Gracing the Magazine Cover! Fierce Battle Against the 97th Draft Pick!

"Li, you've already reached the level of a magazine cover star."

United States, University of California, Berkeley.

In a male dormitory.

Jason Kidd handed a newspaper to Li Fei and laughed, "You've become the first person of Asian descent to grace the cover of an NCAA magazine. I bet the entire league knows you can do kung fu now."

"I've told you already, I really don't know any kung fu..."

Li Fei sighed helplessly and took the newspaper to look.

The cover of the paper was none other than himself.

Except...

It had nothing to do with playing basketball; it was the moment he knocked Big Dog out with a single punch.

"This..."

Li Fei set the paper aside, speechless. "I have so many highlight-reel dunks they could have used, yet they chose a picture of me fighting. Is this even a legitimate media outlet?"

"It's not just the official NCAA report. Our school newspaper, the San Francisco Chronicle, the Bay Area Guardian, the East Bay Times... they've all featured you on their covers."

Jason Kidd chuckled. "But the thing is..."

"They all seem much more interested in your fighting."

In the 1990s, an era before the internet had truly taken off.

The primary means of news dissemination were still television stations and newspapers.

And being a magazine cover star was a glory unique to this era.

However...

I'm a basketball player, a man destined to become one of the Four Great Shooting Guards. I could tolerate being called a center, but now I'm a boxer?

What a disaster...

But Li Fei's punch did have some positive effects.

While this punch didn't prove he was a court thug, it was enough to demonstrate Li Fei's toughness—don't treat an Asian as a soft target.

Reports on Li Fei from NBC and TNT were popping up one after another.

They even dedicated segments on their nightly sports radio programs to analyze Li Fei.

However, because there was only a dozen minutes of game footage and Purdue University had lacked sufficient knowledge of Li Fei, he had not yet received full, comprehensive recognition.

But some sharp-eyed experts already felt that: he only needed half a season to prove that his talent was at the lottery level.

In other words.

If Li Fei wanted true recognition, he still needed time and games to prove himself.

Unfortunately, Li Fei wouldn't have any more chances to show his stuff in the upcoming exhibition games.

Because Li Fei had been served a three-game suspension.

Fortunately, they were all exhibition games, so it wouldn't affect their conference standings.

October 3rd.

The exhibition games concluded, and the annual NCAA regular season officially kicked off.

To build hype for the various conference regular seasons, major sports magazines released their chosen cover stars one after another.

But the funny thing was.

Big Dog, who had been predicted as the number one draft pick multiple times, was no longer the face of the game.

It wasn't because he wasn't good enough; it was simply that the "beating incident" had ruined his reputation and his face.

In the Bay Area, the praise for Jason Kidd was endless.

The San Francisco Chronicle, the San Francisco Examiner, the Bay Area Guardian, the San Jose Mercury News...

All of them featured Jason Kidd on their covers.

In other conferences.

One college all-star face after another appeared in various magazines.

Grant Hill, the gentleman player from Duke University, that suave man whose every word and action seemed to flow with milk and honey, had always been a popular figure for sports magazines.

Furthermore, Grant Hill had another identity: he was a member of the NCAA championship teams from the 90-91 and 91-92 seasons.

Refined, stylish, a hot draft prospect, holding two rings, and possessing the talent to enter the NBA yet choosing to stay in college for four years.

This kept his popularity in college sky-high, and his draft projections never fell out of the top five.

Speaking of handsome.

Another stylish man, Juwan Howard of the Fab Five, practically dominated every newspaper and magazine cover in the state of Michigan.

He was also known for his humility and gentleness, but the 2.06-meter Juwan Howard's playing style was anything but gentle.

Toughness and stability were his signature traits.

Although the former leader of Michigan State, Chris Webber, had already entered the NBA this year as the first overall pick, Juwan Howard was determined to carry on the legacy of Chris Webber.

He aimed to rectify the regret of the Fab Five failing to win a championship!

Beyond that, two freshmen also became popular figures in the magazines.

The Flying Devil of Wake Forest University, Tim Duncan.

Although he had just stepped onto the collegiate stage, his explosive talent combined with his unpretentious technique had already earned him a stellar reputation in the Winston-Salem area.

Besides Duncan.

Also a freshman, the white forward who had already averaged 28 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 assists in three preseason games, Keith Van Horn, was considered the new hope of California.

The University of Utah, where Keith Van Horn played, was a member of the Pac-12 Conference.

The cover figures for the entire Pac-12 Conference, aside from Kidd, were almost exclusively Keith Van Horn.

And as it happened.

The regular-season debut for the University of California, Berkeley.

The opponent was none other than the University of Utah, led by Keith Van Horn.

"Thank goodness, the suspension is lifted for the regular-season opener."

USA, UC Berkeley.

Li Fei looked at the roster of their opening game opponent.

His gaze locked onto one name: Keith Van Horn.

Li Fei certainly knew this guy.

He and Duncan were known as the Twin Towers of '97; he was the second overall pick of the '97 draft. Both were power forwards, and both played four years in college.

In his first year in the NBA, Van Horn managed to average 20 points and 6 rebounds, and by his second year, his stats climbed to 22 points and 8 rebounds.

If not for the "Big Fundamental" who averaged 21 points, 12 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks in his rookie season, this guy would have soaked up all the flowers and praise of 1997.

Truly, he was below only Duncan, and above everyone else.

Of course.

When it came to the future, Keith Van Horn's career wasn't quite as brilliant.

Plagued by injuries for years, he retired prematurely at the age of 30.

"Li, the outside world still knows too little about you."

Kidd felt very dissatisfied with the treatment Li Fei was currently receiving.

Li Fei's strength, let alone a first-round pick, should at least have earned him lottery-level recognition.

In his heart, he even considered Li Fei a top-three talent.

Li Fei was like everyone's "contrast girlfriend"—appearing as a good girl in public, but only when you got home did you realize how much of a handful she really was...

"You will have your poster moment again, Li."

Kidd said, "As long as you can defeat Keith Van Horn in the opener, you will completely step into the public eye."

The first game of the Pac-12 Conference.

University of California, Berkeley Golden Bears vs. University of Utah, Utah Utes.

People were looking forward to Keith Van Horn vs. Jason Kidd.

But in the eyes of the Golden Bears players.

The focus tonight.

Was how Li Fei would creatively beat the hell out of Keith Van Horn.

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