June 27, 2003.
Madison Square Garden, New York, USA.
The annual NBA draft was being held here.
The venue was packed with players participating in the draft, their families, team management, media reporters, and official league staff. It was an unprecedented occasion.
This was not surprising.
The 2003 draft was recognized as having the highest quality draft picks in recent years.
LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh, and Europe's talented prodigy, Darko Milicic—these players were considered destined to become top superstars in the league.
Any team that landed one of these players would have a core around which to build a championship contender.
James made his debut in a pure white suit. As soon as he appeared on stage, he was surrounded by reporters like the moon surrounded by stars.
The reporters who missed the opportunity rushed to surround Anthony, Milicic, and the others.
In comparison, Wade and Wang Chong were clearly ignored.
It wasn't that the two lacked fame.
Defeating Anthony in the NCAA finals had caused Wade and Wang Chong's popularity to skyrocket, and there was almost no one in American basketball circles who didn't know their names.
But fame is one thing; draft stock is another. Although Marquette University, led by these two, had the last laugh in the NCAA, no one was optimistic about their draft prospects.
One was seen as too old with injury risks, while the other had only recently switched from center to small forward. Despite good physical test results and strong performances, would a team really use a precious first-round draft pick to select them?
Before the draft began, the media released draft rankings for both players.
Wade was predicted to be selected by the Memphis Grizzlies with the 13th pick in the first round, while Wang Chong was predicted to go somewhere between the 15th and 20th picks.
Grizzlies general manager Jerry West had recently expressed his affection for Wade, and the Grizzlies, who had Pau Gasol, were indeed in need of a player like Wade who could handle the ball and drive to the basket.
Although no team had expressed interest in Wang Chong, his talent was undeniable. Reporters speculated that there might be teams in the 15th to 20th pick range in the first round that would want to gamble on the possibility of Wang Chong realizing his potential.
——
In the small green room at the draft venue, the invited rookies took their seats.
Those familiar with the NBA draft knew what the green room was.
This is a seat for players invited by NBA officials and voted on by the general managers of NBA teams. Most of the players eligible to enter the green room were popular lottery picks.
James was naturally the absolute star of the green room, and his presence even overshadowed the two other favorites for the No. 1 pick, Anthony and Milicic.
James's flashy white suit seemed specially designed for showing off, even though it looked a little ill-fitting.
What surprised Wang Chong was that he had actually been invited into the green room.
This was good news. It seemed that the talent he displayed in the joint tryouts had attracted the attention of some lottery teams.
"Hey, Mello, why are you sitting so close to the front?" James, sitting in the green room, was in high spirits. He greeted Anthony, who was sitting in the front row, and asked.
"It's convenient to be closer when we go on stage later." Anthony responded with a smile. Although the two seemed to have a good relationship on the surface, they were ultimately competitors at this moment.
Seeing that James was acting as if he was already the No. 1 pick, Anthony, who was also a favored player, naturally felt displeased.
On the surface, his words were an explanation, but they had a deeper meaning.
I'm sitting in the front because I'll be going on stage very early and might even go up before you.
James smiled and said nothing.
The Cavaliers' management had already contacted his agent to discuss the matter, so he was 100% sure he would be selected as the No. 1 pick by Cleveland.
Although Cleveland was relatively small, it was his hometown. Besides, the ambitious James was confident that his arrival would transform this city and this team!
With this in mind, James turned his head and saw Wade sitting on the other side.
"Hey, Dwyane, long time no see. Congratulations on winning the NCAA championship. It's a pity I didn't go to college to play in the NCAA. I'd have loved to compete against you in the finals."
Anthony, sitting in the front row, twitched his lips, his face darkening.
This guy, did he do it on purpose?
Don't hit a person where it hurts, and don't mention their weaknesses.
The loss in the NCAA finals would always be a stain on him, but this guy kept bringing it up in all sorts of ways.
It was clear that James was doing it on purpose, as he immediately looked at Wang Chong, who was sitting next to Wade, and said with a smile, "You must be Wang Chong. I saw your performance in the finals. It was great. I believe you'll be picked in the first round."
James greeted the rookies in the green room with the attitude of someone who saw himself as superior.
Wang Chong watched James with great interest.
Clearly, the 18-year-old James still had a long way to go before becoming the shrewd and cunning veteran he would be in the future.
This wasn't surprising. Otherwise, how could he have not declared that he wouldn't leave Cleveland without winning a championship?
But it's also true that young people should be more ambitious and flamboyant. After all, he is the No. 1 pick.
Wade, who had a gentle personality, didn't confront James like Anthony did. Instead, he chatted with him with a smile.
As for Wang Chong, James just greeted him briefly and then ignored him.
It was evident that James's praise for Wang Chong was just a way to counter Anthony. In reality, he didn't take Wang Chong seriously at all. After all, he was the chosen one, the No. 1 pick in the NBA, while Wang Chong was just a minor player who struggled to enter the lottery zone and was fortunate enough to get into the green room.
While they were greeting each other, the draft was finally about to begin.
NBA Commissioner David Stern took the stage to deliver a speech and then began announcing the draft results.
"The first pick from the Cleveland Cavaliers, their selection is LeBron James."
There was thunderous applause from the stands.
James hugged his mother beside him, then stood up and walked toward the stage under the envious gazes of the rookies, with a joyful expression on his face.
Becoming the No. 1 pick in the NBA was just the beginning of James's brilliant career, but this level of achievement was already something many would never reach.
Anthony applauded and congratulated him with a smile, but his expression was clearly strained.
Although James being selected as the No. 1 pick was a foregone conclusion, Anthony still felt a bit dejected when it actually happened.
End of this chapter
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