When Stanford students brought the giant drum usually reserved for American football games into the basketball arena, and when they set up various protest banners and large placards, everyone knew the situation had become serious.
The furious Stanford students could not stomach another loss; their anger had been truly ignited by two Oregon players.
Perhaps this was why Coach McHaney delayed his return to campus; after all, the pressure surrounding this match was immense.
In a situation where the odds were clearly stacked against them, any coach would have to bear the responsibility—and McHaney was adamant about not taking the fall for it.
Coach Jeremy Lin had stayed up all night analyzing Oregon’s interior defense.
That morning, he specifically summoned three interior players—Billy Robin, Jonny Scott, and Frank Benson—to the video room to review footage, instructing them to pay close attention to Oregon forward Matt Lenning.
He described Lenning as a versatile, physically strong player who even played a bit dirty, and urged them to keep a close watch on him.
Time Warner, California’s largest regional broadcaster, aired the game and invited legendary center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to the commentary booth.
Abdul-Jabbar was recently in Los Angeles, having been tasked by the Lakers with coaching Andrew Bynum…
The Buss family held high hopes that the lanky high school center could step into the shoes of a legendary big man and form a new “OK” duo alongside the Black Mamba.
Abdul-Jabbar coached diligently, but Andrew Bynum’s progress was sluggish because the Lakers didn’t want to ramp up the strength training intensity for the 19-year-old, hoping instead that he would simply maintain his current physique.
Abdul-Jabbar didn’t seem to mind this much.
As a teacher, he hoped his pupils would keep learning for as long as possible, since the club subsidized part of his salary.
For a legendary superstar like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, this was one of his few remaining sources of income.
Both teams took the court right at 3:30.
As the announcer, Jonny Wallson, called out the starting lineups, Abdul-Jabbar’s attention was quickly drawn to Stanford’s number 10: “Is that guy’s English name Bruce Li?” He exclaimed in surprise.
Bruce Lee—world-famous and his own former mentor—was someone he had even acted alongside in the past; though the roles were small and involved getting beaten up, they remained cherished memories.
Seeing a player with Asian features and the same name as his mentor naturally stirred a sense of goodwill within him.
But the announcer, Jonny Wallson, said with a hint of sarcasm, “Yes, that’s Bruce Li.
In the last game, Magic Johnson even called him Stanford’s ‘Little Lightning,’ saying he’d sell him to the Lakers.” “What?” Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was getting on in years; his hearing was poor and he struggled to catch every word, so he failed to detect the sarcasm in Jonny’s tone.
“Oh!
Really?
Magic Johnson holds him in such high regard?
It seems… I need to keep a close eye on him.
If he plays well… he could certainly recommend him to the Lakers as a veteran player,” Abdul-Jabbar said earnestly.
He was an honest man.
While Magic Johnson, the business tycoon, offered polite pleasantries, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was a man who kept his word.
Jonny Wallson felt a vague sense of disappointment.
Just then, the playing of “Stars and Stripes Forever” concluded in the arena; both teams took the court, and the referee signaled the start of the game.
Instantly, the arena erupted with a deafening roar of drums and gongs, as if trying to swallow up the visiting Oregon Ducks players.
“You’re Bruce Li?” As Bruce took his position amidst the cheers, a lean figure approached and tilted his head slightly: “I hear you’re really fast?” He wore an arrogant expression.
“Yeah, really fast.
And just a little slower than you.
You won’t have an absolute advantage throughout the game,” Bruce Li replied seriously.
He had repeatedly watched videos of Brooks and concluded that Brooks was indeed faster.
According to “Talent Baby’s” calculations, Brooks’s speed rating was around 86–88.
However, the competition wasn’t solely about speed.
With Li Zhen’s current speed rating of 80, he could keep pace perfectly.
“Heh!” Brooks shook his head, thinking the Chinese guard was truly ridiculous.
Just then…
*slap!* Scott used his superior leaping ability to tip the ball away.
Bruce Li quickly dashed forward and snatched the ball.
This caused Brooks to glance sideways; Bruce’s sudden movement had indeed caught him off guard.
He immediately gave chase, but Bruce Li showed no signs of slowing down.
As he sprinted to the top of the three-point arc—drawing Brooks’s defense with him—he suddenly changed direction, utilizing a solid screen set by the rapidly advancing Frank Benson.
While Brooks struggled to navigate around the screen, Bruce—capitalizing on the Oregon defender’s momentary loss of balance—cut into the paint like a lightning bolt.
Martyrenen quickly rushed over to help on defense, his posture aggressive and menacing.
Yet, the slender Bruce Li showed no fear.
He drove deeper into the paint, pulling the defense in with him, and then quickly attempted a layup.
Martyrenen hurriedly leaped to attempt a block.
However, just as he jumped into the air, he was shocked to realize: Where was the ball?
Where was the basketball that had been in Bruce’s hands?
At that exact moment, Johnny Scott—having taken the ball from Bruce—soared through the air.
Martyrenen quickly ducked to avoid the collision, but he was too late…
*Boom!!* As Scott completed the dunk over him, Martyrenen found himself cowering beneath the basket, reduced to nothing more than a backdrop for the highlight.
A reporter stationed under the basket snapped a photo instantly.
The arena erupted in cheers as the dunk went down.
An early-game dunk—what a satisfying way to start!
Everyone cheered for player number 19!
Even though they didn’t know how the ball had suddenly emerged from deep within the defensive zone, Scott’s dunk was truly phenomenal.
Meanwhile, standing on the sidelines, Jamie Lin clenched his fist and pumped it in the air: “Yes!
Bruce Li handled the ball perfectly.
His use of the pick-and-roll and his timing on the drive were excellent.
What impressed me most was the pass.
His pump fake—risky as it was—was incredibly convincing; he baited his opponent into jumping and then delivered a beautiful no-look pass.” “That play reminds me of Magic Johnson back in the day.” “Fantastic!” Kareem Abdul-Jabbar exclaimed sincerely, “Ninety percent of the credit for this play goes to Bruce Li.
It’s no wonder Magic admires him so much; they’re the same type of point guard.” Uh…
Jonny Wallson didn’t say a word.
At the same time, the arena erupted in a roar again.
The giant screen overhead replayed the entire sequence of Bruce’s pass.
Everyone finally saw clearly how the ball had been delivered to Scott.
They couldn’t help but cheer for such a beautiful pass.
If Scott’s dunk was like heavy-industrial steampunk, then Bruce’s pass was like a Michelangelo painting from the Renaissance—absolutely exquisite!
“Crush Oregon!!” Soon, the crowd’s cheers shifted into a unified chant: Crush Oregon!
Meanwhile, Brooks fixed his gaze on Bruce Li, ready to launch a fierce counterattack.