The Best Point Guard-Chapter 91 - 21: Draft Night, One Mountain, Two Tigers

June 26th, 7:30 PM, Eastern Standard Time (EST).

Fans tuning into ESPN would see the channel cutting live to the NBA Draft, where they had set up a studio inside the Madison Square Garden Theater. The famous sportscaster Mike Tirico sat on the far right, flanked by three other basketball analysts: David Aldridge, Greg Anthony, and Tony Dungy.

They had been working hard in the arena since the afternoon. Their reporters had also been scrambling to gather interview material before the official broadcast. On television, people could see video highlights of the players in the green room as the commentators analyzed them one by one.

Su Xi was the eighth to be analyzed.

In the latest ESPN mock draft, he was projected to be selected by the Golden State Warriors with the 11th pick.

Mike Tirico was full of enthusiasm. "Jack is a one-of-a-kind player. He left behind a legendary story at Syracuse University, helping them win their first-ever championship and being named MOP. He possesses incredible strength; his ability to single-handedly defend centers on the championship stage was the key to his success. The last person to do that was Magic Johnson, who was also an NCAA MOP. Can he replicate Magic Johnson’s legendary career?"

Mike Tirico’s voice was magnetic. He was ESPN’s ace commentator, even more famous in the world of football, and people associated his passionate voice with the arrival of a major event.

He put extra effort into his introduction of Su Xi. This was because he was a Syracuse University alumnus.

In the United States, the bond between alumni is very strong. If a job opportunity arises, an upperclassman will unhesitatingly give it to a younger alumnus over someone more qualified. They don’t even need to know each other; just seeing the name of their alma mater on a resume is enough.

Greg Anthony took the opposing view. He was playing the role of the critic, just as he had for other players, with one person offering praise and another criticism. But his critique was particularly sharp: "The NCAA and the NBA are completely different. His strength might let him hold his own against centers in the NCAA, but he won’t be able to do that in the NBA. Besides, there’s a huge element of luck in NCAA victories. In the NBA, every player is scouted and studied thoroughly. I think every team in the NBA already has a file on him, so... I don’t see him being picked in the lottery. I think his pick will be around sixteenth. The Boston Celtics need a strong point guard to pair with their Paul Pierce and Anthony Waller."

Greg Anthony was a former NBA player, also known for his strength in his early years. He was an excellent defender, and the highlight of his career was serving as the point guard and defensive specialist for the Knicks, representing the tough defensive reputation of Pat Riley’s New York Knicks. Now, he worked as a television analyst for ESPN.

The reason for his harsh criticism was that he was a graduate of the University of Nevada. His younger alumnus, Marcus Banks, had recently been thoroughly outplayed by Su Xi, and he wanted to back his guy up.

After the two analysts finished, ESPN played a clip of an interview with Su Xi that they had recorded backstage that afternoon.

"Jack, the draft is about to start. How are you feeling?" Cassidy, a veteran female reporter for ESPN, asked Su Xi during an interview at a small table.

"I’m feeling pretty good," Su Xi replied.

"Do you have any expectations about which team will pick you?"

"No."

"What do you think you can bring to the NBA once you join?"

"I don’t know; I’m not in the NBA yet. But I’ll continue doing what I did in the NCAA. I’ll seek out the geniuses to match up against. I love competing against talent, and there’s no place with more basketball geniuses than the NBA," Su Xi said.

After Su Xi’s segment finished playing,

the camera panned across the green room below once more.

Su Xi was sitting at a round table, chatting with James’ mother from the next table over. He looked quite happy.

Just then, David Stern walked onto the stage. With the same smile he’d worn for a decade, he welcomed everyone and officially kicked off this year’s draft. Then, as per tradition, he gave the Cavaliers five minutes to make their selection.

The whole world knew the Cavaliers would choose LeBron James.

These five minutes seemed more like a way for ESPN to fill airtime. The analysts put on a show, discussing the pros and cons of Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James, because it seemed like only Carmelo was qualified to even be compared to James.

After about four and a half minutes of discussion, David Stern returned to the stage.

He was holding the Cavaliers’ envelope.

He walked to the front of the stage and announced loudly, "With the first pick in the 2003 NBA Draft, the Cleveland Cavaliers select: LeBron James. From..."

James, dressed in a white suit, stood up. He buttoned his oversized suit jacket, hugged his mother beside him, then his agent, and finally his good friend, Frank.

Then, with the cameras on him, he walked over to Su Xi’s table and gave him a hug too. "Jack, it’ll be your turn soon."

"Congratulations, LeBron," Su Xi said.

James put on the Cavaliers baseball cap, walked onto the stage, and shook hands with David Stern. Stern patted his arm, showing he had high hopes for him.

After all, he was the most hyped high school player in the history of basketball, already demonstrating immense commercial value before even entering the league. He had landed an unprecedented seven-year, 92 million USD shoe endorsement deal. David Stern hoped he would help the NBA achieve even greater success.

LeBron James walked off the stage to be interviewed.

Su Xi yawned. He suddenly felt the wait becoming unbearable. Not far away, Carmelo Anthony also looked a little anxious.