Five minutes after receiving Kobe Bryant's "draft guarantee," Snoopy ran into Pat Riley outside the locker room. Riley introduced himself as being from Miami and handed Snoopy a business card. He told Snoopy that if he declared for the draft this year, he could give him a call, and Riley would arrange a workout with the team.
At the same time, Riley encouraged Snoopy to enter the draft this year. His reasoning matched Kobe Bryant's — college basketball mainly helps rookies by improving their understanding of tactics and their sense of team defense.
But in both areas, Snoopy was already far ahead of the curve. Therefore, Riley suggested that he enter the professional league as soon as possible to receive structured training and fully unlock his potential.
Holding Riley's business card, Snoopy walked back into the locker room, where Luc Mbah a Moute and the others immediately crowded around him, eager to know what Riley had said.
From their tone, it wasn't hard to tell how much respect they had for the slick-haired white-haired man.
"He said he hopes I'll enter the draft this year. If I do, I can call him, and he'll arrange a team workout for me," Snoopy said calmly.
Bryant Wright nearly shouted, "Snoopy, do you realize who that was? That's Pat Riley, the president of the Miami Heat — one of the most powerful executives in the entire NBA! The fact that he said that to you means Miami's seriously interested. And if he even gave you his card, that's practically a draft guarantee!"
Snoopy just shrugged. He stayed cool — thinking to himself, A draft guarantee? I think I've already got more than one of those.
After showering, he boarded the team bus back to campus.
By now, Luc Mbah a Moute, Russell Westbrook, and Kevin Love had officially left the team — all three had announced after the game that they were declaring for the 2008 NBA Draft.
The remaining players on the bus looked on with a mix of envy and melancholy. From this day on, their paths would rarely cross again.
Kevin Love and the others would become NBA players, earning millions — even tens of millions — and living the lives of the elite.
The rest would either keep chasing the NBA dream or bury themselves in their studies, hoping to earn a UCLA degree and find a job that might have nothing to do with basketball ever again.
Snoopy leaned against the bus window, lost in thought.
The past two months replayed in his mind like a movie — from the day he joined the Bruins to now, when he was about to leave them.
There was a trace of sadness there.
He ran his hand over the MOP trophy in his bag.
His phone kept vibrating in his pocket. When he pulled it out, it was Miley Cyrus calling — again.
He sighed and switched it to silent mode. He really didn't feel like talking to her right now. What would they even discuss — the technical flaws and areas for improvement in that "French kiss"?
When he got back to his dorm, the room was empty. Neither Russell nor Kevin would be returning tonight — or ever again.
Snoopy lay on his bed, tossing and turning, caught between nostalgia for the past and anticipation for the future.
"The NCAA Championship game took place last night at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The hometown UCLA Bruins pulled off a comeback win over the Kansas Jayhawks. Backup center Snoopy, coming off the bench, was named Final Four MOP…"
By the next afternoon, when Snoopy stepped into Professor Nelson's living room, the professor was half-reclined on his couch watching ESPN's NCAA coverage.
When he saw Snoopy, Nelson jumped up and exclaimed dramatically, "Let's give a warm welcome to our UCLA hero!"
He hugged Snoopy tightly.
"You were incredible last night! You led the team to turn the game around. I'm truly proud of you. Even though you've missed nearly twenty classes this semester, when you lifted that trophy, I couldn't help shedding a few tears," Nelson said emotionally. "You know, you're the first ever MOP in the history of Anderson School of Management."
Snoopy pressed his lips together and replied seriously, "And I'm about to become the first NBA player in the history of Anderson as well. I've decided to enter this year's draft. That's the main reason I came to see you — I won't be able to continue my studies for now."
The joy on Nelson's face froze instantly. He stared in shock at his prized student. He had been actively recommending Snoopy to join Professor Lloyd Shapley's research team — Shapley, the economist most likely to win the Nobel Prize. Shapley had already agreed in principle, meaning Snoopy could have joined his office after summer break.
But now…
"Why?" Nelson asked. "You have a real gift for economics. Honestly, your work in game theory might already surpass mine. Why give that up for basketball? To an economist, basketball is just a hobby."
"I need money," Snoopy said earnestly, "and I've fallen in love with basketball. I love the intensity on the court. I love beating opponents with assists, rebounds, blocks, and points. But don't worry — I'm not giving up on my studies. When my basketball career ends, I'll come back to economics."
Nelson was silent for a long time.
Finally, he accepted Snoopy's decision. Before Snoopy left, he handed him a serious research topic: 'On the Inevitability and Contingency of Economic Bankruptcy Among NBA Superstars.'
He hoped Snoopy would study the subject deeply once he entered the league — and someday produce the most professional, authentic, and authoritative paper on it.
They chatted about the topic for a while. Then, when Nelson learned Snoopy hadn't hired an agent yet, he recommended his granddaughter.
He explained that she had previously worked at CAA as Leon Rose's assistant — and had personally handled many of Carmelo Anthony's endorsement deals.
"She's currently a senior manager at Goldman Sachs — possibly up for VP next year. But, you know how it is — there are tons of VPs at Goldman. She's not one to settle down, and she's been preparing to return to the sports agency world. So I think you two should talk. If you end up working together, who knows — maybe something truly special will come of it."
Snoopy nodded. He really did need a partner now.
So, after leaving Professor Nelson's house, the second call he made that day was to that woman — Daphne.
Before that, though, he had called Kevin Ding to inform him of his decision:
He would be entering the 2008 NBA Draft.