"Scarlett's New Boyfriend!"
"UCLA's Rising Star Shines at Staples."
"California Derby, UCLA Crushes USC by 30 Points!"
"Will the PAC-12 Be Dominated by UCLA?"
"Two Indian Players to Enter the NBA This Year?"
"Anonymous Scout: Believe Arjun is the Next Magic."
In an era where the internet isn't all that developed, newspapers are still a big deal for many people.
The day after the derby, Westbrook brought a bunch of newspapers.
Almost all of them were about Arjun.
Now, everyone at school was talking about Arjun. Walking around campus with Westbrook, Arjun turned a lot of heads, especially the ladies'.
Westbrook knew those glances weren't for him but for Arjun's mad skills on the court...
Exactly.
As Westbrook figured, UCLA has always been a powerhouse in basketball, and Arjun, with his stellar performances, was now known as a prodigy.
Arjun was likely to make it to the NBA this year, and with his unique background, it was clear he'd be a big deal once he got there.
The girls might find it harder to get close to Arjun then, so better seize the moment now...
When Westbrook showed him the newspapers, Arjun just glanced through them. Being in the news for his basketball prowess was to be expected, right?
But the rumors linking him with Scarlett? That was unexpected.
Arjun had Scarlett's number, but they were barely past the hello stage.
When Arjun showed up at the practice court that afternoon, he realized being in the papers was a bigger deal than he thought.
Countless female fans were waiting at the gym doors, and when they saw Arjun:
"Ah!!"
"Arjun's here."
"Arjun, I love you."
"Wow, he's even more handsome in person."
A crowd of crazy fans rushed towards him.
It was clear it wasn't just students,many working women were there too.
They were all there to chase the star.
Westbrook stepped aside, leaving Arjun to handle the eager fans wanting autographs and selfies.
...
...
It was Arjun's first taste of this kind of star-chasing frenzy. He was a bit flustered, signing his name in neat script instead of a hasty scribble. Faced with girls stuffing their phone numbers into his pockets, Arjun wasn't quite sure how to handle it, so he just accepted them for now.
Being surrounded by a bunch of girls treating him like a celebrity was pretty cool. Arjun liked the fame.
After entering the gym, Arjun waved goodbye to his group of fans.
In this era, those who took the time to chase stars really did it because they liked Arjun.
"Arjun, your popularity is skyrocketing. You could be in the draft this year," Westbrook said, a hint of envy in his voice.
Westbrook had seen it all.
"The draft? You could make it too. You've got the skills for the NBA," Arjun said, clapping Westbrook on the shoulder.
"Thanks for the encouragement," Westbrook nodded.
Right now, Westbrook was still pretty much invisible on the team, but Arjun firmly believed in his potential to make it to the NBA.
Arjun's own strength gave Westbrook confidence.
When the strong speak, there's usually some truth to it.
Coach Ben Howland saw the scene where Arjun was mobbed at the entrance of the gym.
Coach Howland felt a sense of satisfaction.
Cultivating a genius player was a fulfilling experience.
Arjun was different from Afflalo. No matter how outstanding Afflalo was, his natural talent had pretty much set his draft position.
Afflalo wouldn't make it into the Draft Lottery, but he'd be a first-round pick.
The better Arjun played, the higher his draft position would climb, thanks to his innate talent. Arjun had the potential to be a number one pick!
Coach Howland believed that if UCLA made significant progress under Arjun's leadership this year, Arjun's starting point in the NBA would be much higher, increasing his chances of becoming a star.
The more famous Arjun became, the more it would boost Coach Howland's own reputation. Stars and their coaches complement each other.
...
In December, UCLA continued their winning streak, adding to their victories from November. They hadn't lost a game in two months, winning their matches by an average of 22 points. The UCLA Bruins' winning streak had reached an impressive 19 games!
During this time, Westbrook also got an average of 10 minutes per game, and he was turning heads.
But, of course, Arjun was even more spectacular.
So far, in 18 NCAA games, Arjun had played an average of 28 minutes per game, scoring 23 points, 7.2 assists, 6.4 rebounds, 3.4 steals, 2.5 blocks, and 3.1 turnovers.
Arjun's dominance on both offense and defense surprised all the fans and scouts who watched his games.
An anonymous scout told reporters, "Without a doubt, Arjun will be a lottery pick. His skin color won't affect our assessment. His performance on the court is NBA-level."
Just as the scout said, Arjun had managed to boost his draft stock to between the 15th and 20th picks through his impressive performances.
Arjun's draft report was out.
Arjun, standing 6 feet 8 inches with a wingspan of 7 feet 3 inches and weighing 220.5 pounds, played as a point guard for the UCLA Bruins.
Arjun was a genius point guard, famous in Los Angeles. Basketball legends like Kobe, O'Neal, Kidd, and Stockton had come to watch his games.
Thanks to Arjun, UCLA Bruins' jersey sales had increased by 200% compared to last year. In November and December, Arjun led UCLA to an astonishing 19-0 record, averaging 23 points, 7.2 assists, 6.4 rebounds, 3.4 steals, and 2.5 blocks per game.
Arjun's strengths:
Arjun's physical talent at the point guard position was unprecedented, and he already possessed NBA-level physicality.
Arjun had the height of a forward, the ball-handling skills of a point guard, and the scoring ability of a shooting guard.
Arjun had sculpted his body to be incredibly strong, with a very low body fat percentage. At 18, Arjun already had an NBA-ready physique.
His vision and passing skills set him apart, combining height and ball-handling skills in a way that was very rare.
Historically, only Magic Johnson and LeBron James had combined these qualities.
Currently, fewer than ten guards in the NBA had the same level of vision and passing skills as Arjun.
Arjun had all the talents to play as a point guard, but upon entering the NBA, he might start at the shooting guard or small forward positions before taking over as a true point guard.
College basketball was easy for Arjun,he was the epitome of a basketball prodigy.
Kevin Durant and Oden had better physical talents than Arjun, but Arjun had his own advantages—his passing was superior to both.
Of course, Arjun had weaknesses too.
He needed to control his turnovers, avoiding risky steals.
Also, Arjun needed to stay focused throughout the game, not just coasting at times.
Lastly, while Arjun had the ability to shoot from distance, he preferred driving to the basket and engaging in physical play inside, which isn't always the best choice for a guard.
In the NBA, this style of play could lead to injuries.