NBA: The Basketball Miracle

In 1996, broadcasting conditions were limited, but fortunately, NCAA games have always attracted a lot of attention.

Lee's impressive performance in the game against Eastern Michigan University impressed some scouts.

Basketball is ultimately about getting the ball into the basket. Although the opponent was not very talented, Lee's breakthrough and finishing in the first half of the game were too efficient.

Dave Wall is a senior scout for the Lakers, responsible for observing and evaluating college and international players.

He played for several teams in the 1960s, including the Washington Bullets and Philadelphia 76ers, won the NBA championship in 1969, and coached some teams after retiring.

He had just joined the Lakers management team in 1995. He came to watch the UConn game tonight mainly to observe Ray Allen, but after the first half he was attracted by Lee's performance.

"He is very disciplined, good at using his body, not afraid of confrontation, and is very good at finishing at the basket!"

"You seem to lack explosive power. Half-Asian, 18 years old?"

Dave Wall drew a question mark on his notebook. He thought Lee was very interesting. Combined with the data he had collected before, it seemed that he had found a treasure.

At 32:40 in the first half, the University of Connecticut led by 8 points.

Many fans at the scene are still savoring Lee's performance. Young people always prefer fancy dribbling!

Although Ray Allen also played well, Lee's several wonderful dribbles with the ball in hand left a deeper impression on the fans.

During the halftime break, Ray Allen couldn't hold back any longer. This was completely different from his impression of Clay Lee:

"Lee, how did you do that? I mean, how did you get the ball into the basket with that tilted body?"

His teammates also pricked up their ears. It was really magical that he was able to score the ball after the deformation of his movements.

Lee did not hold back and said in a serious tone:

"Keep your body's center of gravity, and then throw the ball towards the basket. Be careful not to throw it crooked!"

"Booo!!"

Everyone booed and then started discussing Lee's sudden outburst.

"Stewardess! It must be a flight attendant!"

"It's like clean shit! Just like those martial arts movies!"

"."

Influenced by Lee, everyone would watch some martial arts movies when they were bored. In addition to Bruce Lee's classic movies, the most watched were Jackie Chan's films.

In the first half, he made 5 of 6 shots, 11 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal. After coming on as a substitute, Lee broke through the opponent's small backcourt.

Coach Calhoun was a little confused when he heard a bunch of "empty suits" after returning to the locker room, but he didn't care about it. He took the initiative to pat Lee on the shoulder and continued to instruct:

"To maintain our lead, we have to protect the rebounds. The other team will continue to increase their shooting, which is their only effective means of offense."

"Nate, increase the defense range!"

Following the coach's instructions, everyone quieted down again, and the players who heard the instructions nodded in agreement with serious expressions.

When Lee heard that coach Calhoun was going to slow down the game in the second half, he knew that his playing time would not increase.

At present, he is still not quite adapted to the pace of NCAA games. Whenever the team takes the lead, the coaching staff always chooses to stabilize.

After the second half of the game started, Dave Wall, who was sitting in the front row of the audience, was a little disappointed. He noticed that Lee was sitting on the bench.

He soon realized that Lee was still a sophomore.

"His playing style doesn't match his age. He is more mature than his peers!"

After noting down another characteristic, Dave Wall smiled. He suddenly remembered the comments of his peers and couldn't help muttering in his heart:

"He really looks more like a high school student!"

Ray Allen's talent is obvious to the naked eye. His jumping speed, jumping ability, and shooting height are unmatched by any other player on the court.

Although he thought the Lakers would not get a top 5 pick, Dave Wall still highlighted Ray Allen, and then he also highlighted Clay Lee.

In the second half of the game, when Lee came on as a substitute, he returned to his regular position control and conventional style of play.

After crossing half court, he passes the ball to the inside player in the blocking position, and then follows his teammates to cover and run.

Each attack took nearly 30 seconds to complete, and except for individual transition attacks, the Eastern Michigan Eagles were completely suppressed throughout the second half.

Seeing Lee making several runs and hitting an open three-pointer from the right wing outside the three-point line, Dave Wall nodded again.

Completely different from the data collected, although sophomore Lee did not have many opportunities, his influence on the team was not small.

There were no exciting goals in the second half of the game. The players ran tactics, found open space, completed shots, attacked in the low post, got 2 points, and committed fouls in transition offense. Both sides chose to let the opponents shoot free throws.

The audience's enthusiasm remained unabated. This is how NCAA games are played.

The fans of the University of Connecticut kept cheering. They were going to advance again!

In the end, the Connecticut Huskies successfully eliminated the Eastern Michigan Eagles 65:74 and entered the Sweet 16 again.

After the game, Lee and his teammates waved to the University of Connecticut fans who were present.

He played for 18 minutes, made 6 of 9 shots, including 1 of 3 three-pointers, 3 of 3 free throws, 16 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal and 2 turnovers. Lee's stats rose a little bit.

Dave Wall glanced at his colleagues beside him, straightened his clothes and left quickly. As the draft was approaching, he needed to report the players he liked to the management as soon as possible.

The RCA Dome was still very noisy at the end of the game, with disappointed Eastern Michigan University fans cursing.

Ray Allen enjoyed this atmosphere, but he was a little nervous when he thought about having to be a younger brother after entering the league.

At the end, when he was about to enter the player tunnel, Ray Allen suddenly whispered:

"I don't know what the atmosphere is like in an NBA team's locker room. Do rookies have to carry bags for veterans?"

Lee didn't expect Ray Allen to worry about this kind of problem. After all, the treatment of high-ranking rookies is different:

"Don't worry about these things at all. The team that select you will regards you as the cornerstone of the team."

"We all have one head on one shoulder. We all play basketball to make a living. We don't need to pay attention to those old guys."

Ray Allen grinned when he heard Lee's words. He just needed some psychological comfort:

"Lee, you will definitely succeed. God will always favor players who work hard. Hard training will eventually pay off!"

Lee just smiled in response, and the two of them walked quickly towards the player tunnel.

Back in the locker room, Lee celebrated with his teammates. Coach Calhoun was also very happy, but thinking of the subsequent opponents, he immediately reminded them:

"Take care of yourself, we'll be moving tomorrow, don't stress, we've already accomplished our goal this year!"