NBA : Formidable Center

###

"My goodness, so many people? Glad I managed to get front-row tickets beforehand, or I wouldn't even catch a glimpse."

Stepping through the crowd, Zhong Yuan found his seat—not far behind the bench of the North Carolina Wolves.

These prime seats had been obtained through connections in the university's sports association, costing him a hefty price. Reportedly, they offered a perfect view of the Wolves' players in action.

Though Zhong Yuan was the head of a domestic sports website, this was his first time attending an NCAA game live.

Like him, many fans had donned the home team's jerseys, cheering for their team before the game began. Of course, there were also neutral fans who hadn't worn jerseys and scouts from various teams, watching the players with piercing gazes.

A high-intensity game like this was enough for these astute scouts to identify the players' strengths and weaknesses on the court. This would play a crucial role in shaping their draft strategies.

Thus, for matches of this caliber, any team planning to bolster its core with young talent for the new season would send scouts to evaluate the players in person.

The New York Knicks were no exception.

Scott Layden had intended to enter the arena discreetly, but the transparent glass of the VIP box made it nearly impossible for the Knicks president to keep a low profile.

As soon as he entered, he saw many old acquaintances waving and greeting him, forcing him to step out of the box and chat with the coaches of the two teams—familiar faces in American basketball circles.

Earl "Grunfeld" looked on helplessly.

He had anticipated such a scenario. Among the scouts present, there were plenty of familiar faces. But the Knicks were the only team with both their scouting director and president in attendance.

Scott Layden's presence sparked considerable chatter among the scouts.

"Isn't that old guy chatting with the Wolves' coach from New York?"

"And the one next to him—Nick Field, the Knicks' scouting director, right? His talent-spotting record is notoriously bad."

"Keep an eye on them. There's definitely a big fish in today's game. Even if we can't land the player ourselves, we need to thwart their plans. Otherwise, we'll be dead last in Toronto next season!"

---

Meanwhile, on the court, the players from both teams warming up noticed the Knicks duo chatting casually with their coaches.

After a heated discussion, someone on the Syracuse University bench identified Earl Grunfeld.

"Oh my God, that's the Knicks' scouting director! Did you see that, Carmelo? He's absolutely here for you!"

"Yeah, who doesn't know about your game-winning shot last time? A buzzer-beater in the semifinals is as golden as it gets."

Carmelo Anthony followed his teammate's gaze, then grinned.

"Stay calm, guys. Just pass me the ball more today, and I'll give these NBA teams a little surprise."

On the other side, the North Carolina Wolves also noticed the scene.

Julius Hodge, who had been suffering under Wang Song's post moves, clutched his chest in mock pain when he spotted the Knicks duo courtside.

His expression quickly shifted from pain to focus as he shouted, "Wang, didn't you have enough to eat at lunch? These moves are so weak—put some power into it!"

Confused, Wang Song scratched his head.

He had never seen anyone make such an unreasonable demand, but decided to oblige.

Before he could gather strength, Hodge frantically signaled to his young teammate, only to find Wang Song completely ignoring him.

Panicked, Hodge whispered, "For crying out loud, Wang, are you trying to kill me? Don't you see those two scouts courtside? Show me some mercy, will you?"

"And by the way... your strength seems to have skyrocketed recently. Are you on something?"

Wang Song remained unfazed, dunking the ball before turning toward the sidelines.

"Scouts are scouts, right? Hodge, with your skills, you're worried about the draft?"

His cheerful response and flattery left Hodge momentarily speechless, even forgetting the dull pain in his chest.

"Exactly! And at the rate you're improving, Wang, you might make it into the first round in a couple of years."

"Do you think Coach is pitching us to those scouts right now?"

---

### Back in China

Today marked the first day New Fox Sports had acquired broadcasting rights for the NCAA games.

Bai Yang, a college student at the Communication University of China, had finally landed an online side job after much effort, using his computer on campus.

His roommates were skeptical.

"How long has the internet been around? An online side job? Sounds like a scam to me."

"Be careful, Bai. Don't end up with a virus on your computer."

Despite their doubts, Bai Yang couldn't help but feel unsure himself. He recalled the recruitment ad:

**"NCAA Live Text Broadcaster (Online Freelance)"**

As a sports enthusiast, Bai Yang was familiar with New Fox Sports, a moderately popular domestic sports website. Trusting the brand, he decided to give it a shot.

Nervously accepting the job, Bai Yang had prepared extensively before his first official broadcast.

Finally, the big day arrived.

Following his planned script, Bai Yang began his live broadcast, his heart pounding.

"Welcome, everyone, to the NCAA Eastern Division Finals. This is New Fox Sports' exclusive live text broadcast."

"I'm your commentator and good friend—Xiao Bai!"

With deft use of his Wubi input method, Bai Yang quickly sent out the prepared opening lines.

Meanwhile, the number of viewers in the live room steadily climbed: 1, 2, 3...

With more traffic coming in from New Fox Sports' homepage, the audience grew larger.

——**"We can chat here? Let me test the first comment!"**

——**"Is this real-time? NCAA live text commentary? Does this site even have the rights?"**

——**"This isn't a phishing link, is it? As far as I know, not even CCTV has NCAA rights. How could a small company get them?"**

——**"The page design looks legit, and there's even a detailed stats panel. Phishing sites wouldn't go this far!"**

Watching the influx of comments, Bai Yang grew more confident, replying to each enthusiastically.

"Alright, the game is about to start. Both teams' starting lineups are entering the court!"

"Today's matchup features the North Carolina Wolves and Syracuse University. Both teams have been spectacular in their previous games."

"Especially the North Carolina Wolves, who have been the dark horse of the tournament, charging all the way to the division finals. Their semifinal victory was nothing short of dominant."

"And for those following NCAA basketball, you'll know that the Wolves feature a fellow compatriot of ours. His recent performances have been stellar."

"Dubbed the 'First Chinese NCAA Player,' Wang Song plays as a center with remarkable consistency."

"Let's look forward to his performance today!"

*(To be continued)*