NBA, Yao Ming is back!

Chapter 77 The Birth of the Top Scholar, Could it be... that his character is more noble than mine?

At this time, the parents also arrived at the scene.

After all, they are members of the Green Room.

I must have the opportunity to sit here.

This is the card face.

It's also a gimmick created by the NBA.

Business alliances, after all, need to know how to create buzz.

Stern did this a million times better than his predecessor.

"Keep it up, son. It's okay if you don't get selected. We can still go back to play in the CBA."

After Yao's father finished speaking, Yao's mother patted him on the shoulder, telling him to stop making such a jinx.

Then came the gentle but deadly blow.

"If we can't play ball, we can still study! Taking the civil service exam or getting a government job is also a good option."

This is really...

They're like biological parents.

However, Yao Ming still hopes that his parents can be there to witness this moment.

The others inside the small green room were also sizing up Yao Ming.

There are 14 people in this little green room: Tim Duncan, Keith Van Horn, Chauncey Billups, Antonio Daniels, Tony Batty, Tim Thomas, Adornal Foyle, Tracy McGrady, Kevin Cato, Derek Anderson, Maurice Taylor... and Yao Ming.

You know, aren't there many people you're familiar with?

The majority of them were tall.

This is the talent show model of this era.

Big guys always want to take advantage.

In fact, Yao Ming is quite familiar with most of these people. Among them are three former Rockets teammates: McGrady, Maurice Taylor, and Kevin Cato.

And then there's myself.

This really is a reunion of old Rockets fans.

These people were all looking at Yao Ming to some extent, mainly because he was so tall. Even in an environment like the NBA, he was still a cut above the rest.

There were quite a few tall people among them, and they probably had never seen many people taller than themselves in their lives. When they suddenly saw someone so tall, their expressions were similar to Duncan's at the airport.

That's... such an exaggerated height.

You're so tall, if you stand next to someone, who wouldn't feel height anxiety?

After all, many American big men lie about their height by adding shoes.

Some even included their hair in the application.

You're making them stand out too much.

At this moment, the team general managers, presidents, or player representatives who were waiting for the results were all here.

They actually knew who they had taken.

But I don't know if they'll want it too.

Will they steal the deal?

If the plan is disrupted, the uniform team needs to expedite the final selection and replacement process.

It's different from saying you don't care from the sidelines.

You can see it from inside the stadium...

Many people are keeping an eye on Yao Ming.

There are quite a lot.

This doesn't seem like they're suggesting they won't choose him at all.

These uniformed officers, you could tell just by looking at his eyes...

I wish I could eat him up right now.

Selecting the right players is the most important task for the team.

Even if you were a whole stripper here now.

That wouldn't tempt them in the slightest.

Stern had just had a brief conversation with Yao Ming. He's a shrewd man; he could tell just by looking at the expressions on these uniformed officers' faces…

Good grief, are you all playing a double agent game with me?

She clearly had him on her mind.

All the reports they sent me were so "sincere".

I almost fell for your tricks.

However, this put his mind at ease, because at this point, there was no need to hide anything anymore.

The draft picks that each team received.

Actually, it's not much different from what Yao Ming himself remembers.

Especially the top scorer.

The Celtics have the highest probability of winning, but they just won't give it to you.

There was no behind-the-scenes manipulation?

Should we take a look at how many behind-the-scenes stories there are in the NBA over the years?

Because the Grizzlies had restrictions on expanding their team at the time, he couldn't get the number one draft pick, so his chances of getting the number one pick were actually only 1/2.

It's either the Spurs or the Celtics.

The odds of the Celtics winning are almost 40%.

The Spurs are only slightly over 20%.

That's it.

Stern won't give it to you either, don't even mention that your Celtics team is close to 40%.

You are 80% likely.

I won't give it to you either.

In any case, we tell the outside world that it is fair, just, and transparent.

What can you say?

Auerbach was so angry when he saw that the number one draft pick had gone to the Spurs that his veins were practically popping out of his temples.

I wish I could shoot this bespectacled old man to death.

Now that the Spurs have secured the number one draft pick, the selection of that player is practically set.

A man the entire league has been waiting for for four years.

The last one was Shaquille O'Neal.

At times like this, the Spurs are absolutely not going to change their minds. Look at that old man Popovich, he's practically grinning like a sly old fox.

You knew it.

I was secretly overjoyed.

Auerbach, Auerbach, do you still think this is the 1950s, 60s, or 70s?

The times have changed.

Don't go against the CEO.

Of course, if Auerbach hadn't challenged him, he wouldn't have had the chance to get the number one draft pick.

"Welcome everyone to the NBA draft..."

The president enters.

Everyone welcomed it.

We can't not welcome them now; their fate is in our hands.

That's real US dollars.

One position higher and one position lower.

The amount of money received would be completely different.

Most people who enter the NBA are not rich.

Hoping to get rich quick this way.

"Alright, let's cut to the chase. The San Antonio Spurs, with the first overall pick in the 1997 NBA draft, selected—"

Stern's eyes turned toward Duncan in the little green room.

He smiled and nodded, then said:

"From Wake Forest University, Tim Duncan!"

Duncan stood up in the small green room, gave his family a calm hug, and then walked to the front of the stage.

After all, this was a given fact, and he had known it all along.

If nothing changes, it won't cause any psychological disturbance.

A stone Buddha is sometimes equivalent to facial paralysis.

There will be a Spurs perimeter player in the future who will inherit this model, but it's a pity that he didn't make it to the end.

"Isn't this guy amazing?" Although Yao Ming's parents both worked in professional sports, there wasn't much exchange with foreign countries back then, and Yao Ming's entry into the draft was so sudden; he'd achieved this much in just one year...

The elderly couple didn't make many preparations.

It doesn't seem like there were sufficient preparations made on the original timeline.

This time, my arrival felt more like a surprise.

Because Yao Ming rose to prominence so quickly in this timeline that no one had time to react.

"He's incredibly talented; the entire league is tanking for him." Yao Ming glanced at the table and thought the NBA was too stingy, since there wasn't much good food on it.

It was the right decision not to come back then; I should be sitting here properly in a suit.

It's really not easy.

"How does our son compare to him?" Yao's mother asked.

"Why are you asking that? He's the top student in the imperial examinations..."

Yao's father, not wanting to put his son in a difficult position, immediately tried to dissuade him.

At this point in time, people weren't really clear about Yao Ming's actual abilities, not even his parents. Who knew he would perform like this in just one year?

The pace is too fast, and you know you can't keep up mentally.

But Yao Ming's next words almost made his father choke.

"You're better than me now, aren't you?"

"I'll be fine once I grow a few more years."

Although his father didn't know who Tim Duncan was, he only knew that he was very famous in American basketball. It's not easy to find some video materials now.

This is 1997.

But I never expected my son to say something like that.

This sentence translates to:

He's just better than me right now.

Moreover, the reason he is better than me is because his body is more developed than mine.

To put it bluntly, he's older.

If I were the same age as him.

That's hard to say.

Yao Ming was stating the facts. In his previous life, he never reached his peak before being cut short by injuries. He was at the very moment of his rise when he encountered a fatal injury.

In his previous life, he wasn't afraid of Duncan.

Not to mention myself now.

He wouldn't dare say that he was much better at leading his team than Duncan; he definitely still had a lot to learn in that area. In his previous life, he had only led his team to the second round.

But if it's just a one-on-one duel...

If two people are facing off.

He was telling the absolute truth.

If we can't go toe-to-toe with Duncan again, then what's the point of coming here?

I'm sorry for all the years I've tormented myself.

Duncan was initially calm.

Since this was entirely expected, a glance around revealed that everyone below looked at him with envy, and even a hint of fear.

Who can blame him when he has such a big reputation?

Only a tall figure sat in another corner.

He looked at himself.

His gaze was devoid of any emotion.

They just clapped.

The moment their eyes met, Duncan, who studied psychology, knew it.

Why did I have that kind of emotional reaction when I saw him?

This is...

I've got it!

Archetypal fatalistic projection theory!

This is the archetypal fatalistic projection theory!

It originates from Jung's theory of archetypes in the collective unconscious.

Why did Duncan think of this? Because it's a very famous psychological theory, and as a top student who graduated with a degree in psychology, how could he not understand it?

In short, this theory posits that everyone possesses a fixed personality archetype template within them, a psychological structure accumulated over millions of years of human evolution, not something acquired later in life, and inherently possessing a fixed aura level.

When you encounter someone of the same kind whose aura clashes with yours, eye contact will trigger a subconscious resonance.

You can sense the other person's domineering aura without saying a word.

My inner emotions surged uncontrollably.

Duncan felt.

Isn't this just how I feel?

Is it...

He and I are the same kind of people.

Or worse...

His current internalized personality archetype is more rigid than mine...

More noble? More advanced?!

……

You see, this is the downside of reading too much.