"I've decided to bring my talent to the NBA!"
Though Li Fei had said those words on camera before, too,
hearing the classic line again sent the photographers into a frenzy, snapping pictures to commemorate the moment.
The NBA executives in the stands narrowed their eyes. They could feel countless others watching them like hawks.
A war without gunfire was unfolding among the gods in the audience.
The draft, two and a half months away,
would be more intense than ever.
The day UC Berkeley won the March Madness championship,
major newspapers published issues they had prepared well in advance.
And Li Fei had, without a doubt, become the face on their covers.
The NCAA had decided to feature Li Fei's portrait in its official publication, where it would remain for at least a month.
The newspapers across San Francisco had already made Li Fei a hometown hero.
The San Jose Mercury News, the Bay Area Evening News, the San Francisco Times, and more.
They had all found different shots of Li Fei during the game and used them on their covers.
Even SLAM Magazine had replaced its cover athlete, David Robinson, with Li Fei.
Support for Li Fei back in China was overwhelming.
Footage had already made its way to China over the internet, and TV stations were replaying Li Fei's performance in the Finals over and over.
They had, however, edited out the part where Li Fei knocked Rasheed Wallace out with three punches.
Fighting wasn't exactly a good influence on young people. To keep them from getting the wrong idea about basketball, it was best not to let Chinese fans hear about Li Fei's brawl.
But plenty of images of Li Fei beating up Rasheed Wallace could still be found online and in the newspapers.
It probably