CHAPTER 59: CHAPTER 59: WHO DO YOU THINK IS THE GOAT?

The number of rounds in the NCAA is very few, so the total score won’t be very high. Therefore, Zeng Xingyang scoring 20 points is considered a high score, as most players won’t have a high score.

Even if someone does have a high score, it is usually a core member of the team.

Although Zeng Xingyang is a starter and has some tactical importance, he is certainly not the core of the University of Kentucky team.

In terms of tactical importance, Towns is the highest, followed by Booker, and then him.

In this critical moment, Zeng Xingyang’s series of moves pushed Ohio State University into a desperate situation.

Everyone at Ohio State University became utterly tense.

The cruelty of a win-or-go-home game was fully evident at this moment.

Win and advance!

Lose and go home!

This is why March Madness thrills fans.

.....

As expected, the final score of the game was set at 94 to 85.

Even though Ohio State University crazily employed a foul strategy, they failed to change the outcome in the end.

The foul strategy was just a way to increase everyone’s statistics a bit.

As soon as the whistle blew, the staff and players of the University of Kentucky rushed onto the court to celebrate their victory.

They successfully advanced to the Elite Eight, and winning one more game would take them to the Final Four, bringing them closer to the championship.

Calipari graciously went over to shake hands with the opposing coach.

Ohio State University’s cheerleaders were crying, and some players shed tears as well.

Losing tonight’s game meant the end of the basketball dreams for many of them.

It also meant the end of their youth.

"It was an absolutely splendid game, and the University of Kentucky successfully advanced."

"D’Angelo Russell did not fulfill the role of a lone savior; under Zeng Xingyang’s defense, he seemed a bit lost."

"Zeng Xingyang continues to show the defensive resilience he exhibited in previous games, proving that Asian players can play basketball well."

"Zeng Xingyang will become the next player to enter the NBA after Bartel, Wang Zhizhi, Yao Ming, Yi Jianlian, and Sun Yue."

"Unlike these players, Zeng Xingyang gained fame in the NCAA. His path is quite unconventional for a Chinese player."

When talking about Zeng Xingyang, the commentator made no secret of saying he would be selected by the NBA.

His performance made it a question of which position he would be drafted, not whether he would be drafted.

Zeng Xingyang conquered many NBA scouts and general managers on the NCAA stage, and more media were discussing his draft prospects and future.

Unknowingly, Zeng Xingyang had grown into a hot new star in the NCAA.

.....

After showering in the locker room, Calipari took Towns, Booker, Zeng Xingyang, and Lyles to the post-game press conference.

It was the first time these few attended such a grand press conference, a scale only arranged for major games during March Madness and for elite teams.

After all, the NCAA Alliance arranges press conferences based on the team’s popularity.

The Kentucky Wildcats were undoubtedly the most eye-catching team of the year, with lots of media wanting to interview them publicly.

The interviews at the beginning were decent, following the coach’s trained talking points, and everyone followed the question-and-answer routine without anything special.

A reporter asked, "Can you tell us who you think the GOAT is?"

The microphone went to Booker, who said, "Kobe Bryant. For me, the most impressive thing about him is what he said, ’I won’t set limits for myself.’ This statement has kept me moving forward, making me stronger."

Lyles said, "Michael Jordan. I think he is the best player."

Towns said, "Tim Duncan. He’s the perfect player and is what I strive to improve towards."

These answers were all decent.

Soon, the microphone was handed to Zeng Xingyang.

Zeng Xingyang smiled and said, "I respect Michael, respect Kobe, respect Tim. They have fantastic careers. I’m not very good with English, can GOAT be plural? Can one call themselves a GOAT?"

"Haha!"

"Haha!"

Upon hearing Zeng Xingyang’s words, his teammates and the media all laughed.

They all took Zeng Xingyang’s rhetorical question as a humorous joke.

GOAT, god damn it, can be plural.

Who would call themselves a GOAT?

Who would show off like that?

No one seriously considered the answer to this question.

Ask everyone, and almost everyone would have a different answer.

Ask Jordan, Jordan would say, "Dr. J."

Ask Kobe, Kobe would say, "Jordan is the target he is chasing."

Ask Curry, Curry would say, "I grew up watching Reggie Miller play; he influenced me greatly."

Ask James, James would say, "The King is right in front of you."

When Zeng Xingyang heard the word GOAT, his first thought wasn’t about who was the greatest in basketball history.

But rather the joke from a past life about James calling himself the GOAT.

If he makes it to the NBA, he’ll definitely have to talk to James and see if he himself thinks he’s the GOAT.

....

In the internet age, within an hour of the game’s end, news of the Kentucky Wildcats advancing to the Elite Eight quickly spread.

"Zeng Xingyang scores another 20 points, with 5 assists, 3 steals, and 2 blocks, consistently helping the team advance to the Elite Eight."

"Showing his power in critical moments, a stop and a shot seals the victory, NCAA’s defensive answer is out!"

"Zeng Xingyang’s projected draft position has risen again, and it’s generally believed he’ll be selected around the 20th to 25th pick in the first round."

Various media outlets have a lot of news about Zeng Xingyang. There’s no need for Schwartz to contact the media to expand his influence; the media aren’t fools.

As the only Asian player, Zeng Xingyang naturally comes with an audience.

Zeng Xingyang’s performance on the court keeps building his value, and fans across America are continually feeling the strength of the University of Kentucky.

Although Ohio State University’s outside shooting was very accurate, they didn’t cause too much trouble for the University of Kentucky, and the situation was always under Kentucky’s control.

Yesterday, Russell had 16 points and 8 assists, with a shooting percentage of 33%. This shooting rate is significantly lower than Booker’s and Zeng Xingyang’s, making it difficult to win the game.

Even though this game didn’t go well, it shouldn’t significantly affect Russell’s draft position, as some NBA team general managers are still very adamant that their judgment isn’t wrong and that D’Angelo Russell is a promising talent.

....

At 7 a.m. the next day, Zeng Xingyang appeared at the Kentucky gymnasium.

Today is a holiday, and Calipari gave everyone a day off to adjust.

The gym doors were tightly closed.

"Knock, knock, knock."

Zeng Xingyang knocked on the door of the room next to the gym where the white janitor, Charlie, lived.

White old man Charlie got up and, seeing it was Zeng Xingyang, still had a grumpy tone: "Zeng, it’s not polite to constantly disturb an old man’s sleep."

Zeng Xingyang curiously asked, "Charlie, don’t you always go to bed early and get up early? Did you get a massage last night? I’m just saying, you’re getting on in years, you need to be moderate..."

White old man Charlie interrupted, "F*ck, I didn’t go. There was a big group of fans nearby having some celebration party last night, it was so noisy."

Zeng Xingyang was taken aback, then understood; it’s March Madness, after all.

The school team won, so wouldn’t the school’s fan groups go crazy celebrating?

How do Americans celebrate? Isn’t it just setting up some speakers, singing and dancing, and then having a blast...

Zeng Xingyang had to say, "Sorry, our tournament should end soon, then you’ll have some peace for a while."

Charlie turned to the table, picked up the keys, and tossed them over. Zeng Xingyang, quick-eyed, caught them.

"Don’t end the game so soon, you all must go all the way."

"More than having a quiet sleep, I want to hear the cheers of the Wildcats becoming national champions!"

Despite the poor attitude toward Zeng Xingyang, Charlie had always been a Wildcats fan and hoped the team would win the championship.

"Go train, Zeng. You’re doing well."

"I admit, I misjudged you back then. You have the chance to become a great player."

After saying that, Charlie, the white old man, closed his room door.

Upon hearing Charlie’s words, a smile appeared at the corner of Zeng Xingyang’s mouth.

In the past, this guy had mocked saying he wouldn’t even make it to the school team.

Now, his face had been slapped.

The feeling of slapping someone’s face in person is indeed very satisfying.

....

Entering the gym, he set up the shooting machine to start with spot shooting practice.

Zeng Xingyang did not get lost in the media praise.

He knows all of this comes from his basketball skills.

This is the foundation of his life!

Zeng Xingyang always remembers the young man who was constantly worried about getting a spot on the school team.