NBA Draft

"Goodwin, over here!"

"Goodwin!"

As soon as Goodwin stepped out of the arena, he heard someone calling him. Goodwin looked toward the source of the sound and saw two of his seniors, Collison and Hinrich.

Both seniors were dressed in suits, looking quite dapper!

It had to be said, basketball players really were built for suits.

Goodwin walked toward his two seniors, and in a moment, he arrived in front of them, complimenting, "You guys look really sharp today!"

The words had barely left his mouth when Collison and Hinrich couldn't help but roll their eyes at Goodwin. Collison even gave Goodwin a playful punch to the chest, grumbling, "Goodwin, are you mocking us?"

"In this place, who could possibly look sharper than you?"

Even the narcissistic Collison felt that this guy Goodwin was truly handsome, almost as if he were looking at a basketball version of Leonardo DiCaprio.

Sometimes Collison even fantasized that if he had Goodwin's looks, would he even need to chase girls? Girls would be lining up just waiting for him to favor them!

But what about Goodwin, the one who actually possessed them? He was either buried in the training facility or the gym—it was a complete waste of talent. Collison would drag Goodwin out to hang out from time to time, only for Goodwin to leave halfway through, saying he had to go back to train. Every time, Collison was left speechless.

He didn't know how lucky he was!

The corners of Goodwin's mouth curled up slightly, and he replied honestly, "True, you guys can't envy that; it's just natural." After saying that, he struck a handsome pose!

Collison: "..."

Hinrich: "..."

If the occasion hadn't been so formal, the two seniors definitely would have shown Goodwin what a "suit-wearing thug" looked like in reality!

"Goodwin, are you here all by yourself? Didn't your parents come with you?" Hinrich asked curiously, looking at Goodwin, who had arrived alone.

After all, these kinds of occasions were usually attended with parents to witness this wonderful moment together.

In an instant, Collison's expression changed, and he nudged Hinrich hard with his elbow.

Hinrich: ??

Why are you nudging me? Did I say something wrong?

Goodwin noticed Collison's movement and said, "It's alright, my parents have already passed away."

A few days before Goodwin arrived in this world, his parents had died in a car accident.

As Goodwin inherited the original owner's memories, he couldn't help but sigh that the parents of transmigrators were truly in a high-risk profession.

"I'm so sorry, Goodwin, I really didn't know, I'm sorry." Hinrich apologized quickly; this was practically rubbing salt in Goodwin's wounds.

In truth, the matter of Goodwin's parents was only known to Collison and the coach within the team; the rest of his teammates were unaware.

"Who do you two seniors think will be the number one pick this year?" Goodwin asked, changing the subject.

"Carmelo Anthony, I'd say!" "LeBron James!"

Aside from these two, there was no one else who could be the 2003 number one pick.

One was an NCAA superstar, the other was the top high schooler in the nation; they were neck and neck. Whoever was chosen as the top pick would be well-deserved, though it specifically depended on who the Cleveland Cavaliers, who held the top pick, would choose.

"Goodwin, what do you think?"

"LeBron James." Having read the script, Goodwin said without hesitation.

"Why? I think Carmelo Anthony has a better chance." Hinrich countered quickly. As an opponent, Hinrich knew very well how formidable Carmelo Anthony was.

He not only possessed physical talent but his skills were also top-tier.

And in Hinrich's view, LeBron James's skills were not as good as Carmelo Anthony's.

Goodwin shook his head and said, "Their commercial value is different, and besides, the Cavaliers favor LeBron James more."

Not long ago, LeBron James had just signed a 90-million-dollar contract with Nike, shocking the entire nation. At the same time, his games were broadcast nationally just like the NBA, and superstars like The Diesel, Shaquille O'Neal, even watched him play in person. It was safe to say it was very surprising.

Faced with this, did the Cleveland Cavaliers, holding the top pick, need to hesitate? They would decisively take this chosen one!

As the three of them chatted, time slipped away in the blink of an eye. At the call of the staff, the two seniors bid farewell to Goodwin and headed toward the Green Room!

What was the Green Room?

The Green Room wasn't a house; it wasn't the code name for a specific room, but rather referred to a designated area at the draft venue. Players, their families, and agents sat there waiting for the NBA commissioner to call the players' names.

The list of players in the Green Room was determined by voting. Before the draft, the league would invite team presidents or general managers to vote for the players they believed would be selected in the top 25 of the first round, and then the Green Room list would be finalized based on the results.

And the two seniors were on the Green Room list.

Before long, the lights in the arena dimmed, leaving only a single spotlight focused on the NBA commissioner, David Stern, as he walked slowly onto the stage.

Reaching the center of the stage, David Stern wore a kind and amiable smile: "Welcome everyone to the annual NBA draft..."

After the brief opening remarks, he went straight to the point.

"With the first pick in the 2003 NBA Draft, the Cleveland Cavaliers select: LeBron James from St. Vincent-St. Mary High School!"

The 2003 NBA number one pick had officially arrived!

The high-spirited young LeBron walked onto the stage, shared a hug with David Stern, and then accepted the cheers and blessings of the fans in the arena. Even his biggest rival, Carmelo Anthony, offered his congratulations.

When it was the second pick's turn, unexpectedly, the Detroit Pistons did not choose Carmelo Anthony, but instead selected Darko Milicic.

This genius teenager from Yugoslavia walked onto the stage with a light, brisk stride.

Sitting in the audience, Nima Goodwin couldn't help but shake his head; it was a pity that this talented youngster had run into Brown, the head coach most notorious for stifling rookies.

However, there was nothing Nima Goodwin could do about it, as he was barely able to look after himself; despite having worked out for many teams, not a single one was willing to give him a promise!

At this very moment, he felt completely uncertain about his future.

As time passed, the stars he had once watched on television walked onto the stage one after another, and soon the 29 picks of the first round had concluded.

Of the three players from the University of Kansas who had entered the draft, two had already successfully made it into the NBA!

Hinrich was taken by the Chicago Bulls with the seventh pick, and Collison was taken by the Seattle SuperSonics with the twelfth pick (the Seattle SuperSonics are the predecessor to the Oklahoma City Thunder).

The two seniors silently came to Nima Goodwin's side; neither of them said anything, for at this moment, they didn't know what to say and could only keep him company in silence.

Second round, 10th pick:

"The Boston Celtics select: Nima Goodwin from the University of Kansas!"