NBA: Be the GOAT starting today!

As Zhou Yi watched the two figures, one tall and one short, one fat and one thin, approaching under the lamplight, his fists clenched tightly.

Only when the two figures came in front of him did Zhou Yi relax his tense muscles.

It turns out to be Curry and Lovedale.

Zhou Yi was quite excited to be in close contact with Curry for the first time, after all, this is a legendary superstar who is expected to be number two on the future point guard list.

The Warriors won four championships because of his rise, and since Curry joined the team and gradually grew, the Warriors' NBA market value ranking has soared.

From being ranked 18th in NBA market capitalization in 2009 to being ranked number one for five consecutive years in 2025, with a market capitalization of $113 billion.

Curry has influenced a generation with his unparalleled skills on the court and his humble and hardworking personality off the court.

Looking at this future superstar now, the first impression can be summed up in one word—thin.

Because he is of mixed race, Curry has a normal light brown tan skin tone, and his baby face makes him look harmless and even quite cute.

With her slender figure and baby face, she looks like a twelve or thirteen-year-old elementary school student.

Especially when standing next to the 2.05-meter-tall, muscular, and fierce-looking Lofdale, Curry's slender and thin figure appears even more striking.

"Hey Curry, Lovedale, what are you guys doing here?"

Zhou Yi displayed basic etiquette, extending his hand to the two of them to inquire.

"Hey Zhou, you're really late with your extra practice," Curry said, his baby face stiff and his tone deliberately calm.

"As veterans of the team, the captain and I have an obligation and responsibility to care for every new player."

However, his slightly childish baby face seemed so out of place with his deliberately composed expression, and Zhou Yi looked at Lovedale next to him.

This somewhat mature-looking, fierce center, who resembles Oden, speaks very gently off the court, but his deep, hoarse accent sounds remarkably like Mutombo's biscuit-like voice.

"Zhou, my dear, we're waiting for you here because Curry wants to talk to you about something."

Hey Curry, stop pretending to be serious, you're acting really funny.

"Let's chat? Ask some questions?"

Zhou Yi looked at Curry, who had been successfully outmaneuvered by Lovedale, with a puzzled expression.

The composure feigned on Curry's baby face had vanished, and Curry's eyes lit up with curiosity as he asked.

"Zhou, I'm curious, how do you have such a good jumping ability?"

When you jump, it's like you're flying through the air; you're the best jumping Asian I've ever seen.

I can't exactly tell you I have a system that can forcibly upgrade things, or I might be on my way to Washington, waiting to be dissected and examined.

Zhou Yi looked at Curry and thought to himself, noticing that Curry's light brown eyes were full of doubt, and his baby face revealed a desire for power.

Seeing that Zhou Yi remained silent, Curry spoke in an urgent and pleading tone.

"Zhou, I've been a fan of Carter since I was a kid. His dunks are so cool. When I saw you jump and fly today, I thought I wish I could dunk like you. That way, I could use my explosive dunks to destroy the opponent's basket, even beyond three-pointers. Please teach me."

Curry excitedly described his passion for dunking and then made a sincere request, while Loverdale nodded in agreement.

As someone who personally experienced Zhou Yi's dunk today, he felt the explosiveness and jumping ability of an NCAA super dunker in this young Chinese man.

"So you were waiting for me here?"

"Yes."

"Loverdale, and what about you?"

"Oh, I'm here with Curry. Of course, if you can teach me your jumping skills, I'd be happy to learn."

"Deal made, but an exchange is required..."

Upon hearing Zhou Yi mention the word "exchange" in the air, Curry and Lovedale looked at Zhou Yi with suspicion, wondering what he was up to.

"As teammates, I can teach you guys how to jump. You know, this is an ancient Chinese martial art that's not easily passed on. So Curry, you have to teach me three-pointers, and Lofdale, I want you to help me train my physical strength."

As Zhou Yi spoke, he looked at the two men: Stephen Curry, the greatest three-point shooter in history, and the muscular and strong Lovedale.

Isn't this just like my own three-point coach and physical confrontation coach?

Thanks to the system, Zhou Yi now possesses top-tier jumping and mid-range shooting talent, but his physical strength and three-point shooting ability are not competitive at the NCAA Division I level.

This will significantly diminish his performance on the field.

The 08-09 season was Curry's last year at college and also the team's last peak. If Zhou Yi wanted to enter the NBA through the draft, then this year was the best opportunity.

With Curry on the team and his own growth to compensate for the weakness at the forward position, this Davidson Wildcats team may achieve better results in the NCAA than in the original world.

Better results mean greater exposure, which also means that good performances will be amplified and improve one's chances in the talent show.

Although Curry's three-point shooting is an inimitable talent, training alongside him for a long time and being exposed to his skills can always improve one's own three-point shooting ability.

This is far superior to Zhou Yi's solo practice and closed-door development.

As for Lovedale, his solid and strong muscles clearly indicate that he is a seasoned gym-goer. With his help, a training plan to enhance physical strength and combat effectiveness can be put on the agenda.

As for jumping training, Zhou Yi, a basketball blogger who has been around for over a decade, has consistently excelled in his videos focusing on basketball skills and physical training.

A targeted jumping training plan would be sufficient to handle the two of them.

After Zhou Yi finished proposing the training exchange, Curry and Lovedale were stunned for a moment, not expecting this newcomer to make such a request.

Training each other, huh? That sounds interesting.

"Okay, let's start after the team practice tomorrow."

Under the streetlights, three hands of different skin colors clapped each other, and three hearts that loved basketball and were constantly striving for progress came together.

......

Inside Davidson Arena, Zhou Yi was not the last person to leave.

Go through the locker room and up to the second floor, you'll find an office with a sign that reads "Wildcats Head Coach".

The gray-haired head coach, McGillop, was sitting at his computer desk, and a name was written on the player file lying on the desk.

The Book of Changes (I Ching).

The video on the computer screen flickered, showing footage of Zhou Yi's high school team. Facing opponents from lower leagues, Zhou Yi did not display any particularly outstanding abilities.

The coffee on the table had long since gone cold. The old man stood up to stretch and relax his stiff body, which had been sitting for a long night.

He has watched the video that the teaching assistant found three times over.

"Why have you evolved so much in just one summer...?"

The veteran coach stared at the group photo hanging on the wall, a photo of the team that made it to NCAA March Madness last season, lost in thought. Suddenly, a person flashed through his mind.

He was a man revered as a god by the entire basketball world, a man who once dominated the basketball scene at the University of North Carolina and eventually stood at the top of the world.

Michael Jordan.

Michael Jordan wasn't always Michael Jordan. Before the summer after his junior year of high school, he was only 1.78 meters tall, and at that time he was defeated by his older brother Larry Jordan.

But in just one summer, Jordan completed his transformation into a god.

McGillop shook his head with a smile, amused by his own thoughts. Perhaps the pressure of the new season was too great, causing him to start overthinking.

An ordinary kid who joined the team by chance, although he also had a magical summer evolution, how could he be compared with the great basketball god?

Although many NBA stars have experienced a short-term surge in their skills during high school or college, the God of Basketball is still the God of Basketball.

McGillop stopped thinking about that ridiculous idea and turned his gaze to the team's match schedule calendar hanging on the wall.

The team names were written after the dates, with some team names circled in red.

The first name on the calendar is that of a team that the old coach regrets and still feels deeply about.

The Kansas Jayhawks, last season's NCAA March Madness champions, were the ones who ended the Davidson Wildcats' run in the quarterfinals.

Unfortunately, yet fortunately, this name appeared in Davidson College's first preseason exhibition game, meaning that they will soon face off against each other on the court again.

Will they defeat the nemesis that ended their team's historical record, or will they suffer another defeat?

McGillop wasn't sure either, after all, the Jayhawks' strength lay in having several NBA-caliber players and a deep tactical system, which far surpassed the current Wildcats.

Turning around, he picked up the player files from the Zhou Yi book on the table. The contents of the files had already been changed by McGillop based on today's physical tests and training match performances.

"A boy who has undergone amazing evolution, I hope you can continue to surprise me, and also surprise yourself."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

"The Davidson Wildcats completed their first practice session of the new season today, and according to team insiders, an incredible scene unfolded on the court." — Davidson University Gazette

"The Wildcats' preseason schedule has been announced, with last season's nemesis, the Kansas Jayhawks, as their first opponent. Will the Jayhawks continue their dominance over the Wildcats, or will the Wildcats exact revenge? The answer will be revealed in a month." — Charlotte News