Back in his previous life, when Yuuto used to browse Maopu forums, he often saw one question:
Was Stoudemire overrated?
Especially after he left Phoenix—he declined rapidly.
There was no definitive answer.
His physical gifts were genuinely explosive. At his peak, his offensive ability was historically elite, particularly facing up.
He had a mid-range game, and his pick-and-roll play was the league standard at the time.
Years later, players like Clint Capela would emerge—roll men whom Chris Paul and James Harden fed into All-Star-level numbers.
Amar'e was Capela's upgraded version.
So the Knicks' five-year, $100 million contract wasn't entirely an overpay.
But setting aside his offense, his defense was consistently criticized.
His one-on-one defense was poor. His positioning was weak. His help-defense effort was low. A classic offensive-minded big.
Sure, he averaged about one block per game. Casual fans might think his defense was decent.
But that block came from his explosive athleticism—Amar'e was one of the league's most athletic bigs.
Once injuries sapped his athleticism, his defense became a black hole.
In summary: an over-packaged scoring machine.
Plus Carmelo was also an offense-first, defense-optional player. Both had lazy defensive attitudes and couldn't energize their teammates.
The Knicks' perpetual first-round exits made perfect sense.
In any league, a team without defense can't go far.
Even in Steve Nash's MVP season, when Phoenix's offense was historically elite—
What happened?
Still couldn't escape the West. In the playoffs, the Suns' run-and-gun attack always got neutralized.
Anyway, tangent over.
Yuuto's continued excellence caught CCTV's attention.
"Good evening, viewers. Welcome to Sports News. First, a report from the American NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament."
"This morning Beijing time, Yuuto from [Province] led his UCLA Bruins to victory over North Carolina in the second round, advancing to the Sweet Sixteen."
"Our player Yuuto delivered an outstanding performance: 39 points, 10 rebounds, 8 assists, 3 steals, and 2 blocks."
"Facing the ACC powerhouse North Carolina, Yuuto demonstrated dominant control on both ends of the floor."
"The nineteen-year-old Yuuto stands 1.98 meters tall and plays shooting guard. Before college, he won two state championships in three high school years."
"After joining UCLA, Yuuto quickly became the team's undisputed star. Opposing coach Roy Williams called him the most talented player he'd ever seen."
"According to ESPN draft projections, Yuuto has entered the top three. His exceptional play has attracted significant attention from NBA scouts."
"Now, let's look at other sports news."
This report wasn't earth-shattering, but it did generate considerable buzz among domestic fans.
This was the information age—the internet had spread widely.
Many hardcore fans followed the NCAA, understanding what that stage meant.
Especially a team like North Carolina—fans knew how strong they were. It was MJ's alma mater, a traditional NCAA powerhouse.
Beating a team like that carried immense significance.
More importantly—Yuuto's draft position.
Yao Ming's number-one pick remained the pride of Chinese basketball.
Later, Yi Jianlian and others had given domestic fans hope for the national team's rise.
But—
After Yao's retirement, Yi struggled to adapt to the NBA, and those hopes gradually faded.
Who would've thought that now, a top-three projected talent had emerged?
Fans frantically dug into Yuuto's background. Resourceful fans quickly uncovered everything.
Then controversy erupted—debates, even arguments.
As for Yuuto?
He wasn't paying attention to domestic news.
Six days later, UCLA would face the Elite Eight opener.
Their opponent: the University of Kansas.
Another college basketball powerhouse with illustrious history.
Their most recent March Madness title came in 2008—not long ago.
Wilt Chamberlain was an alumnus.
According to the original timeline, Kansas was supposed to eliminate North Carolina in the Elite Eight to reach the Final Four.
Yuuto remembered that game well—because he'd watched the second half live.
North Carolina had scored 47 first-half points, but only 20 in the second half.
The culprit was Tyshawn Taylor, who'd torched UNC with 22 points (10-19 FG), 6 rebounds, and 5 steals, creating havoc defensively.
But Kansas's true centerpiece wasn't Taylor—it was Thomas Robinson.
According to history, Robinson would go fifth overall to Sacramento.
This was Robinson's junior year, averaging 17.7 points and 11.9 rebounds—second in the nation in rebounding.
As the Bruins advanced to the Sweet Sixteen—
UCLA's campus atmosphere intensified.
Many students bought Yuuto's jersey, then asked for his autograph.
Whether from genuine admiration or not—if Yuuto made the NBA, those signed jerseys would multiply in value.
Yuuto didn't refuse, signing for everyone.
But the external chaos was getting excessive.
Every California media outlet wanted access to him. Steve blocked them all.
Sponsors approached the school with lucrative offers, hoping Yuuto would endorse their products.
Yuuto had once watched a movie about football.
The protagonist won the Super Bowl, and his post-game interview—just uttering fewer than twenty words of ad copy—earned him $2 million.
Yuuto wasn't getting that much, but the speed of incoming money still shocked him.
Even though he was now a college star, a future NBA star, deep down he was still a country bumpkin.
No wonder Cristiano Ronaldo's one interview where he pushed aside Coca-Cola caused their stock to drop 1.6%—a $4 billion loss.
That was star power.
"You should've said yes. That Korean girl was hot."
"And then tomorrow I'm on every newspaper: 'Yu Doesn't Return to Dorm Night Before Big Game?'"
Yuuto shot Powell a look.
"Give me a break, Norman. If I actually did that, the media would be praying we lose so they could pile on criticism."
...
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