Chapter 1: Connecticut Huskies
On March 9, 1996, Madison Square Garden in New York hosted the NCAA Big East Conference Championship.
The number 2 seed, Georgetown Hoyas, and the number 1 seed, Connecticut Huskies, met in the final.
After tip-off at 9 PM that night, cheers echoed throughout American Airlines Arena. In addition to the loyal fans of both teams, local casual fans also bought tickets to show their support.
The New York Times reporters heavily promoted the game before it began, and ESPN, as the broadcaster, even sent two renowned commentators, Dick Vitale and Sean McDonough.
The Big East Conference final garnered so much attention mainly because both sides had incredibly popular star players.
“Defense! Defense! Defense!”
The fans of the Georgetown Hoyas, who had reached the Big East Tournament Championship four times in six years, were shouting excitedly at this moment; they were getting closer and closer to victory!
Li You, sitting on the University of Connecticut's bench, appeared as usual on the surface, but he felt a bit dejected inside.
Even the Chosen One with a cheat couldn't withstand a biased whistle!
He got into foul trouble too early while guarding Allen Iverson tonight, so he could only sit on the bench.
On the court, Allen Iverson, wearing a black jersey, with a buzz cut, thick eyebrows, and large eyes, looked spirited. Seeing Ricky Moore quickly advance past half-court, he immediately chose to press him tightly.
On the left wing, Ricky Moore protected the ball with his body, pushing against Allen Iverson's Defense as he approached the three-point line.
In the right corner, Ray Allen, the star player of the Connecticut Huskies, was entangled with the Rookie Victor Page, and the two pulled each other as they quickly cut from right to left into the three-second area.
Ray Allen, looking anxious, used a screen from his center teammate Nate and quickly popped out from the middle.
Nate's 2.13-meter large frame played its part, allowing Ray Allen to break free from the Defense and move to the top of the arc, where he successfully received a pass from his teammate.
At this moment, Allen Iverson darted to Ray Allen's left to provide help Defense, and at the same time, the Rookie Victor Page also chased back.
Facing the double-team Defense, Ray Allen didn't hesitate. He put the ball down with his right hand, took a step-through, and relying on his excellent explosiveness, drove into the paint while keeping the Defense on him.
“Oh!!”
A gasp suddenly erupted in Madison Square Garden. Under the triple-team, Othella Harrington, the Georgetown Hoyas' center, directly swatted Ray Allen to the floor inside the paint.
The referee immediately blew his whistle. Othella Harrington, a 2.08-meter, 113-kilogram black fatty, didn't care at all; he even punched the air and roared, laughing in celebration.
Such actions somewhat broke the composure of several University of Connecticut Huskies players.
A conflict immediately broke out between the two sides, with shouting, pulling, and shoving. The referee, seeing the situation was not right, immediately rushed in to separate everyone.
At this point, the score was 60:47, with Georgetown Hoyas leading by 13 points.
With only 4 minutes left in the second half, the game seemed to be losing its suspense.
The University of Connecticut fans in American Airlines Arena instinctively stood up, all looking at Ray Allen, who had just gotten up from the floor.
Rubbing his wrist and showing a pained expression, Ray Allen shook his head at his teammates, then let out a long breath and walked to the free-throw line.
Cheers erupted again. University of Connecticut Head Coach Jim Calhoun, on the sidelines, reined in his fierce expression, stopped complaining to the referee, and then turned to shout at the bench:
“Li! Get ready to play, we need to score! The game isn't over yet!”
Li You, sitting on the bench, immediately threw off the towel on his shoulder and walked calmly to the scorer's table.
At the commentary booth, Dick Vitale, seeing the University of Connecticut preparing to make a substitution, stroked his bald head and immediately said loudly:
“Is the Cool Boy going to save the team again? I like Li's performance this season, but there isn't much time left.”
“Coach Calhoun is still a bit conservative; he should have made the substitution earlier.”
Sean McDonough also felt that time was running out:
“Time is on Georgetown's side. Allen Iverson completely controlled the game tonight!”
Allen Iverson, seeing Li You enter the game, immediately pouted. He didn't like this sophomore player who was in the same class as him at all.
In the two years since entering college, the two, both from the Big East Conference, had frequently faced each other, and he had never won once.
The noise in Madison Square Garden grew louder as Georgetown fans tried to distract Ray Allen, who was shooting free throws.
“Hey! Buddy, are you ready to watch us win the championship live!?”
Allen Iverson, standing outside the three-point line, raised his voice, head held high with a triumphant smile, showing off the championship that was about to be his to Li You.
“The crybaby still hasn't learned his lesson!”
Li You scoffed in a low voice and then ignored Allen Iverson. As soon as Ray Allen made both free throws, he immediately signaled the tactical hand gesture to his teammates on the court.
Seemingly recalling his unlucky freshman year, Allen Iverson's smile immediately vanished.
Even with the buzz cut characteristic of that era, Li You's good looks didn't diminish. His bright, piercing eyes, youthful face, and mature demeanor left a deep impression.
Ray Allen, seeing his old partner's tactical hand gesture, completely relaxed. While quickly retreating on Defense, he also loudly reminded his teammates to pay attention to Defense, believing that the game still had a chance.
Although the NCAA, which adheres to pure basketball, reduced the offensive time from 45 seconds to 35 seconds, the pace was still very slow.
Amidst the cheers of Georgetown fans, Allen Iverson unhurriedly dribbled past half-court. They were currently leading by 11 points, and the initiative was on their side.
Head Coach John Thompson on the sidelines loudly reminded his players to stay calm.
Allen Iverson heard his coach's instructions, moved to the top of the arc, and immediately passed the ball to George Butler on the right wing outside the three-point line.
This 1.88-meter senior black guard had richer game experience. Upon receiving the pass, he immediately signaled center Othella Harrington to post up on the right low block.
This was the same tactic Georgetown Hoyas had run many times.
The moment Othella Harrington received the ball, Li You, who was originally chasing Allen Iverson's off-ball cut in the middle, suddenly abandoned his man-to-man Defense.
Taking advantage of his teammate Nate, the center, boxing out the opponent, he quickly moved to Othella Harrington's side and forcefully swiped the ball with his right hand.
“Slap!”
The basketball bounced off the floor and was then stolen by Li You. The University of Connecticut fans in American Airlines Arena yelled excitedly; if the opponent had stalled for another 35 seconds, the game would truly be over.
The commotion in Madison Square Garden did not affect Li You. He held the ball with his left hand and quickly advanced along the left sideline.
The chasing George Butler kept making small movements. The 1.91-meter Li You did not have a height advantage, but his body agility was better.
Approaching the left wing, Li You began to flex his hips to slow down, lowering his center of gravity while dribbling the ball under his left hand, changing the dribbling rhythm, and abruptly lunging forward to the left.
Although Li You's explosiveness was not outstanding, his sudden stops and starts in transition offense still made George Butler instinctively slide backward and to the right.
Noticing the opponent's defensive movement, Li You immediately pulled back with a crossover step, instantly returning outside the three-point line. George Butler, trying to shift his defensive weight again, was faked out and stumbled, completely losing his defensive position.
“Oh!!”
The flashy move caused a gasp to erupt in Madison Square Garden.
What made the New York casual fans even more incredulous was that Li You did not choose to drive to the paint while the opponent was off balance. Instead, he quickly gathered the ball outside the three-point line, and as soon as the basketball was raised above his head, he shot it directly!
Allen Iverson, who had just retreated to the three-point line, watched the basketball fall straight into the hoop, swishing through the net, and couldn't help but curse under his breath:
“F*ck! Another damn three-pointer!”
QAQ The book title keeps repeating, I'm numb!