Chapter 45: The Grand Banquet
The moment the basketball went through the net, the entire Georgia Dome seemed to hold its breath, only to erupt in a thunderous roar in the next second. The sound was no longer just cheers; it was an invisible tsunami that instantly drowned Florida’s blue and orange in Texas Tech’s red and black sea.
Xu Ling didn’t celebrate. He just stood there, watching the net bloom like a flower in the air. The shooting form was so bizarre that even he couldn’t replicate it, yet it had so realistically decided the outcome of the game. He felt as if a tremendous force had drained his body, and then, he was buried under his teammates.
Prince, Jackson, Zeno. They all piled on top of him, a giant, boiling mass of bodies. Some were screaming, some were crying, and some were just pounding his chest with all their might.
After they finally separated, Rodrick Craig hugged him tightly and yelled into his ear, “We won! We won!”
And Darryl Dora, the big man who had struggled all of March Madness under the shadow of Oden and Florida’s twin towers, was now in tears like a child. He hugged Xu Ling tightly, as if trying to meld him into his own body.
“You are the greatest player I’ve ever seen, damn it!” Dora blurted out incoherently. “What’s Michael Jordan? You’re greater than him!!!”
On the sidelines, the stubborn old Bob Knight rarely threw his tactical board. He raised his arms high, a smile mixed with ecstasy, relief, and pride on his face. He turned and hugged his assistant coaches tightly, patting their backs forcefully.
On the other side, Florida University’s bench was eerily silent. Billy Donovan’s face was ashen; he stood there like a statue, witnessing his dynasty dream crumble before his eyes.
Noah lowered his head, covering his face with a towel to hide the tears in his eyes. Horford sat on the floor, staring blankly at the floor, as if unable to believe what he was seeing. Brewer, the guy who had accidentally missed the first free throw and then intentionally missed the second at the head coach’s signal, collapsed in tears, supported by his teammates, facing this outcome.
He thought it was all his fault.
If he hadn’t missed the first free throw, the coach wouldn’t have asked him to miss the second, and none of this would have happened.
Utterly dejected, Donovan walked to Brewer’s side and gently patted his player’s shoulder. “Corey, lift your head. Don’t cry. It’s not your fault. Whether you made it or not, I would have had you miss the second free throw. They had no timeouts, and that decision was correct.”
“We just…” Donovan swallowed hard. “Have to accept this outcome.”
The Florida Gators players were heartbroken. Donovan looked at this team, the pain in his heart indescribable.
This was a great team, and they deserved to win back-to-back championships, forging a dynasty like Duke in the 90s.
In this era, or rather, from now on, will there ever be players who are locks for the NBA draft lottery who choose to return for another year because they can’t bear to leave campus or their brothers and sisters on the team? Will there be multiple players with NBA draft prospects, even lottery prospects, who stay in college to pursue a repeat championship simply because they don’t want to leave each other? Will such things happen again?
Never.
The award ceremony began. Players took turns climbing ladders to cut down the nets, the symbol of victory.
Finally, as Xu Ling stood on the ladder and cut down the last piece of the net, the stadium’s flashes went wild. He draped the net around his neck, then raised both hands to salute the crowd. Today, he was the master of this court.
Subsequently, Xu Ling was undeniably selected as the Final Four MOP （ Most Outstanding Player ）. Holding the trophy, he stepped onto the podium and faced the cameras of the world.
“Honestly, I had prepared a very touching acceptance speech,” Xu Ling paused deliberately. “But Darryl just said I’m a greater player than Jordan.”
Laughter and whistles erupted from the crowd.
“After a fierce internal struggle, I’ve decided to reluctantly accept that compliment. If you have any objections, take them up with my MOP trophy.”
And so, people finally discovered what this supernova with a mysterious personality had in common with his compatriot Yao Ming.
They were both humorous.
Afterward, Yao Ming, as a Texas superstar, was allowed into the TTU locker room and congratulated Texas Tech University on behalf of Houston.
This also gave Xu Ling the opportunity to speak with the legendary figure.
Although many great players are gradually forgotten after retirement, in China, Yao Ming will never be forgotten. He was the first global superstar to emerge from a major sport, and his influence on the new generation domestically came after he became the head of the Chinese Basketball Association.
Although the men’s basketball team’s performance was poor during his tenure, for Xu Ling’s generation, Yao Ming’s promotion of youth basketball and vigorous organization of lower-tier leagues, making competitions for younger age groups like U8, U10, U11, and U12 mature, provided more people with the opportunity to experience semi-professional training and competition from a young age.
The Xu Ling of his past life was one of them; he could be considered a primary beneficiary of youth basketball.
Standing before Yao Ming now, Xu Ling, who was usually so articulate, found himself at a loss for words.
“I knew you were amazing, but I didn’t know you were *this* amazing!” Yao Ming said. “Tonight’s game was truly incredible!”
“Not at all, it was the support of my teammates that allowed me to perform,” Xu Ling said humbly.
“But seriously, that last shot of yours…” Yao Ming gestured exaggeratedly. “I was about to call an ambulance!”
“The ambulance should be for those guys at Florida,” Xu Ling blinked. “I bet they’re crying in the locker room right now.”
They looked at each other and smiled. Yao Ming suddenly turned serious. “What are your plans next? Will you enter the draft?”
“I haven’t thought that far ahead,” Xu Ling looked at his teammates who were celebrating wildly. “Right now, I just want to enjoy this moment. After all… opportunities to have you fly specifically to watch me play are rare.”
Yao Ming patted his shoulder. “Cherish these teammates. You’ll never find such pure brotherhood in the NBA.”
Xu Ling didn’t comment, but it was the truth.
If there was one factor that might influence his future decision, it was these teammates he got along with so well.
The revelry continued in the locker room, with drink foam and mineral water splashing everywhere. The players sang and danced, smearing the tactical board into a mess. When Knight walked in, everyone suddenly fell silent, then erupted in even more enthusiastic cheers.
“Coach!” Xu Ling, drenched, holding the net he’d cut earlier, said, “This is for you.”
Knight took the net and looked around. Every young face in the locker room was beaming with pure joy. He cleared his throat, his voice a little choked. “Kids, this is the most special championship of my coaching career.”
As he spoke, he raised the net. “It’s not because this is another championship after many years, but because you’ve made me believe that basketball will always have miracles.”
The locker room erupted again. Craig, from somewhere, produced a bottle of cola and sprayed it directly at Knight.
The old coach didn’t dodge, letting the drink soak his sweater.
After the seemingly endless happiness, on the way back to the hotel, a sense of emptiness arose in Knight’s heart.
He knew that the sequel to every comedy was a tragedy.
Eli wouldn’t stay for a second season.
Next year, everything would go back to how it was.
But so what? Texas Tech University would forever enshrine the 2007 National Championship trophy as if it were a deity.
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Old Wave Sports
Headline: Chinese Youngster Hits Buzzer-Beater with 1.1 Seconds Left! Texas Tech Upset Champions to Win Title
Author: Zhang Bo
Publication Date: April 3, 2007
“Atlanta News—With 1.1 seconds left on the clock, Chinese player Xu Ling hit a super-long three-pointer from the LOGO area, helping Texas Tech defeat defending champions Florida 84-82 with a buzzer-beater to win the program’s first NCAA championship trophy. The 19-year-old star scored 28 points and 7 assists tonight, and at the last moment, made this historic game-winning shot. Florida head coach Donovan reluctantly stated, ‘This might have been fated.’ Watching from the sidelines, Yao Ming shouted in Shanghainese: ‘Awesome! Tough!'”
Netizen Hot Comments
@Heavenly Dynasty’s Intellectual King:
“Xu the King has ascended to godhood in this game! See that? The three-pointer that almost landed on the LOGO for the game-winner, even Jordan would kneel! What is Florida? American media hyped them for so long, only for Xu the King to toy with them! Anyone who doesn’t select Xu Ling in this year’s NBA draft is blind! With Xu the King, the Chinese Men’s Basketball Team will book their Olympic gold medal directly!”
@Su Qun Loves Yang Yi:
“Hahaha, getting carried away after just one NCAA game? ‘Greater than Jordan’? Xu Ling is probably being spoiled by praise. Just wait and see, he’ll be taught a lesson in the NBA!”
@I Want Lin Chi-ling Mantou:
“The guy upstairs is at it again? Xu the King hit a game-winner against the defending champions today. What can your master Oden do besides post up down low with his butt sticking out? And they still hype him as the top pick? Xu the King has silenced the American media with his skill. It’s hilarious to see some people hopping mad!”
@Caring for Roommate Ma Jia Jue:
“Xu Ling is indeed strong, but Darryl’s comment was clearly an emotional outburst. However, some people using it to stir up trouble is even more disgusting. Can’t stand to see Chinese players do well, can you?”
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