NBA: Be the GOAT starting today!

As Stern finished speaking, he looked up at Zhou Yi, who was sitting in the front row, and a hint of certainty and expectation flashed in his eyes.

"The Los Angeles Clippers selected Zhou Yi, from Davidson College."

When Zhou Yi heard Stern call his name, tears welled up in his eyes the moment he stood up, and he was so excited that he couldn't even button his clothes.

D'Addario hugged him and straightened his suit.

"Go, my hero."

Zhou Yi left the round table and walked towards the stage. Curry, who was standing next to him, stood up and gave him a high-five, just like when they fought together for the Wildcats.

"You deserve all of this, my brother."

Countless cameras were pointed at Zhou Yi, and at that moment, the young man was welcoming his moment of glory in front of hundreds of millions of viewers.

"Congratulations to Zhou Yi! Congratulations to the second Chinese player in NBA history to be drafted number one!"

"With the Wildcats, he and Curry led this weak team in the league to a perfect season and made a heroic comeback in the NCAA Finals. His unparalleled talent makes him deserving of this moment."

Yu Jiahe's enthusiastic voice resounded throughout thousands of households across the ocean, and countless fans cheered in front of their screens.

In the Clippers' command center on the second floor of the arena, Stern could be heard reciting the name of the I Ching.

Ballmer excitedly stood up and pumped his fist in celebration, looking at Zhou Yi on stage wearing a Clippers cap.

This was his agreement with Stern: Stern would help him get rid of Sterling so he could buy the Clippers, and he would then invest heavily in building this bottom-tier team.

And the Book of Changes (I Ching) was the best gift Stern gave to the newly formed Clippers team.

On stage, Zhou Yi walked toward Stern.

The veteran, who had been in charge of the NBA for 25 years, gave him a warm hug.

Congratulations, kid. I hope your Clippers journey goes well.

"Thank you, Mr. President."

Zhou Yi grasped Stern's hand, and the two stood together in the center of the stage.

At this moment, all the lights in the arena shone on Zhou Yi. He looked down at the crowd, where Curry and Harden were applauding him, and Griffin's eyes were filled with regret and fighting spirit.

Fans cheered, and countless media outlets reported the scene to the world.

At that moment, he became the center of the basketball world, and Zhou Yi knew that his NBA journey had begun.

......

The 09 NBA draft has concluded, and Zhou Yi was selected by the Clippers.

Curry still didn't try out for the Warriors, but the Warriors, with their keen eye for talent, still managed to snag him.

But history has been altered by the flapping of the wings of the I Ching.

Between Griffin and Thabeet, the Grizzlies didn't hesitate to use their second overall pick to select Griffin.

This also makes the possibility of Griffin and Randolph forming a formidable frontcourt pairing in the new season highly anticipated.

Thabeet's poor performance in the NCAA Third Madness and Combine has led to questions about whether his defensive abilities can keep up with the pace of the current NBA.

His draft position slipped all the way down until he was picked sixth by the Timberwolves, who at the same time drafted Spanish prodigy Ricky Rubio with the fifth pick.

After the draft, Zhou Yi also gave interviews to several media outlets, and for a time the basketball circle was filled with the name of the "wonder boy" again.

The Clippers' training facility is located in the Preydale community in southwest Los Angeles, and Zhou Yi had Austin rent a villa for him nearby.

The two-story villa has six bedrooms and a bathroom with a jacuzzi, as well as a gym and physiotherapy room for those who need it. There is also a basketball court and swimming pool in the backyard.

In the villa's garage, parked was the latest CTS delivered by Cadillac.

After Zhou Yi was selected as the top pick, Cadillac promptly upgraded his endorsement contract.

In the years that followed, he would be Cadillac's biggest brand ambassador across the ocean.

At the same time, Austin's parent company, IPG, continued to exert its influence, and a large number of well-known companies' GG endorsements were offered to Zhou Yi.

As the number one pick in the 09 NBA draft and also the most popular rookie, Zhou Yi now has the right to choose.

Adhering to the principle of valuing quality over quantity, Zhouyi's GG endorsements are basically only signed with industry leaders.

This will greatly enhance his commercial value and pave the way for his success off the basketball court.

Daddario has returned to the film set to shoot. Zhou Yi woke up alone in bed early in the morning.

Today will be his first day with the Clippers, and Austin will accompany him to sign his player contract.

After washing up, Zhou Yi routinely opened the system.

Two new tasks and their rewards were displayed in the task list.

Individual Mission: [The Battle for Seasonal Glory]

Best Rookie: 500 Exchange Points

All-Star: 500 Exchange Points

All-Season Team: 2000 Exchange Points (First Team), 1300 Exchange Points (Second Team), 800 Exchange Points (Third Team)

......

Team objective: [Advance to the playoffs]

Reward: 1,000 exchange points

Looking at the exchange points on the system, Zhou Yi's eyes were filled with greed and desire.

If he can collect all these rewards, then he can directly evolve into Jordan next season.

But the NBA's long 82-game regular season is full of challenges and unknowns.

Zhou Yi didn't linger on the system for long before heading to the Clippers' training facility with Austin, who was already at his home.

The car stopped at the entrance of the Clippers' training facility. Zhou Yi's arrival today attracted a large number of fans.

Zhou Yi got out of the car and saw a large number of Lakers jerseys among the blue and white Clippers jerseys.

Many people even wore Kobe's jerseys to participate in Clippers events.

"Zhou, that's how it is in Los Angeles. The Lakers are the boss of this city, and Kobe is the idol of the city's fans."

Zhou Yi's face showed a look of confusion and surprise, which made the Clippers staff next to him whisper among themselves.

Zhou Yi nodded, his expression returning to calm, and followed the Clippers staff into the arena. However, no one knew what he was thinking beneath his calm demeanor.

Inside the Clippers' arena are two standard NBA courts, one of which is a 1:1 replica of the Staples Center.

The venue is also equipped with supporting facilities such as a weight room, a physical training room, and a tactical meeting room.

Some players were warming up on the field when Zhou Yi was taken directly to the second floor by staff.

On the second floor, Zhou Yi will officially sign player contracts and announce his jersey number with the Clippers in front of the media.

Upon entering the room, one would find a large number of media reporters had already set up their cameras and microphones.

In front of the camera, a happy team owner, Ballmer, and Zhou Yi posed for a photo shaking hands.

NBA rookie contracts have certain restrictions, and Zhou Yi received a top-tier number one draft contract.

A four-year, $2330 million rookie contract with team options for the final two years.

Zhou Yi signed his name at the autograph area and announced his new season jersey number as number eight.

He will continue to wear number eight in the new season and play for the Clippers on the court.

Having completed the signing of the contract and the unveiling of the jersey, Zhou Yi will begin his first media interview with the Clippers.

After answering a few routine questions, the microphone was passed to a middle-aged reporter.

Looking at the Clippers players on the stage, the reporter's face showed a hint of arrogance. He cleared his throat and asked Zhou Yi on the stage:

"Zhou, congratulations on joining the Clippers, the second-best team in Los Angeles."

"You have to understand that in the 25 years the Clippers have been in Los Angeles, they have always been second best."

"So, are you afraid when facing the league champion Lakers? After all, Kobe is the best player in the league right now."