Winning the Sweet 16 and entering the Elite 8 was a huge breakthrough for the Arizona State Sun Devils.
The entire team was celebrating wildly in the locker room. Zhang Jun was also making a scene with his teammates. He really liked the atmosphere in the team.
The current Sun Devils didn't have many conflicts of interest. They were just working hard for basketball. This feeling was very pure.
Of course, perhaps it was Zhang Jun's misconception. When he was down and out, Zhang Jun knew that there were all kinds of schemes and infighting in the team, but now, when he was in his prime, everyone was smiling.
This was the difference between now and before.
As Zhang Jun continued to produce extravagant numbers on the court, the coaching staff and the players were almost certain that Zhang Jun would enter the NBA in the future.
Zhang Jun easily became the center of conversation. His teammates would gather around him to chat, something that Zhang Jun had never enjoyed before.
When Zhang Jun and the team returned to school, Zhang Jun's fame was also rising with the media.
"Battle Madness has once again raised the predicted draft pick. An NBA team has revealed that they are willing to use the lottery to sign Zhang Jun.”
"Triple-doubles in two consecutive knockout matches, the giant inside the line has revealed its fangs!!!”
"Yao's successor, the giants rule both offense and defense to help Arizona State University advance into the top 8!!”
"The internal and external partners have shown their championship temperament, and the Sun Devils have ushered in the best chance to win the championship.”
March Madness's exposure was terrifying. With the support of various media outlets, it was difficult for fans who paid attention to the NCAA tournament not to notice Zhang Jun.
The media was like that. As long as a new star produced super data, they would quickly pounce on it like a dog smelling food.
The current Zhang Jun was the center of attention. As long as there was news about him, the fans were willing to click on it.
Many people wanted to know as much as possible about a new face like Zhang Jun. They were curious about everything about Zhang Jun.
The survival of the media was based on traffic. As long as people read what they wrote, they could survive. This was their survival instinct.
Of course, there were also many media outlets who would do anything to attract traffic. They would write articles that deliberately smeared Zhang Jun's reputation. These articles could also attract clicks.
However, the fans who had watched Zhang Jun's matches were not easily led by the media. They had their own judgments.
Only those who didn't watch football would use the media reports to discuss Zhang Jun.
It was easy to become Zhang Jun's personal fan after watching him play. This was also the unique charm of a big man.
Some fans went to edit the highlights of Zhang Jun's offense and defense in the top 32 and top 16 matches. The moment these highlights were released, those fans who hadn't seen Zhang Jun play instantly became excited.
The atmosphere was similar to the cheers of big players like Yao, Boban, and Farr when they took the ball.
Zhang Jun played like an adult bullying a child. The audience was curious to see how the usually tall player would look when he faced Zhang Jun.
................
The next day.
"Zhang, I have good news to share with you.”
In the living room of the dormitory, James Harden came out of his room excitedly.
"That internet celebrity with a big butt replied to your Weibo again?”Zhang Jun asked.
It turned out that Harden's previous words to Zhang Jun about not having too much contact with women were nonsense.
As long as his butt was big, Harden had no bottom line.
As the knockout rounds progressed, in addition to Zhang Jun's soaring fame, Harden's fame also continued to rise. There was an internet celebrity with a big butt who said on Twitter that she was a fan of Harden.
After Harden saw the photo, he immediately sent her a private message on Twitter, indicating that he was a fan of the other party, and then started chatting with her.
"No, Nicole hasn't replied to me yet." The Nicole that Harden was talking about was the big-ass internet celebrity.
"What good news is that?"
James Harden said," My agent said that the Clippers are interested in me. They might choose me. You know, their record is at the bottom. They have a high chance of getting the first pick. Do you think I might be the first pick?”
Harden had an agent who had yet to sign a contract and was already working for him.
The draft draw had not been carried out yet, and the draft pick had not been decided yet. However, the NBA team's record had been roughly determined. The worse the results, the higher the draft pick. The Clippers were far ahead in this aspect.
Harden was a Californian, so he naturally wanted to play in California. In addition, Los Angeles was also a big city. Although Harden was a Laker fan, he did not reject playing for the Clippers.
Los Angeles also had all kinds of nightclubs that he yearned for when he was young.
"That's good. It should be possible.”
"In the next game, I want to strengthen my personal offense.”
"Yes, no problem. If you get more points, I'll give it to you when I get the rebound.”
"Okay, it's a deal."
Although Zhang Jun knew that this was likely a smokescreen released by the Clippers, Harden took good care of Zhang Jun. Zhang Jun would encourage him and not rashly attack the guy's confidence.
That was how the NBA draft was. Even after being selected, there was a possibility of a trade, not to mention all kinds of false promises and false news before the draft.
But even if the Clippers did not choose Harden, Harden's draft pick was already in the top five. On the list of guards, Harden ranked higher than Curry.
In his previous life, Harden was indeed the player with the highest pick among the guards. The Clippers and Grizzlies, who were in the top two picks, both chose the post.
In this life, with Zhang Jun's help, Harden's ranking was even more consolidated.
Zhang Jun's dominance in offense and defense inside the paint reassured Harden. The Sun Devils 'tactics revolved around the two of them.
In the top 32 and top 16 matches, Zhang Jun defeated Griffin and Thabit in succession. One match was lucky, but two matches could be said to be strength. The attention that such strength attracted also made Zhang Jun wait for the quarter-finals to begin.
Harden was a veteran college player. The scouts and reporters knew him well, but Zhang Jun was different. They were unfamiliar with him.
These scouts and reporters, in addition to surrounding Zhang Jun at the entrance of the dormitory and training hall, also used various connections to find Zhang Jun.
Harden had received a lot of requests from reporters to interview Zhang Jun. Sometimes, Zhang Jun couldn't avoid being interviewed, so he was forced to do so.
At first, Zhang Jun was curious and willing to be watched by the cameras and the fans. However, as time passed, Zhang Jun started to feel bored. This made Zhang Jun feel like he didn't have much personal space.
Zhang Jun was very particular about his personal space, but he was simply too tall. Wherever he went, he would be the center of attention. He couldn't avoid it even if he wanted to.
Zhang Jun's life had turned into a two-point line. If he wasn't in the training center, he was in the dorms. Harden often brought food back for him. Zhang Jun didn't dare to appear in the cafeteria now. The students were too crazy.
Amidst all sorts of discomfort, the Elite Top 8 battle began!
This book comes from：m.funovel.com。