"I sensed my host's intentions. Quest issued: Enter the 2003 NBA Draft!"
Goodwin's face was full of question marks.
Enter the 2003 NBA Draft? System, are you kidding me?
The 2003 NBA Draft was known as the 2003 Draft Class, with LeBron James, the Chosen One; Carmelo Anthony, an offensive Swiss Army knife; Dwyane Wade, the 193-centimeter Jordan; Chris Bosh, known as the Dragon King... In the years that followed, they gradually took up the torch from the generation before them and became pillars of the league.
Now, under the System's "pressure," Goodwin was supposed to join the 2003 Draft Class?
Goodwin still had a big question mark over that. His strengths and weaknesses were glaringly obvious. Everyone entering the NBA Draft was a prodigy, the Michael Jordan of their hometown, and Goodwin didn't think he had anything special going for him.
There was a 99% chance he'd go undrafted.
"System, are you getting carried away? How am I supposed to enter the NBA Draft?" Goodwin couldn't help asking.
"Does the host intend to abandon the quest?"
Goodwin: "..." Damn it, giving up before even trying wasn't Goodwin's style. Besides, abandoning the quest meant losing attributes.
A few seconds later, Goodwin replied, "System, who said I was giving up? I accept the quest. I'll enter the 2003 NBA Draft."
At that moment, Goodwin had no choice but to face the challenge head-on. He'd just have to go for it!
Maybe some blind front office would take a chance on him.
After making this "delightful" decision, Goodwin began planning his next steps. The NBA Draft was just over two months away.
Based on his daily training, he'd earn roughly 60 to 70 skill points. He'd put every last one into his shooting attributes and turn himself into a shooting machine.
The next day, after returning to the University of Kansas, Goodwin went straight to head coach Roy Williams and told him what he had in mind.
"Are you sure?" head coach Roy Williams asked, uncertain. He thought Goodwin would be better off playing one more year of NCAA basketball before entering the NBA Draft, continuing to develop his skills. Roy Williams had even hoped to make Goodwin a star at the University of Kansas.
After all, plenty of the team's players would be heading to the NBA after winning the NCAA championship that year!
More importantly, if Goodwin entered the NBA Draft and went undrafted, he'd no longer be eligible to play NCAA basketball. He could still continue his studies, of course. The NCAA offered degree-completion programs, and former student-athletes could apply to return to campus and finish their degrees.
"I'm sure, Coach. Thank you for looking after me this past half-year," Goodwin replied.
Seeing that, head coach Roy Williams didn't try to talk him out of it. Instead, he wished Goodwin luck in the NBA Draft.
Word soon reached Hinrich and Collison, who were also entering the NBA Draft. They both immediately came over to persuade Goodwin to play one more year of NCAA basketball before making his decision.
"Thanks, but I've already made up my mind. I'm entering the draft this year. You're not worried I'll steal your thunder, are you?" Goodwin said with a grin.
Hinrich: "..."
Collison: "..."
We came over to give you some friendly advice, and you...
"Get him!" The two immediately moved to either side of Goodwin and gave him a beating, showing him some "upperclassman affection."
"Aaaaah..." Goodwin's screams instantly echoed through the entire training gym.
After that, the two upperclassmen helped Goodwin out in their own way, letting him make use of their trainer and agent, and training alongside him.
You wouldn't know until you trained with Goodwin, but once they did, both upperclassmen were shocked.
They'd never imagined Goodwin trained so hard.
So much, and so intensely!
Collison tried to keep up. By the end of the day, he was aching all over, and the next morning he could barely get out of bed.
Nope, he couldn't keep up. Collison had no choice but to give up.
After that, both upperclassmen began to see Goodwin's decision to enter the NBA Draft differently. Maybe some team would get lucky and pick him.
Meanwhile, inspired by Goodwin, the two upperclassmen trained even harder.
While Goodwin was working hard, the NBA was holding its playoffs.
This year's playoffs drew the attention of the entire United States, and even the whole world, because the three-time champion Los Angeles Lakers were chasing a fourth consecutive title.
Unfortunately, the result wasn't what fans had hoped for. The Los Angeles Lakers failed to complete their four-peat.
In the semifinals, they lost to the San Antonio Spurs, the team that had eliminated them for two straight years.
That season, to make games more entertaining and limit Shaquille O'Neal, the league introduced the defensive three-second violation and legalized zone defense. This was a huge problem for O'Neal. On defense, he could no longer camp out in the paint for long stretches as he had before. Once he left the lane, it gave nimble guards like Parker and Ginobili room to drive, while Duncan and Robinson could occasionally sneak in a few baskets.
On offense, the legalization of zone defense meant O'Neal often faced double- and even triple-teams in the paint. Just dealing with the Spurs' twin towers was already awkward for him; add in the guards' harassment and quick strikes, and scoring became a real struggle. Naturally, he couldn't bring his full power to bear.
Meanwhile, the San Antonio Spurs had completed their transition, and the GDP trio had taken shape.
After a full season of experience, Tony Parker had grown into a leading player. His stats had risen to 15.5 points and 5.3 assists per game, making him the San Antonio Spurs' second scoring option and their attack leader.
At small forward, Stephen Jackson had also gradually adapted to the San Antonio Spurs' system. He averaged 11.8 points and 1.6 steals per game, with a defensive rating of 99, becoming an essential two-way role player on the Spurs' perimeter.
Ginobili also made his NBA debut that year. His averages of 7.6 points and 1.4 steals per game might not have looked impressive, but he'd put them up in just 20.7 minutes per game. In particular, Ginobili's drives and ability to thrive in chaos gave the San Antonio Spurs' bench even more firepower.
And, of course, the San Antonio Spurs had their anchor, Tim Duncan. At the peak of his career in the 2002–03 season, Duncan was simply unstoppable.
Tim Duncan played 81 regular-season games, averaging 23.3 points, 12.9 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 2.9 blocks. He led the San Antonio Spurs to a 60–22 record, the best in the entire league! Duncan was named an All-Star starter, made the All-NBA First Team and the All-Defensive First Team, and won MVP.
In the semifinal series against the Los Angeles Lakers, Tim Duncan faced "The Big Diesel," Shaquille O'Neal, and averaged 28 points, 11.8 rebounds, 4.8 assists, and 1.3 blocks over six games! He was every bit as good as O'Neal.
Under those circumstances, even though Kobe Bryant put up a staggering 32.3 points, 5 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 1 steal per game, he still couldn't lead his team to victory over the San Antonio Spurs.
After the San Antonio Spurs defeated the Los Angeles Lakers, almost every fan believed the Spurs were certain to win the championship that year.
The San Antonio Spurs didn't disappoint. They stormed through the playoffs and reached the NBA Finals.
Facing the New Jersey Nets led by Kidd, the San Antonio Spurs needed just six games to secure the series victory and claim the 2003 championship.
Before you continue