Every NBA team with lottery aspirations had sent representatives to the arena.
Shortly after, both teams' players entered the court.
Anthony Davis walked in last, his massive frame casting an exaggerated shadow under the arena lights.
As was customary, players from both sides could greet each other before tip-off.
Davis approached Yuuto first.
"Glory belongs to the Wildcats!"
This was their first exchange.
His face wore an "I'm going to destroy you" expression.
Yuuto asked him, "What games have you been playing lately?"
"Huh?" Davis was momentarily stunned, then brightened, thinking he'd found a kindred spirit. "I've been playing GTA lately. Do you like gaming too?"
If Yuuto answered "yes," Davis planned to go easy on him tonight.
Maybe they could even become friends. After all, his idol LeBron loved "making friends."
"No. I never play games before important matches. It makes me look unprofessional."
Fuck.
Davis felt like he'd been played.
Their first interaction ended poorly.
Today was monumentally important for Yuuto.
Which was why...
Akashi had flown in on his family's private jet, bringing Sora and the Generation of Miracles to watch the game in person.
"What did you say to him?"
"I told him I'd destroy him tonight."
Yuuto smiled as he spoke to Sora and Momoi.
He chatted briefly with Akashi and the others before returning to his team to prepare.
Minutes later, both starting lineups took the floor.
The broadcast commentator Duff immediately broke down UCLA's approach.
"The Bruins are going with one big and four smalls tonight. Looks like they're planning to match Kentucky's pace."
"This means they've essentially conceded the interior. But I don't think this is a particularly positive sign—Kentucky's perimeter firepower isn't far behind UCLA's."
The opening tip was no contest.
Davis exploded upward and tipped the ball to Marquis Teague.
"Wow, he jumped so high—like Murasakibara."
"Higher than Murasakibara, actually."
Akashi fell silent.
Because of Yuuto, they'd all been following the NCAA tournament lately. They understood exactly what kind of monster Anthony Davis was.
A former perimeter player who'd experienced a massive growth spurt, shifting his position from the wing to the interior.
A 6'10" power forward with wing player skills—essentially a perfected version of Murasakibara.
"A lot of fans have been debating whether Yu can surpass AD. But tonight, AD will silence them."
The pro-Kentucky commentator was fired up.
Yuuto found himself matched up against Courtney Lee, a 6'5" senior guard.
Yuuto remembered that in the original timeline, this guy had entered the NBA in 2008. But in this world, he was still at Kentucky.
Then again, with all the changes Yuuto had caused, such minor historical divergences were normal.
History's wheels kept turning, but the details could always shift.
This was Yuuto's defensive assignment tonight.
Lee had recently tied Kentucky's all-time scoring record—the most prolific scorer in program history.
But Kentucky's first play didn't go to him—it went to Anthony Davis.
Davis caught the ball and attacked like a guard, accelerating past Reeves Nelson with a crossover before exploding to the rim for a vicious slam.
That size, those skills, that athletic ability—no wonder he was projected number one.
"He's like Murasakibara's ultimate evolution." Kise was amazed.
Watching on TV was nothing compared to this.
A big man with Murasakibara's—or even superior—athleticism, scoring with guard skills and speed. The visual impact was overwhelming.
Then.
UCLA's turn on offense.
Yuuto didn't need to call for the ball—his teammates found him automatically.
The instant he caught it, Yuuto's center of gravity was already dropping as he exploded forward, attacking Marquis Teague's balance.
Under pressure, Teague shifted his weight to compensate.
These instinctive reactions were the seeds of ankle-breaking destruction.
Yuuto spotted the vulnerability. His dribble crossed between his legs, back and forth, then his right hand suddenly ripped the ball across.
In that instant, Teague's body betrayed him—he collapsed to the floor, his expression pure horror.
Then.
Yuuto stepped back to the three-point line, gathered, and rose. His first three-pointer of the game splashed through, giving Courtney Lee no chance to contest.
"OMG, what did we just witness?"
"Yu just made the defender completely disappear! ESPN's projected lottery pick Marquis Teague was done dirty!"
The entire arena erupted. Front-row fans rose to their feet in unison.
In this game's opening exchange, both potential number-one picks had showcased their elite individual abilities.
"That was incredible!" Kise exclaimed again.
The Yuuto before them now felt unfamiliar.
From the moment this game started, Kise had sensed something different from Japan.
Every player here radiated something called talent.
That Yuuto could dominate in this environment was mind-boggling. It was hard to believe they'd once been peers.
Davis's opening dunk had certainly made a powerful first impression of his dominance. But Yuuto's ankle-breaker into a stepback three left everyone equally stunned.
Basketball had existed for over a century. Moves like this weren't exactly unprecedented.
But against a talent-loaded Kentucky team, Yuuto looked no different than he always did.
The NBA executives in attendance were now even more conflicted.
Both of these kids displayed absurdly tantalizing talent.
Getting them both would mean securing the foundation of a dynasty.
Unfortunately.
Most teams would likely walk away with neither.
The game continued.
Both sides traded blows in an unrelenting battle.
Davis demanded the ball aggressively. He could drive, shoot, and dunk—seemingly unstoppable.
Tonight he was especially fired up, determined to destroy that media-hungry Asian kid.
Reeves Nelson stayed near Davis, trying to harass him and force the ball outside.
Despite their pre-game plan to concede the interior and let Davis have his way...
Once the game actually started, how could the Bruins truly abandon the paint?
Besides.
The NCAA three-point line wasn't NBA distance. It naturally suited help defense—perimeter defenders didn't need to completely abandon their assignments to help inside.
Davis worked for position, backed down, drew help defense, then kicked it out to an open teammate.
But Courtney Lee couldn't capitalize—Yuuto had him locked down.
Yuuto's eyes wouldn't allow Lee to find his optimal shooting rhythm. Forcing a shot under these conditions meant an ugly miss.
...
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