14 points, 22 rebounds, 7 assists, 4 blocks, 2 steals.
The next day, Zack found himself in deep reflection, scrutinizing his stat line from the previous night. While Tim Duncan, who called him that very day to congratulate him, found Zack's self-reflection utterly baffling, Zack was just as puzzled why Duncan would congratulate him. Duncan, on the other hand, couldn't fathom why Zack, after such an outstanding performance, felt the need to reflect.
"The reason I'm congratulating you is simple," Duncan said on the phone. "Through this game, you've proven you still have a lot of untapped potential." He paused, then continued, "And this year, you've already led Wake Forest to tie my second-best record in my college career."
Yes, even for a player as dominant as Tim Duncan, his best March Madness run with Wake Forest was only a Sweet Sixteen appearance. The Sweet Sixteen was already Duncan's second-best record in his college career.
Furthermore, judging by Zack's March Madness performance this year, Duncan was pleased that his junior had followed his previous earnest advice. Especially in that tough battle against UConn. Even knowing the dangers, he consistently posted up and successfully drew the attention of three of their key players for his teammates. On the court, he tirelessly set screens for his teammates. Even if those screens didn't provide him with the kind of flashy stats that grab headlines, he committed to them without hesitation. On the defensive end, he was a mirror image of Duncan himself: a lone sentinel guarding the paint, impervious to any storm.
Due to their shared "roots" with Wake Forest, Duncan already felt a natural kinship with Zack. As for now?
"In my sophomore year, after I scored 25 points in a game against Wallace State, Jerry West was convinced I'd be the first pick that year. (Duncan actually became the first pick two years later.) And now, what I want to tell you is, if we have the first pick next year, I will make sure 'Pop' brings you to San Antonio."
In Zack, Duncan saw not just his talent and understanding of the game, but more importantly, his unyielding willpower and the great character of being willing to sacrifice for the team. Friends come and go; in the NBA, where only championship banners fly, Duncan had seen too many talented players. Duncan knew very well that most of them would ultimately flash by like shooting stars, because their personalities couldn't support their continuous climb to the summit.
"The next year is very important for you. Do you have Dave's contact information? He's a devil when it comes to big man fundamentals, he'll make you repeat every imperfect move hundreds, even thousands of times. I think if you need it, he'd be very happy to help you." Duncan said to Zack on the phone.
However, shortly after Duncan gave Zack Dave Odum's contact information, Zack suddenly changed the subject: "If I want to improve my perimeter skills, senior, do you have any good suggestions?"
Hearing this, Duncan fell silent. Although college Duncan hit a total of 17 three-pointers and would sometimes dribble the ball up the court like a guard after grabbing a rebound to initiate a fast break himself, Duncan still didn't understand why Zack was so obsessed with perimeter offensive skills. Did he, with a shoe height of 211cm, want to hit a stylish mid-range jumper after continuous crossovers like Michael Jordan? Or perhaps shake off opponents with a crossover so low it almost touched the floor like Allen Iverson? Or did he truly believe himself to be Magic Johnson 2.0, wanting to deliver miraculous passes to his teammates?
At this moment, Duncan didn't stop his junior's fantasies of a bright future. After all, it wasn't a bad thing for a young player to want to develop all aspects of their game.
However, Duncan immediately hung up the phone. Zack was puzzled by this, even for a moment thinking he had accidentally offended his senior during their conversation.
In reality, after entering March Madness, the reason Zack felt more like a traditional power forward was primarily because his current perimeter skills simply couldn't support him showcasing or displaying them in March Madness games. In the ACC, because Zack had a lot of room for error, he could naturally try various things. But in March Madness, Zack knew very well that only by playing to his strengths and avoiding his weaknesses could he present his best self to the world. This was an adjustment players had to make as the level of competition increased.
Take Yi Jianlian, for example, from Zack's memory. As a number six overall pick in the NBA, when Yi Jianlian's skills couldn't support him continuing to be a core inside player in the NBA, he naturally became a stretch four. What if you didn't want that? Well, tough luck. Even if you were a prestigious number six overall pick, and even if you had the boundless potential of tmarket behind you, the NBA would close its doors to you.
In this life, Zack, who could visualize his talent data through the "Peak" system, knew very well that his future would definitely not be limited to a traditional power forward role. He wanted to gain more touches like Nikola Jokic to increase his impact on the game. He also wanted to be able to choose his shots from any area on the court like Kevin Durant. But the prerequisite for all of this was... after spending nine months removing limitations and building a solid foundation, he had to use his sweat in the next year to show the world that he had the ability to continue playing in the NBA the way he did in college.
The Road Ahead
Wake Forest's journey this year ended in the Sweet Sixteen. UConn, however, as Zack remembered, went all the way to the end, defeating Georgia Tech in the finals and raising the NCAA championship trophy as expected. Emeka Okafor, hailed as the top college player in America, was named this year's Final Four Most Outstanding Player (MOP). After the game, in an interview, Okafor, a top draft prospect, predictably expressed his desire to take his talents to the NBA.
Additionally, when discussing this year's NCAA journey, Okafor also said: "Our final was actually played in the Sweet Sixteen... That game, Wake Forest taught us a lot. Zack is a great opponent, and I look forward to meeting him in the NBA in the future."
Ben Gordon, another key player for UConn, also announced after the finals that he would enter this year's NBA Draft. However, compared to the humble Okafor, Gordon stated bluntly in an interview: "This year's March Madness, we only faced a real test in the Sweet Sixteen. Therefore, I think it's time for me to challenge the NBA." Although Okafor and Gordon essentially meant the same thing in their interviews, no matter how you listen, Gordon sounded more like he was saying: "I'm not targeting anyone, I'm just saying, besides Wake Forest, everyone else here is trash."
The UConn "Twin Stars" were heading to the NBA. Meanwhile, after returning to Winston-Salem with their team, Zack and Paul, the Wake Forest "Twin Stars," explicitly stated that both of them would choose to remain in school and continue playing in the NCAA.
Freshman Paul was still a long way from becoming the "Point God" in Zack's memories. Historically, he would have led his team to a loss against Jamal Nelson's Saint Joseph's University in March Madness. And in that game, he would have been thoroughly outplayed by Nelson. (Note ①) In this life, Paul narrowly escaped that fate, but through this year's games, Paul still saw how big the gap was between him and NBA-level players.
"I'm planning to bulk up this summer. LeBron told me he'll help me with that during the summer," Paul told Zack after returning to school.
Zack, not wanting to interfere with Paul's bonding with LeBron, said, "You definitely need to bulk up, Chris. Right now, you look like an elementary schooler against Raymond, Deron, and Jamal, weak and easily blown over."
Hearing this, Paul playfully punched Zack's knee and said, "Hey, man, how much better are you? I still remember your terribly clumsy post-ups against Emeka."
Seeing this, Zack spread his hands and said, "But I had 14 points and 22 rebounds in that game. If you only look at the stats, I should even be this year's NBA first pick." As Zack and Paul's relationship grew closer, playful banter became their daily routine. Unfortunately, in this aspect, Paul could hardly be a match for Zack, as Zack had extensive experience with online arguments from his previous life.
A New Chapter Begins
In April, Zack returned to Wake Forest, diligently working on improving his basketball skills and focusing on his studies. One day, he received a piece of news from Rachel Carlisle, with whom he had planned to delve deep into some study materials, that greatly piqued his interest.
"You're saying Nike headquarters offered you an internship?" Zack said, looking down at Rachel, who was sitting on his lap.
"Isn't that strange? I never sent them a resume, but they extended an olive branch," Rachel replied.
Strange? No, not at all. Because this was Nike's usual tactic for recruiting.
Before the NCAA changed its rules, college players couldn't sign sponsorship or commercial contracts with agents or other representatives, nor could they profit from social media, endorsements, running training camps, or advertisements. This was one of the reasons why, before the NBA banned high school players from entering the draft, talented high schoolers rushed to bring their talents directly to the NBA.
In 2001, then-North Carolina head coach Matt Doherty wanted to show DeSagana Diop the "meager income" of an NBA first-round pick at the time, to tell him that if he played one year at North Carolina, that "meager income" would likely double. But to Doherty's surprise, when Diop learned that an NBA first-round pick's "meager income" was already in the millions of dollars, Diop immediately decided to skip college and go directly to the NBA. For Diop, who came from a poor family, if he could make big money in the NBA, why would he struggle for a year in college? To hone his skills? To improve his understanding of basketball? Sorry, when it came to having enough to eat, Diop couldn't care less about anything else at the time.
In Zack's previous life, after the NCAA rules were reformed in the future, you would be surprised to find that many players who actually needed to hone their skills in college suddenly became fond of school again. But in fact, in American basketball, how many young players truly know they need to hone their skills in college, or just want to attend school? It's simply: everyone scrambles for profit.
Zack knew very well that although limited by current NCAA regulations, Nike couldn't finalize a contract with him immediately. But if Nike really waited until he decided to declare for the draft to communicate with him, it would be too late. Providing jobs to people close to or associated with desired athletes has always been Nike's prelude to recruitment. Historically, in the bidding war for LeBron James, Nike had already groomed James's close associate, Maverick Carter, into an "insider" early on. And even earlier, in the 1970s, when preparing to recruit track and field star Steve Prefontaine, Nike even specifically assigned an employee to serve as Prefontaine's "whisperer."
At Wake Forest, Zack and Rachel's relationship wasn't a secret. So, after deciding to bring Zack under their wing, Nike immediately targeted Rachel. Through Rachel, Nike could not only stay updated on Zack's activities instantly, but they could also establish contact with Zack through this "dark channel." This way, Nike could perfectly circumvent all NCAA regulations and plan ahead for future cooperation with Zack. You see, the NCAA has many rules. But rules are rigid, and people are adaptable.
That day, looking at Rachel, who had a classic American sweet girl face, Zack smiled, "I think you've already guessed why Nike headquarters offered you this internship."
Hearing this, Rachel, who had no intention of hiding anything from Zack, said honestly, "But I can't betray you."
Rachel knew that she was now labeled as "Zack's person." Therefore, if she decided to accept this internship and, in the future, help Zack reach an agreement with Nike as Nike's "dark channel," then based on Zack's current market value, she would undoubtedly have a financially promising job with a bright future. But even so, Rachel remained quite clear-headed. Because she knew Zack's character and understood him. So, compared to the job, she cared more about Zack's feelings and the fact that she absolutely couldn't betray him.
Nike wanted her to be the "dark channel" they could use to communicate with Zack. But Zack hadn't said he wanted her to be that "dark channel."
"Since Nike wants to show us their sincerity, what reason do we have to refuse?" Zack said after gently squeezing a soft part of Rachel. At that moment, Rachel noticed that Zack used "us." This meant that in his heart, her status had risen another step.
"But since it's about showing sincerity, I think it wouldn't be too much to ask them for a few things, right?" Zack suddenly said to Rachel.
"What do you want to ask them for?"
"With their resources, they must know a lot of top trainers. Of course, I'm not asking them to pay for a trainer for me, because I have money..."
As someone with experience, Zack knew how much a top trainer could help him with his upcoming special training. Although he knew the names of many top trainers himself, for these top trainers with various personalities, sometimes money couldn't necessarily buy their services. And moreover, Zack didn't have so much money that they would drop their current work to come and guide him. So, taking advantage of Nike's overture, in Zack's eyes, this was an opportunity to establish a good working relationship with these top trainers.
A day later, Nike replied to Zack through Rachel's "dark channel." Nike executive Lynn Merritt agreed to Zack's request without hesitation.
"Who is the trainer they got for me?" Zack asked, curious.
"Tim Grover."
After a pause, Rachel suddenly said, her expression flustered, "Also, Nike wants you to make some time to go to Charlotte because someone there wants to meet you."
Hearing this, Zack gasped. Tim Grover, there were many legends about him in the basketball world, but you only needed to know that his greatest achievement was assisting Michael Jordan in ascending to the throne.
As for making time to go to Charlotte? At this time in Charlotte... who else would have the power to command Nike to contact him through a "dark channel" like he was some underling? In 2004, at this point in time, the only person in Charlotte with that kind of influence was the man himself: the God of Basketball, Michael Jordan.
Note ①: Historically, in this March Madness matchup against Jamal Nelson, Paul totaled 12 points, 8 assists, and 3 steals, while Nelson had 24 points, 7 assists, and 3 steals. As a fan who grew up watching Paul, don't ask Zack why he has so much data and information about Paul, because Zack cherishes every one of Paul's losses and beatdowns.
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