NBA: Be the GOAT starting today!

It was the evening of April 6th, which was also the morning on the other side of the ocean.

Countless Chinese football fans sat in front of their computers and televisions.

In universities, students rarely get up early and gather in front of their computers in their dorm rooms. In companies, countless office workers are secretly looking at their computers. In taxis, drivers are listening to the radio.

Sina Sports has been broadcasting Wildcats games since 3 Madness.

With the addition of CCTV-5, more and more people know that in faraway America, a Chinese person is standing on the highest stage of American college basketball.

Inside the Sina Sports live broadcast room.

"Can someone explain the significance of Zhou Yi's 'Mad 3' performance? How come he didn't make it to the NBA?"

"Upstairs, the team that finished the third season of the NBA can easily beat the Chinese team. After this game, Yi will probably go to the NBA, and might even be the number one draft pick."

"Based in the United States, Yi is currently a small forward on the NCAA All-American team. It is said that Yi has made many NCAA schools willing to recruit Asian players."

"Yi Ge is awesome! Look, even Yao Ming is here to watch the game!"

Inside Ford Arena, Yao Ming and the Rockets players sat in the first row next to the Wildcats.

The Wildcats have no star players in their history; Zhou Yi and Curry are already the most well-known names in Davidson College basketball.

Since the Rockets didn't have a game, Yao Ming invited the Rockets players to cheer for the Wildcats. The thoughtful Yao Ming even prepared Wildcats jerseys for each Rockets player.

"Brother Yao!"

Zhou Yi, who was warming up on the sidelines, greeted Yao Ming. This was the first time the two had met in person.

Last night, Yao Ming got Zhou Yi's phone number and called. The Chinese giant was very happy to have his little brother on the stage of the 3rd Madness finals.

After hugging Zhou Yi, Yao Ming's face broke into a wide grin.

"Go for it, Yi! I'm here to support you!"

"Yes, I will. Thank you for coming, Brother Yao."

Zhou Yi politely thanked Yao Ming, noting that the sidelines of the 3rd Madness final were filled with superstars.

Magic Johnson, arguably the greatest basketball player in Michigan State University history, also came to the event to support his alma mater.

The sidelines were filled with entertainment and sports stars watching the game, and even the newly elected black president came to the arena.

Among this group of people of different skin colors, Zhou Yi felt warmed by the presence of a fellow countryman sitting on the sidelines supporting him.

After exchanging pleasantries with Yao Ming for a while, Zhou Yi returned to the court to warm up.

The fans who came to watch the game have all entered the stadium one after another, and the entire stadium has reached its peak of excitement.

Inside Ford Field, more than 70,000 fans gathered, wearing jerseys from both teams, creating two opposing forces in the stands.

The Wildcats made history by reaching the finals, and Davidson College mobilized the entire faculty and student body to travel to the stadium to cheer them on.

They stood behind the Wildcats' bench, wearing Wildcats jerseys, cheering for their team.

Cameras from across the United States were set up on the sidelines, and at that moment, hundreds of millions of people across the United States and even across the ocean in China were watching the game simultaneously.

As time ticked by, the countdown to the start of the game reached zero.

Zhou Yi took a deep breath and stepped onto the court floor.

After this game, he and Curry will announce their participation in this year's draft at the post-game press conference.

Today will be his only chance in his life to lift the Madness Crystal Trophy.

beep—

The referee blew the whistle, and the two center forwards stepped up to jump for the ball in the center circle.

The lineups for both sides in this match are as follows:

Davidson Wildcats

Point guard Stephen Curry

Shooting guard Gosling

Small forward Zhou Yi

Power forward Rosette

Center Lovedale

Michigan State University Spartans

Point guard Carin Lucas

Shooting guard Travis Walton

Small forward Remar Morgan

Power forward De Von Roy

Center Goran Sutton

Meanwhile, on the bench at Michigan State University, sitting future martial arts coach Green, who was a freshman substitute at the time, had already gained the trust of coach Tom Izzo on the stage of Third Madness.

Lovedale and Sutton stood at center circle, and the basketball was tossed into the air by the referee.

The basketball was tipped into the Wildcats' lineup by Lofdale, and Curry controlled it firmly, advancing it to the frontcourt.

Arizona State University is a well-balanced team on both offense and defense, and shooting guard Walton, who is the team's perimeter anchor, switched onto Curry.

Facing Walton, Curry called for Zhou Yi's 13th pick-and-roll. The Wildcats' duo's pick-and-roll is now considered by the media to be a major weapon in the NCAA.

"The ball got to Zhou, who passed it to Curry, who had run out of position from the point guard position, and the three-pointer went in!"

Jim Nantz, the CBS commentator in charge of broadcasting the game, roared passionately into the microphone.

"Great shot! That little guy next to Zhou Yi is amazing, his three-pointers are incredibly accurate!"

Inside the CCTV-5 broadcast studio, Mr. Wei Ping spoke with a cheerful smile.

The Wildcats fans at the scene also started chanting collectively because of the opening three-pointer. They stood up shoulder to shoulder, each holding up a support sign to form the Wildcats' logo.

On the field, the Wildcats, having gained the upper hand, quickly organized their defense.

In the back-and-forth of offense and defense, point guard Lucas, as the offensive engine of Michigan State, dribbled the ball to the frontcourt.

Facing the Wildcats' tenacious defense, Lucas passed the ball to center Sutton, who had moved out of position at the three-point line.

This white center, while lacking the physical attributes of a Black player, possesses a skill rare among centers of this era—a 43% three-point shooting percentage.

"Sulton has a three-point opportunity! Oh! Zhou interfered with him! The Wildcats got the rebound."

Jim Nantz's commentary began, explaining that when Sutton attempted a three-pointer, Zhou Yi quickly moved to help defend, interfering with the shot.

The Michigan fans in the stadium booed at this play.

After the Wildcats grabbed the rebound, the Michigan team quickly retreated on defense to prevent a fast break.

The Wildcats were on offense, and Curry passed the ball to Zhou Yi, who was facing Mal Morgan.

"In the matchup between Zhou and Morgan, Zhou is no longer facing Villanova's short forwards. Morgan has a height of 203 cm and an excellent wingspan, which is a bigger challenge for Zhou."

After receiving the ball, Zhou Yi protected it between his legs. Facing this black player whose model was no less impressive than his own, Zhou Yi chose to drive to the basket.

Zhou Yi drove over Morgan and drove to the basket, scoring the ball. In the six months he spent with the Wildcats, Zhou Yi had honed his physique to a very strong level.

"Zhou Yi, that's a great shot! That's how you should play. Look how strong he is now compared to that black guy on the other side."

Coach Wei Ping looked at the Wildcats' advantage on the field and said with a smile.

Time ticked by, and the game went back and forth, with the Wildcats, whose offensive firepower was stronger, maintaining a consistent lead.

On the sidelines, Michigan head coach Tom Izzo looked anxiously at the players on the field.

When the Wildcats had Curry, opponents only needed to shut down Curry's offense. However, the Wildcats also had Zhou Yi, a top-tier offensive player in the NCAA.

Michigan doesn't have two defensive stalwarts to simultaneously limit the Wildcats' star duo's offense; they need to find a way to eliminate one of them.

Tom Izzo pondered this as he glanced at Green, who was sitting on the bench.