NBA: The Basketball Miracle

On the evening of April 1, 1996, the University of Connecticut won its first championship in team history.

Although everyone was prepared before the game, when everyone changed into championship T-shirts and came to the center of the venue again, and saw the golden spherical trophy right in front of them, they couldn't help but shout happily with the fans again.

Coach Calhoun was still a little excited. After 10 years of coaching, he worked hard to recruit talented players, experienced ups and downs, and the team finally won the championship this year!

The fans of the University of Connecticut cheered continuously. For young people, the championship means partying.

The exuberant energy that had nowhere to vent was finally released, and many people have even begun to look forward to the celebrations after returning to school!

Jim Nantz, who was acting as the host, asked coach Calhoun with a smile after the noise in the arena died down a bit:

"Jim, we all know that most of the players on the team were recruited by you personally. What do you want to say to them at this moment?"

Coach Calhoun adjusted his mood and said sincerely:

"I want to thank my players. The Connecticut Huskies are a united and progressive family!"

"Thanks to Ray, I set high standards for him, but he always met them meticulously."

"He is independent, responsible, proud, and humble. You can't imagine he is still a junior. In his three years in Connecticut, he has never missed a practice!"

"It's incredible, I learned so many new things from him!"

Ray Allen on the side adjusted the brim of his hat and smiled.

Hard work pays off!

The audience applauded and cheered again. Coach Calhoun paused and then spoke again:

"Of course, I also want to thank Lee. He could have chosen to stay closer to home at New Mexico State University. Thank you for his trust. Without him, we would not be here this year."

"Lee is special. Jump shooting is not a talent given by God. Many people only see his accurate shooting but fail to see the hard work behind it!"

"Don't change yourself for anyone. You will succeed. God will bless children who work hard, and Connecticut will always be your home!"

Coach Calhoun hugged Clay Lee. The good old man thought more than once about what would happen if no one stepped up on the bench this year.

The team was eliminated in the quarterfinals last year and won the championship this year. The biggest difference is that Lee's playing time increased.

Coach Calhoun knows that Lee played a huge role in the team's victory!

The media all around pointed their bulky cameras at Lee.

Among a crowd of black and white people, Lee really stands out.

With a smile on his face, Lee just patted the head coach's shoulder.

He knew that he chose Connecticut mainly for the sake of currying favor with someone powerful. He needed to show himself on a higher stage and he also needed a professional agency that could help him enter the NBA.

Coach Calhoun thanked all the players one by one. Almost all of these young people were recruited by him personally. At the end, a proud expression appeared on his face.

The fans of the University of Connecticut in the audience just wanted to see their team lift the trophy. After a round of thanks, head coach Calhoun excitedly raised the golden spherical trophy in front of him.

In addition to the NCAA logo, the trophy also has "National Champions" engraved on it.

Dragging the wooden square base, head coach Calhoun shouted excitedly, and Lee and his teammates jumped up and down, raised their hands and cheered.

Golden ribbons floated above the stadium. In the audience, the fans of the University of Kentucky looked at them with envy. The sixth championship in the team's history finally became a bubble.

For Ray Allen, this year is a year of harvest.

The Semi-Final MOP was directly awarded to him, and together with the NCAA All-American Team, Big East Player of the Year, and Big East All-First Team, he won almost every honor he could get in college.

Lee was at a disadvantage in terms of honors. Even though Iverson's performance was poor, he was still selected to the first team.

The second team of the Big East Conference and the NCAA All-American Championship were his rewards this season!

The championship team does have better treatment, and the big man Knight was also selected to the best team.

Together with Antoine Walker of the University of Kentucky and Marcus Camby of the University of Massachusetts, there is a high probability that all five players in this year's best team can enter the NBA.

Perhaps due to the lack of entertainment options, the fans of the University of Connecticut continued to party after leaving the stadium. Fans who were watching the game in the bar also joined in the fun, and the scene became a mess.

Before the security personnel could disperse the crowd, the fans of the University of Kentucky, who were in a bad mood, started to use civilized language again.

After "fuck", the two sides soon became a ball.

Shouting, cheering, and the shouts of security personnel continued to ring out outside the stadium. For young people who like lively occasions, tonight will be a sleepless night.

The several campuses of the University of Connecticut are not together, and after returning to the hotel, head coach Calhoun had to discuss with the school where to go for the first stop to celebrate.

Lee and his teammates took this opportunity to drink heavily again. Although he was not yet of legal age to buy alcohol, it was not a problem with the presence of several seniors.

Lee returned to the room at two in the morning and took a shower. After winning the championship, he could draw talents again!

Lying on the bed, Lee couldn't help but think of his experience of living in New Mexico.

At that time, he beat all the kids of his age, but the talent he obtained was mediocre because he was already the strongest among his peers.

Lee chose Connecticut for this moment.

Watching the disc on the crude panel whirring, Lee got a hint while he was still in a daze:

"[Ray Allen's excellent explosiveness]"

Blinking his eyes, Lee breathed a sigh of relief. Just as he expected, the talents extracted were all to make up for his shortcomings.

So far, only the [Sharpshooter] talent was activated after he practiced it for two and a half years.

Thinking of the conditions for extracting talents, Lee couldn't help but secretly complain:

"If a bottom-tier team starts to tank, at least a year will be wasted."

On April 2, everyone in Connecticut boarded the bus for the return trip.

The total distance from East Rutherford, New Jersey to Hartford, Connecticut is approximately 181 kilometers, and it takes at least three and a half hours by bus.

Lee has become accustomed to this kind of life. He started reading the newspaper after getting on the bus. Unlike his noisy teammates, he wanted to get more information about this era.

Ray Allen next to him also received a message from Mark Bartelstein this morning that another high school student appeared in this year's draft:

"This is crazy, high school students playing in the NBA, if it is not restricted, this will have a huge impact on the NCAA!"

Ray Allen often seems old-fashioned, just like he prefers to watch game videos of Larry Bird and Magic Johnson. He is a staunch supporter of college basketball.

Lee understands this very well. This phenomenon is caused by the US dollar. The NCAA does not allow players to have any financial activities, while the NBA waves money and shouts to talented teenagers:

"Come to the bowl!"

People from lower classes need US dollars more. College life is good and can hone tactical awareness, but in the face of US dollars, these conditions are not important.

As for this year's draft, Lee only remembered a few people:

"Want to make a bet? High school players can be successful, too."

Ray Allen immediately shook his head. He had never won the bet in the past two years:

"God is always on your side. I trust your instincts!"