At this moment, something flew over Nie Chuan's head. He turned around and saw Larven with his left hand in his pocket, looking at him with a smile.

"Your fame is growing. Sports reporters have to mention you when they mention Reese Reddington."

"Lalvyn! You're here?"

"Of course. I played basketball with you for so long during the Christmas holiday. Now I have to come and see how much you have improved, right?"

"What did the reporter say when he mentioned me?" Nie Chuan was a little nervous.

After all, Reese is so outstanding.

"Reese used to be very dazzling on his own. But Reese now is different. He is more mobile because of you. You are among the top five in the league in terms of speed and control of the situation. Your presence has not taken away his charm. On the contrary, it has mobilized and demonstrated Reese's advantages on the court to a greater extent."

Larven spoke in a leisurely manner, and it seemed that he must have read that column many times.

"Is that so? That's not bad!" Nie Chuan patted his chest.

Larven shook his head helplessly: "Look at how unconfident you are. When the competition for the top 64 begins, you will shine even more."

"Thank you." Nie Chuan touched his nose embarrassedly.

"What are you thanking me for?" Larven asked with a smile.

"Of course, thank you for encouraging me!"

"I'm not encouraging you. I'm just trying to help myself recognize my opponent."

“…I thought we were friends.”

"Don't give me that. Just because we're rivals, we can't be friends." Larven hugged Nie Chuan and said, "Come on, buy me something delicious!"

"Sure, no problem!"

But before Nie Chuan took three steps, his collar was grabbed from behind.

No one except Reese can do this move.

Nie Chuan turned around and saw that Reese's face was a little dark. Although he didn't understand why he was unhappy, he said, "Larven is here to cheer me up! I'll treat him to dinner!"

"He's not here to cheer you on. He's just here to analyze his opponent," Reese replied coldly.

Nie Chuan was embarrassed. Analyzing the opponent is one thing.

Larven looked at Reese's reaction and shook his head: "Forget it! Reese, you are keeping a close eye on Alan, aren't you? I won't dig him over to our side! He is loyal to you!"

After saying that, Larven held the back of his head and left with the rest of his teammates.

Reese came to Nie Chuan's side: "Larvin's team has also entered the top 64."

"So we will meet him in the game?"

"Based on the grouping, it's more likely that he'll run into Azu, where Seth Lind is."

"oh……"

March Madness is just around the corner, and Coach Gordon and his assistant coaches have begun to analyze in detail the characteristics of other teams that have advanced to the top 64 for their players.

In his spare time, Nie Chuan often watches game videos of strong teams such as CBU and AZU in front of his computer.

He imitated Seton's ball control more and more. Although he still couldn't grasp the position of the ball sometimes, he could occasionally get past Reese. For Nie Chuan, "know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated in a hundred battles." The more he could imitate Seton's dribbling, the more he could predict Seton's movements on the court.

As the finals drew closer, Nie Chuan became more and more nervous.

He knew that many students dreamed of playing in the NCAA when they entered college, not to mention the finals. He was so lucky to have made it this far. Rather than being lucky, Nie Chuan wanted to go even further.

He turned sideways and hugged Reese tightly. He didn't know why, but he suddenly felt a little worried. If it weren't for basketball, he would never have had the chance to meet Reese.

Any mistake you make during the game could result in a complete loss.

"Xiao Chuan, why haven't you fallen asleep yet?" Reese gently rubbed the back of Nie Chuan's head with his fingers.

"I'm nervous. Even more nervous than when I was taking the college entrance exam," Nie Chuan said.

"Then don't worry too much about winning or losing. Just enjoy the time we have together. You know, many NBA stars feel that the biggest regret of entering the NBA is that they can never go back to school."

"You talk as if I will also enter the NBA." Nie Chuan laughed softly.

"You have such strength. When I was chatting with a sports reporter the other day, he told me that some teams are interested in you and they are still waiting and watching. When the league is over, maybe you will receive a lot of invitations and olive branches."

"Reese, you are really good at comforting people." Nie Chuan rubbed against his arms.

"When the time comes, I'll go wherever you choose to go."

"Ah, we still have to stick together?" Nie Chuan grumbled in mock dissatisfaction.

"Of course. Didn't you see the comments from those sports journalists? We are the best pair in terms of speed, strength and technical matching. Only when we are together can we bring out the best in each other."

"Um."

When Coach Gordon announced the group list to everyone, Nie Chuan was very nervous.

According to the group situation, if DK plays normally, there will be no problem in entering the top 16, but from here on, everything will be difficult.

If Coach Gordon's prediction is correct, they will compete with Raven's KSU for a place in the semifinals. After entering the semifinals, they will have a more than 50% chance of facing Owen Whishaw's CBU. If they beat CBU, they will enter the finals. In the finals, their opponents will be either Larven's UFR or Seton Lind's AZU.

That night, Nie Chuan received a call from Larven: "Haha, it seems that I will meet Seton Lind first!"

"Well Larven, good luck to you."

"Alan, to win in the end, luck is not enough, strength is very important." Larven's voice was full of laughter, "Also, there will be sixty-seven games in twenty days, and there will be no turning back for each game. This is your first time participating in such a game, I hope your mentality can be as good as in the regular season."

"Thank you. I'm always nervous before a game. But once I'm on the field, I forget everything."

"It is heaven, where your dreams and fame come true. It is also hell, where failure means you will be forced to leave this wonderful stage and become a spectator instead of a participant. It contains all the joys and sorrows. When the competition ended last year, I felt as if I had experienced a lifetime."

"Then Larven, if you have any regrets in your last life, you must make up for it this time."

"certainly!"

When the call ended, Nie Chuan turned around and saw Reese.

"When did you and Larvin become so close? Not only did he come to watch your game, he also called you?"

"It's Christmas time! We studied Sethston Lynd together and developed a very deep class relationship!"

Nie Chuan thought about it and suddenly realized something: "Reese, are you thinking about something?"

Reese pressed the back of Nie Chuan's head and replied calmly: "Random thoughts are your patent, not mine."

Time passed much faster than Nie Chuan had imagined, and their first game after entering the top 64 arrived.

As a seeded team, DK's opponents in the first game were not the toughest, but as long as they entered the top 64, they should not be underestimated.

From this moment on, there can be no mistakes in every game. It is not a qualifying round, but a real elimination.

It is common for a team to make a comeback. So unless the whistle blows at the end of the game, no matter how much the team leads, it does not mean that they will have the last laugh.

In order to get a ticket, Nie Chuan saw rows of tents in front of the stadium a few days ago. Many fans lived in the tents and queued up all night to buy tickets.

When Nie Chuan went forward to take a look out of curiosity, he was actually recognized.

"Look! That's DK's point guard Nie Chuan!"

"Come on, Nie Chuan!"

"Hey, brother, DK must win the championship this year!"

Nie Chuan stood there stupidly. He had never expected that he would be recognized among so many people. He thought that if he took off his sportswear, he would be an ordinary Chinese student. And wasn't it said that they were face-blind to Oriental people? They thought everyone looked the same. But they not only recognized Nie Chuan, but also called him by his Chinese name very clearly.

You know, Carlo still calls him "Niqin"...

"Thank you! I'll try my best!" Nie Chuan made a V sign to them.

Then everyone burst into laughter.

This sense of identity made Nie Chuan feel that his efforts had new meaning.

Soon, DK's first game in the finals arrived.

When Nie Chuan and his teammates got off the bus, countless fans gathered around them. The spotlights of sports reporters flashed. Nie Chuan turned his head away. He had never thought of such a scene. It was like an NBA star traveling. The security guards of the stadium separated the fans.

Just as Nie Chuan raised his eyes, another round of photos flashed.

Nie Chuan could see Reese's name held high in the crowd, and not far away he could also see a banner held up by Chinese students that read "Nie Chuan, you are our pride!"

My eyes felt hot.

Nie Chuan's phone vibrated. He took it out and saw that it was a text message from Zhou Bin: Mao Xian and I have already entered the venue, come on brother!

Nie Chuan's heart beat faster and faster, and he let out a long breath.

The commentators for this game include retired NBA star Robert, professional commentator Engle and commentator Espenson.

The atmosphere was so heated that Nie Chuan felt like he was about to be swept away before he even took the first step.

It was as if my breathing was evaporated by the enthusiasm of the fans, and even the oxygen supply was cut off.

Ewing patted Nie Chuan on the back and said, "Hey, Nie Chuan, relax. The chances of winning the first game are relatively high."

"Yeah." Even so, Nie Chuan looked at so many spectators and reporters, and the entire game would be broadcast by the TV giants. The people who saw him were not limited to the audience in the stadium. Nie Chuan's nervousness increased exponentially.

There were less than thirty minutes left before the game started, and Coach Gordon gave everyone his final pre-match instructions.

"No matter how well we perform in the regular season, this is the real arena. We won the finals for three consecutive years, and the media and fans called us the kings. But I don't know when our team began to decline, and we lingered in the top 16 for several years. The best result was last year, the Elite Eight. This year, we want to let everyone know that the king is back. The championship is ours. Do you understand?"

Coach Gordon's expression was extremely cold and serious.

He had never given pre-game instructions in such a forceful tone.

"Understood!" everyone answered in unison.

Coach Gordon shouted angrily, "Didn't you guys eat? I can't hear you!"

"clear!"

The team members' voices suddenly rose an octave.

Coach Gordon nodded.

When everyone was making final adjustments and preparations, Reese handed a bar of chocolate to Nie Chuan: "Eat it."

"I've quit!" Nie Chuan smiled.

“When you’re eating chocolate, you’re not thinking about the audience and the flash cameras,” Reese said.

Nie Chuan smiled. As expected of Reese, he could see that he was very nervous.

"Okay." Nie Chuan took the chocolate, opened the package, and put it in his mouth.

Just as he was about to bend down to check his shoelaces, Reese came in front of him, knelt on one knee, and tightened the laces for him.

Nie Chuan's face immediately turned red. With so many people watching, this was too blatant!

Sure enough, there was a shout from the fans.

"Reese! A lot of people are watching!" Nie Chuan was about to move his legs away, but Reese held his ankle.

"Don't think about others, don't care what others think of you. This is a competition between me and you."

Reese raised his face, his eyes as calm and serious as ever. Nie Chuan's mood settled down along with his eyes.

"Yes, this is a competition between me and you."

No one else matters.

"And if you look at Carlo, he played in the finals last year and he's still nervous."

Nie Chuan turned his face to the side. Carlo was sitting on the chair, patting his knee with his left hand. His right leg kept shaking. Although he tried his best to control it, it was still very funny.

Nie Chuan couldn't help but laugh.

Carlo looked over and asked in confusion: "Nie Chuan, what are you laughing at?"

"Nothing. Hey, how come you can pronounce my Chinese name too?"

"That guy Ewing can read it clearly. My language talent is much better than that guy!"

"Why don't you just say that ever since you discovered a certain pattern, you've been practicing pronouncing Nie Chuan's name and it's been bothering you." Ewing was about to expose Carlo's secrets again.

"What's the rule?" Nie Chuan asked curiously.