pinnacle of basketball

Chapter 317 The Shining Star

It was not a three-pointer, but a two-pointer. Duke University's final shot was replayed and judged by the referee as stepping on the line. The victory belongs to UCLA.

This was a difficult victory. UCLA successfully won the first place in the group and successfully entered the knockout round of 32. Although Duke University lost the game, their record of 6 wins and 1 loss allowed them to qualify for the promotion.

So far, the complete list of the top 32 in the NCAA league has also been produced. In addition to all the traditional giants being promoted, several dark horses have also been born. They are likely to become the X factor that changes the league structure.

Wake Forest University, led by Duncan, ranked 3nd with a record of 4 wins and 32 losses.

The successful promotion of UCLA has brought new vitality to the city of Los Angeles. In fact, basketball in Los Angeles has fallen into an unprecedented trough in the past two years. The performances of the two NBA teams belonging to this city have not been satisfactory in the past two seasons. After the Lakers won the championship two years ago, they have never won a championship.

As the "little brother", the performance of the Clippers is even worse. The team lacks big-name stars, and its record can only hover on the edge of the playoffs. After barely making it to the playoffs for five consecutive years, the Clippers did not even make it to the playoffs last season, ranking tenth in the West.

In two days, the two teams will usher in the opening game of the new season. The Lakers' opponent is the Denver Nuggets who eliminated themselves in the second round of the Western Conference last season, while the Clippers will go to the East to challenge the Philadelphia 76ers who performed well last season. In the past season, Philadelphia reached the Eastern Conference Finals.

But the defeat of the 76ers was not reprimanded and abused by the outside world, because the Miami Heat that year were too incomprehensible. In the finals, Wade Jr. was a magical soldier who perfectly reproduced his father.

Fans all over the world are looking forward to the meeting between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Miami Heat on the stage of the finals. Wade went to the appointment as scheduled, but he couldn't wait for James.

In the new season, the two Los Angeles teams set sail again, aiming at the championship.

Both teams strengthened during the offseason, and the Lakers even offered James a 5-year contract extension of 4.8 million, the largest in history, keeping the proud man in the City of Angels for the next five years.

"If there is no accident, you will become teammates next year." Mu Chenfeng held the latest fan poster of the Los Angeles Lakers. On it, James Bryant was firmly in the C position, and beside him were some famous star players.

"Maybe." Felix hesitated.

"Why, no confidence?" Mu Chenfeng asked.

"That's not true, there is an indescribable feeling."

Felix has rarely mentioned the Los Angeles Lakers recently, the team he has always been fascinated by, but he seems to be avoiding it.

What are the concerns of Mu Chenfeng until Felix? As a traditional giant, the Los Angeles Lakers have never had the tradition of personally cultivating stars. Many of the big-name stars in the history of the team are either talented players who are at the peak of their debut, such as Magic Johnson and Baylor. The same goes for James Bryant, who destined his stellar career from the moment he entered the league.

Obviously Felix doesn't fall into either of those two categories, which makes him shake up his career, and Los Angeles may not be the best place to start.

"You must look very handsome in the Zijin jersey." Mu Chenfeng began to imagine how Felix would look in the Lakers jersey.

"Maybe." Felix suddenly felt a lot more determined, "Tell me about you, which team do you plan to use as a starting point?"

Felix flipped the poster over, and the team logos of the 30 NBA teams were printed on the back.

"I haven't figured it out yet." Mu Chenfeng looked at the team's logo with blurred eyes. He never thought about this issue. He just wanted to knock on the door of the NBA. As for which team to play for, he really didn't think much about it.

"Or, let's go to the same team." Felix suggested.

"The Lakers?" Mu Chenfeng was a little moved. The Zijin Army can be said to be an important totem that accompanied his entire basketball career. He picked up basketball because of Kobe. Although Kobe is no longer here, his spirit and the glorious past he brought to this city have been deeply imprinted in every corner of the city. "Am I really worthy?"

Standing in the city where the idol has played will always give people an inexplicable power, and at the same time it will bring pressure to people.

Of course, this is just the fantasy of the two. In the end, the two will enter the NBA and which team they will play for is actually not in their own hands. Everything depends on the team's choice.

There is still more than half a year before the NBA draft, which is enough for the two to grow and improve.

However, it is unlikely that the two will enter the same team, so it is very likely that the two will meet as opponents after entering the profession.

"Feng, I hope that one day the two of us can appear on the NBA court at the same time, whether it's teammates or opponents." Felix looked up at the stars in the sky, and two of them were the most shining. "Like those two stars, when the time comes, we will compare who will shine more brightly."

"There will be such a day." Mu Chenfeng responded.

The NCAA group stage and the knockout stage are separated by a week, and the team will be free to control this week. In order to allow the players to get enough rest, the first thing UCLA does is to give the team a 3-day holiday, which can be regarded as a reward for the team's victory and advancement.

"Rest?" After receiving the notice of the rest, Mu Chenfeng was stunned. In order to maintain the competitive state, the domestic teams would arrange appropriate amount of training. There was never a holiday, and they would not have a holiday until the end of the last game. However, in the NCAA, holidays are common, and the rest time is also at the discretion of the players. They only need to report to the team once a day in the morning and in the evening.

Compared with domestic competition, the foreign competition environment is much easier.

Mu Chenfeng had never experienced such a situation, and he didn't know what to do for a while, so he planned to spend his "three-day vacation" on the training ground.

In the early morning, the sun was already shining brightly. Just when Mu Chenfeng was going to take the ball to the training ground, Felix ran to the door of his room excitedly.

"How was your holiday?" Felix asked.

"How else can I live?" Mu Chenfeng clapped the basketball in his hand, "Let's live on the training ground."

"No way, you still play during the holidays?"

"Otherwise, there's nothing to do. We're about to hit the knockout round. Go to the training ground to keep fit."

"I have a better way, which can not only keep you in shape, but also improve it." Felix patted his chest confidently.

"Say something quickly, don't keep it up." Mu Chenfeng's interest was instantly aroused, and he urged impatiently.

(End of this chapter)