I Am Not a Human Being Today

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"Recently, Butler University player Stephen Curry said in an interview that, except for Coach Gonzalez, the head coaches of other prestigious schools are merely people with empty titles, unable to accurately judge the potential of young players. Virginia Tech head coach Seth Salingborg claimed he has found a way to defend Curry and will make the game on March 27 the Waterloo of the NCAA scoring champion..."

The next day, Liam Gonzalez was in his hotel room reading the newspaper, shaking his head and laughing:

"Are all journalists making up stories like this nowadays?"

Stevens came over and glanced at the newspaper. It was from Sports Illustrated.

"These major papers are still decent; they just exaggerate a bit. Some tabloids, though, completely distort the truth, like those Hollywood gossip magazines. They'll do anything for attention," Stevens commented.

He didn't care much for Hollywood himself, but his wife, Maria, enjoyed reading gossip tabloids every day and always found them amusing.

Out of curiosity, he once picked one up. Wow: stories about group sex, polyamorous relationships, love triangles... The sheer chaos of that world.

Some basketball tabloids were now starting to behave in the same way.

Liam nodded in agreement. He had seen too many wild reports in Colombia in his past.

Headlines like, "Without star player Juan, Lopez struggles, now full of regret!" or "In a head-to-head against the top pick, Juan showcases his mastery of shooting—Wizards' duo left humbled!" or even "Eight rebounds and a one-handed tip-in, Juan just smiles slightly, having regained the coach's trust" were not uncommon.

The relentless criticism Juan faced back then was definitely connected to these shameless editors.

They would say anything just for attention.

"It doesn't matter if you don't believe it, you'll still read it," Liam said.

"Do you think Salingborg has really found a way to stop Stephen?" Stevens asked curiously.

Liam smiled and replied, "Who knows? We just have to play our game. Basketball doesn't lie. We'll see the truth on the court."

Stevens nodded, thinking it made sense. But then he glanced at Liam's computer screen and, with a cold tone, said:

"So this is why you watch Japanese anime?"

On the screen, an episode of Naruto was playing.

Liam paused for a moment before explaining:

"Uh, I just wanted to relax..."

"Hurry up and watch the Hokies' game tape!" Stevens commanded.

"Hey, wait a minute, there are only a few minutes left. Don't rush me..." Liam protested.

...

Two days later, at the Charlotte Bobcats Arena.

The stadium was packed, and the enthusiastic cheers of the crowd echoed throughout the venue.

This wasn't a Bobcats game. As the youngest team in the NBA, the Bobcats' popularity in North Carolina paled in comparison to the NCAA powerhouses here. Whenever they played, the stadium was often half-empty.

The University of North Carolina and Duke University always held the spotlight. With these two NCAA giants in the same region, not even Michael Jordan, a minority owner of the Bobcats, could help the team compete with these basketball schools for fans.

The NBA's efforts to grow the Bobcats' fanbase had completely failed. Sponsors weren't even interested in backing the team's home games. How tragic!

Today, the March Madness Eastern Conference Round of 16 was being held here, featuring the Butler University Bulldogs versus the Virginia Tech Hokies.

Once teams reached the Round of 16, the quality of the arenas improved significantly, and at the very least, games were held at NBA venues.

By the finals, the games would even be played in temporarily converted football stadiums, with capacities reaching up to 70,000 or 80,000 spectators!

At this moment, the players from both teams had entered the arena, and the game was about to begin.

Looking around the stadium, it was clear that the majority of the crowd were fans of the Bulldogs, dressed in their light blue jerseys, while far fewer Hokies fans could be seen. The fans of the Hokies were just small patches of orange, the color of their away uniforms, amidst the sea of blue.

This was all thanks to Curry. As a superstar born in Charlotte, his popularity in the local area was enormous.

In recent years, both the University of North Carolina and Duke University had seen dips in performance. Curry's sudden rise to fame had given the city of Charlotte a new star to rally behind.

With his average height, dazzling style of play, accurate shooting, and handsome looks, Curry had first captured the hearts of Charlotte's fans, before captivating fans around the world.

Liam listened to the cheers of the crowd as he approached the technical desk. There, he saw Salingborg walking toward him and extended his hand:

"I heard you've found a way to defend Curry?"

Salingborg shook his hand, hesitated for a moment, then nodded slightly:

"I've got a few ideas."

He didn't want to appear weak in front of his opponent, but he also wasn't about to boast in front of an expert.

"Well, I'll be watching closely." Liam smiled slightly, then turned and walked away without lingering.

"How did you discover Curry..." Salingborg had just begun to ask when he realized Liam had already left. He had to swallow the rest of his question.

What are you pretending for? You just happen to have a Curry who can score nearly 30 points a game. If I had him, I'd be doing even better than you.

Salingborg curled his lips in disdain, but then let out a long sigh.

He had had the opportunity right in front of him, but he hadn't seized it. If he could do it all over again, he would say: "Stephen, let's make history together!"

After a brief warm-up, the players from both teams gathered on the court.

The Bulldogs stuck to their usual starting lineup: point guard Stephen Curry, shooting guard A.J. Graves, small forward Butler, power forward Campbell, and center Drew.

On the Hokies' side, there was a small adjustment. Harmon, who had always been a substitute, was starting instead of Tom Amalfi. Their lineup now consisted of point guard Zabian, shooting guard Harmon, small forward Jeff Allen, power forward Deron Washington, and center Lewis.

"Tom Amalfi averages 11.2 points per game. Why would Salingborg replace him with Harmon? He's nowhere near as dangerous on offense!" Stevens wondered out loud.

Liam shook his head:

"I'm not sure either. Maybe this is part of Salingborg's secret strategy."

He stood up and called to Butler, who was standing near the sideline:

"Tell the guys to keep an eye on number 13, Harmon. The other side might have a play set up for him."

"Got it!" Butler immediately passed Liam's instructions to his teammates.

Soon, the game began. Drew won the jump ball, and the Bulldogs controlled the first possession.

Curry dribbled into the frontcourt, facing Zabian's defense.

Zabian stood at 6 feet 1 inch, slightly shorter than Curry, but with a solid build and obvious muscle definition, indicating his strong physicality.

But Curry smiled, waved for his teammates to clear out, and gestured that he wanted to go one-on-one.

That coach rejected me because of you. Step aside. Today, I am not a human being!

End of this chapter

Note: This novel as you see I changed the name and nationality, as such is more complicated translate it I hope you support.

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