"Charles, why can't I find your college on the March Madness list again?"
Phoenix, United States
Kevin Johnson, the Suns' All-Star point guard, came over to Barkley with a stack of newspapers in his hand and a grin on his face. "Your school hasn't made March Madness in three straight years?"
The Flying Pig scowled and snatched the newspaper from Kevin Johnson.
Sure enough, Auburn University wasn't on the list of at-large teams.
"Those useless idiots. Is it really that hard to make March Madness?"
The Flying Pig shrugged helplessly, as if he'd grown used to this by now. "But it's fine. This year, I'm only keeping my eye on one team in March Madness."
"The Golden Bears from UC Berkeley. They're going all the way!"
"Whaaat?"
Kevin Johnson looked at him with a Nick Young-style confused expression.
He couldn't understand why the big guy was supporting his alma mater.
"Charles, you're being way too obvious. You don't have to go out of your way to support my school."
Barkley looked up, utterly confused.
"What do you mean, Kevin?"
Barkley asked, "Are you saying UC Berkeley is your alma mater?"
"Are you kidding me? We've been teammates for two and a half years, and you don't even know what college I went to?"
"All right, there are too many campuses in the University of California system. I only knew you went to a University of California school."
Barkley scratched his head. "So Li Fei, who's joining the Golden Bears, is your junior?"
"I see!"
Kevin Johnson smiled. "No wonder. So you're also keeping an eye on that unusually built Chinese center!"
Kevin Johnson had also heard through the grapevine that the Suns were interested in Li Fei, who was still in college.
The Suns were short a superstar center right now.
After Jordan retired, the league had entered the age of big men in earnest.
And ever since the team traded Tom Chambers to the Jazz last summer for A.C. Green, its size had taken another hit.
The Suns had finished first in the league last season, but this year, with the Western Conference's army of giants bearing down on them, they couldn't even hold on to a top-three spot.
The Suns really needed a center.
"Charles, Li Fei is one of the leading candidates for the top pick right now."
Kevin Johnson said, "It won't be easy for us to get him."
"I know that, but that's the front office's problem."
Barkley said, "All I know is, I like the way he plays. It's exactly what we need, too."
Barkley had been keeping an eye on Li Fei since early in the season.
And as it turned out, Li Fei was worth waiting a year for.
Of course, waiting a year didn't mean the Suns were going to tank outright.
Even with their thin frontcourt, the Suns had the Flying Pig, Barkley, averaging 21 points and 11 rebounds, and Kevin Johnson averaging 20 points and 9 assists.
Making the playoffs was the bare minimum for them.
Tanking was too much of a luxury.
"Kevin, since you're a Berkeley alum, getting us a couple of tickets shouldn't be a problem, right?"
"That depends on whether they make the Sweet 16," Kevin Johnson said. "We've got a game on the day of Li Fei's first March Madness matchup."
"But if they make it to the Sweet 16, the game will be in Phoenix, and we'll have time to go."
Barkley and Kevin Johnson exchanged a glance.
They understood each other without a word: get those tickets!
March 3, United States time.
The fires of March Madness had officially been lit!
Several teams kicked off their March Madness campaigns that day.
Duke University struck first, crushing UCLA, led by Keith Van Horn, to become the first team in this year's tournament to advance to the Sweet 16.
The gentlemanly Grant Hill put up 28 points and 12 rebounds, as if venting his frustration at not being named the top seed in his region.
"That's the pedigree of a two-time champion. Duke may not be the top seed in its region, but nobody has more championship experience!"
"Last year, Grant Hill fell just short of the Final Four and missed his chance at a Three-Peat. But this year, Grant is bigger and stronger!"
"No one underestimates the Duke Blue Devils, just as no one would underestimate the Chicago Bulls after they'd won back-to-back titles in '92!"
Comparing the Duke Blue Devils to the Chicago Bulls chasing a Three-Peat was, honestly, a bit much.
But Duke really had come that close to copying the Bulls' NCAA dynasty.
The other team to win by 30 points that day was the famous basketball powerhouse and Michael Jordan's alma mater, the North Carolina Tar Heels.
They crushed Wake Forest University's Demon Deacons, led by Tim Duncan.
"Quit fucking telling me about some future number-one pick!"
"I've heard that shit a million times!"
"Forget a future number-one pick—even this year's number-one pick would be nothing against me!"
The man bellowing at the cameras after the win was none other than the future "Sheed," famous for his booming outbursts.
Rasheed Wallace!
Rasheed Wallace had been wary of Tim Duncan, the future number-one pick and the next power forward poised to lead the era. After all, Wallace was a power forward himself, and he'd never been named the number-one pick.
But it turned out that this first-year college student, who'd been showered with expectations, had been swarmed by the North Carolina Tar Heels just the same.
At least, that was how Rasheed Wallace saw it.
Forget Tim Duncan.
Even that 2.2-meter-tall Chinese giant this year was probably just a paper tiger hyped up by the media.
Tim Duncan and Keith Van Horn, the two stars of the 1997 draft class, had both been knocked out in the first round of the 1994 March Madness tournament. They truly were a pair of kindred losers.
Even the double downfall of two future superstars sent a clear message.
Every team in March Madness was tough!
The second day of competition arrived.
UC Berkeley, the team everyone had been waiting for, faced its first-round opponent in March Madness.
The UConn Huskies.
"Welcome to March Madness!"
Before the game, UConn's star and core player, Donyell Marshall, whose draft projections had never fallen outside the top ten, issued a haughty challenge:
"To the Pac-12's lone representative, listen up. This is the real world!"
"Come and feel the pressure from Connecticut!"
To be fair.
If you could see the future, UConn's roster would look pretty intimidating.
It had Donyell Marshall, a sharpshooter with a cannon for a three-point shot and a guaranteed lottery pick.
The guy had once sunk 12 three-pointers in a single game.
It also had the future legendary three-point shooter Ray Allen!
And Kobe's future teammate.
The 2.13-meter-tall white center, Travis Knight.
And yet.
Faced with a roster like that, Li Fei showed no nerves during his interview.
"Same goes for you."
"To them, we're the real world, too."
Li Fei smiled faintly, but there was unrestrained ruthlessness in his eyes.
"Welcome to a world of regret!"
Before you continue