NBA: My template has no limit

In March, with the chill of winter still lingering and summer yet to come, in this transitional period between spring and summer, a restlessness far exceeding the seasons was surging across the United States.

This is not just ordinary excitement; it's excitement that belongs to basketball, excitement that belongs exclusively to March Madness!

In 1996, Michael Jordan's Bulls were making history, leading the Bulls' Big Three on a run toward 72 wins.

But that's in the realm of professional basketball. For true veteran fans, March belongs to college basketball.

CBS's GG is everywhere, with the classic melody of "One Shining Moment" playing on a loop in the trailer.

With 64 teams up for grabs in a single game, the outcome of the third round of the tournament is decided. No matter how famous or strong you are, you have to be careful, because an upset is always possible!

This is the final chapter of pure basketball, free from any vested interests, a golden hall for young players to prove themselves. The NCAA Men's Basketball Division I, with its unparalleled special significance, firmly dominates the entire month of March!

Only one sentence remained in the air:

"March Madness is coming!"

On March 10, 1996, the day of the 3 Madness selection, all of DePaul's players gathered in the locker room of Horizon Arena.

They were scattered in various corners of the locker room, but their eyes were fixed on the blurry television screen in the center.

CBS is broadcasting all seedings and matchups live.

"Eastern Conference No. 1 Seed: University of Massachusetts!"

"Midwest Region No. 1 Seed: University of Kentucky!"

"Southeast Division No. 1 Seed: Purdue University!"

……

According to Xu Feng's recollection, the rankings of these high-seeded teams did not change due to De Paul's arrival.

The broadcast continued, and the tense atmosphere did not lessen at all. Almost everyone's forehead was covered with a thin layer of sweat, and the air in the locker room became humid.

"I can't watch anymore, Xu Feng."

Singh, unable to bear the pressure in the corner, covered his ears and faced the television with his backside.

"Sixth seed in the Central West region: DePaul University!"

The locker room erupted in cheers the moment the voice on TV finished speaking!

"Oh! Oh! Oh!!"

"Sixth seed! We made it to Madness 3, and we're still the sixth seed!"

In the first round, they will face the University of Tulsa, the eleventh seed from the Midwest, which is not a difficult challenge.

Teammates hugged, high-fived, and laughed, celebrating their initial victory.

Joey was also thrilled and excitedly raised his arm and punched the air.

My job is safe! Now that he's in the third year of intensive care, the school leaders have no reason to fire him again!

At this moment, only one person in the locker room remained calm, and that was Xu Feng.

Because a system pop-up window appeared in front of him.

Mission accomplished: Lead DePaul into March Madness.

[Reward: One chance to draw a random permanent trait!]

[Mission Description: Reviving DePaul is my duty, Xu Feng's responsibility!]

The rewards for this task are quite generous, after all, even the beginner's trait of Restoration Body brings Xu Feng great benefits.

Draw it for me!

Without hesitation, Xu Feng wanted to know what it was.

[Successful extraction! Congratulations, host, on obtaining "Iron Ankles" (Permanent): Ankle strength increased by 100%, injury recovery speed increased by 50%!]

This is really good stuff!

Countless players suffer injuries caused by foot injuries or insufficient ankle strength. At best, they miss several days of play, watching their team miss the playoffs. At worst, they are out for the entire season, or never reach their peak again, forever losing their chance at a championship.

But all of this is no longer relevant to Xu Feng; from now on, he will be the legendary King of Durability!

In this era, basketball games inevitably involved some dirty play, which was often jokingly referred to as "fighting with a ball in tow."

With the added boost of his steel ankle, Xu Feng can now fearlessly charge into the basket for dunks, soaring through the air and disappearing into the ground.

After the celebration, Xu Feng walked out of the locker room, only to encounter an unexpected person at the entrance of the basketball court.

The newcomer was a tall, middle-aged man with a full head of blond hair, a high nose, and blue eyes. It was easy to tell that he must have been a handsome man in his youth. At this moment, he was all smiles.

"Hey Xu Feng, outstanding young man, congratulations on entering March Madness! I was on a business trip to New York yesterday, but when I saw this news, I rushed back overnight to congratulate you. Luckily, I made it in time."

Xu Feng looked at him quietly, his expression not very friendly.

"Are you done talking? If you're done, you can go back now. I need to train."

Green continued to force a professional fake smile, his eyes narrowed into slits.

"I know, Xu Feng, you still have grievances against me, but I also hope you can understand your uncle's difficult situation."

"What difficult situation? You mean my dad gives you $1,500 a month and you feed me cheap fast food? I need to work part-time just to have enough to eat! You know, I only need $1,000 a month to stay with a host family in the very center of Chicago!"

Or did you isolate me from your family to the point that Miss Lisa couldn't stand it anymore and came to apologize to me?

Xu Feng's tone was cold, and every word was sharp and insightful. Green was taken aback by Xu Feng's sudden assertiveness, and his smile froze on his face.

"Xu Feng...you've changed. You've become more determined, like a real man."

"You... I don't know what to say, because it was indeed my mistake. I just want to sincerely apologize to you. I'm sorry, Xu Feng. I beg for your forgiveness. Let's go home!"

If you come back, I will absolutely do everything I can to make up for my past mistakes.

Green's smile vanished, his voice became hoarse, and he looked like a schoolboy who had made a mistake.

Xu Feng remained unmoved and ordered Green to leave.

"You don't know you were wrong, you just know you've lost a cash cow that could have brought you benefits."

You are a shrewd businessman, but I hope you still have a conscience.

Okay, you can go now. I won't be going back to "Green's house" for now.

Green was a smart man and naturally understood Xu Feng's determination. He didn't press the matter further and left the arena in silence.

Green's arrival was just a minor interlude; the real main theme was still preparing for Madness 3.

Five days later, in the first round of the Madness Series, De Paul faced Salta. In a game without suspense, De Paul defeated Salta by 18 points.

In the second round, DePaul will face Villanova, a strong team from the Big Ten Conference.

Villanova was ranked eighth in the nation in January and defeated North Carolina 76-56, earning them the title of "the strongest team we've ever faced" from North Carolina's legendary coach Dean Smith.

The opponents are strong, but DePaul is not intimidated. At the beginning of the season, no one dared to imagine they could reach the Third Crazy Week, but now, they not only did it, they achieved a ranking they never expected!

For Xu Feng, there is no way to back down, because he has to participate in this year's talent show!

On the night the CUSA League won the championship, Xu Feng privately expressed his thoughts to Joey.

"I'm going to participate in this year's draft."

Although Joey was reluctant to let him go, he knew that with Xu Feng's talent, college couldn't stop him. His stage should be in the NBA, where he should compete with the real stars.

"We all know that if you went to the draft, you definitely wouldn't be left out, and I wouldn't stop a genius from getting stuck in college. But I want to know what your ideal draft position is?"

"At least in the lottery zone!"

Hearing Xu Feng's answer, Qiao Yi was not surprised at all, and even thought it was a matter of course.

His strength and talent are undeniable. Unless NBA teams are blind, they will know how strong this young man is and how much potential he has.

In any previous year, Joey would have undoubtedly supported Xu Feng, but this was 1996, the golden generation, a constellation of stars.

Facing Xu Feng, who had only played for six months and had a long history of injuries, Joey could only tell him the truth:

"If DePaul can make it to the elite quarterfinals, or even the sweet round of 16 and average over 30 points per game to become a tragic hero, I can guarantee you'll get a promise from a team with a lottery pick!"