Volume 1: I Came, I Saw, I Conquered!

Volume One: I Came, I Saw, I Conquered! He Longed to Be a Hero. The current Westbrook was not yet the Westbrook of later years. As a sophomore, he served as UCLA's defensive spearhead, with some responsibilities on offense, but he was not yet the do-it-all player he would become. By the end of the game, he had put up a double-double of 22 points and 10 assists, effectively driving his teammates. Howland's expression was ugly. He opened his mouth, but ultimately did not criticize Westbrook. "Russell, Kevin, will you be entering this year's draft?" After the game, Westbrook stood at midcourt with his hands on his knees, staring unwillingly at the opponents celebrating wildly. Westbrook hardened his resolve, deciding that he would work relentlessly on his skills that summer. Having made his way through constant underestimation, he understood very well that only strength could earn respect. Watching Curry surrounded by the crowd, Westbrook felt a subtle mixture of envy and jealousy rise within him. Unfortunately, he had not succeeded. "Yes, we will be entering this year's draft. It's regrettable that we couldn't bring UCLA a championship trophy, but I believe UCLA will win another championship in the future." Yet Howland only had him focus on defense and playmaking. Last year, UCLA's scoring burden had fallen on Darren Collison; this year, it was Kevin Love. It was never his turn. He was a player who longed to be a hero. "No problem, Boss. Your advice must be the most suitable!" March Madness was not over yet, and the Bulldogs' "media blackout" was still in effect. As they walked back to the locker room, Curry asked Zhang Yu, "With Westbrook's 'help,' the Bulldogs' lead grew larger and larger. In the end, they crushed UCLA 78–62 and advanced to the March Madness