snoopy reacting? Did he just freeze?" Shaq yelled from his seat, practically tearing his shirt off.
Kobe Bryant rolled his eyes. What's it to you, big guy?
Nearby, Dwyane Wade and Steve Nash were howling with laughter, while LeBron James merely shook his head.
He suddenly realized something: he couldn't share a team with a player who stole the spotlight like this. LeBron had to be the star and Snoopy shone way too bright.
Back on the court, Miley finally pulled away, wiping her lips with a satisfied smile. Wow, she thought, even his mouth tastes cool and metallic.
Snoopy stood there, completely stunned, as if under a spell.
"Hey," Kenny Smith said from the commentary booth, "did Snoopy just get scared stiff by a Disney princess's passion?"
"If it were you," Barkley replied dryly, "you wouldn't be moving either. Not after being kissed like that in front of 110,000 people."