"We were fortunate to witness a truly spectacular game, whether it was Trae Young, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, or Jinwoo, they all showcased their immense talent!"
In the United States, at the Oklahoma Sooners' campus basketball arena, Stephen Curry, in a post-game interview with the media, directly stated, "Especially that young man named Jinwoo, he left a profound impression on me."
"It's a pity that our team, the Golden State Warriors, doesn't have a lottery pick in this year's draft because we are the defending champions."
"Otherwise, I would definitely suggest to the team management to select Jinwoo!"
In this game, Stephen Curry saw in Jinwoo what true innate talent looked like.
More importantly, as fans discussed, Jinwoo's playing style was indeed strikingly similar to Kobe Bryant's in his younger days.
However, the Golden State Warriors do not have a lottery pick.
Unless, the Warriors management uses players from their championship core as bargaining chips to trade for a potential lottery pick.
Clearly, the Golden State Warriors, with their superstar lineup, would never break up their system just to develop a rookie.
John Wall also felt regret.
The Washington Wizards also do not have a lottery-level pick.
Who wouldn't want to suggest to the team management to draft Jinwoo in this year's draft?
Alas, they had the will but lacked the power to make it happen!
These two active superstar point guards in the league indeed regretted their teams missing out on Jinwoo.
But the scouts from other teams on the sidelines didn't have that luxury of passive regret.
Scouts from teams already confirmed to miss the playoffs quickly called their team's senior management, detailing Jinwoo's performance today.
Even teams without lottery picks had many scouts beginning to report the situation to their team management.
Who said you couldn't get Jinwoo without a lottery pick?
Wouldn't it be great to make a major trade and swap out a team cornerstone to move up?
Teams whose strategic approach is often centered on acquiring potential star rookies within their team are, first and foremost, the Purple and Gold Army—the Los Angeles Lakers, who are still striving for a playoff spot this season.
After the great Kobe Bryant retired.
The Purple and Gold Army had lost its former glory.
Don't look at the fact that they've drafted many promising rookies in recent years.
But from the current perspective, these promising young players are clearly unable to help the team go further in the fiercely competitive Western Conference.
The new Los Angeles Lakers management, led by Jeanie Buss and Rob Pelinka, had long formulated an ambitious plan for the Purple and Gold Army's resurgence.
Jeanie Buss's first target was LeBron James, who would become a free agent after his contract expired this season!
According to the intelligence received by Pelinka, LeBron James was completely open to becoming a free agent after the end of this season.
At the beginning of the season, he had already rejected the contract extension offer from the Cleveland Cavaliers.
This supremely intelligent player would clearly not dedicate his entire career to the small city of Cleveland.
So the Purple and Gold Army's primary goal this summer was naturally to pursue LeBron James and bring the King to the City of Angels!
But relying solely on LeBron James would clearly make it difficult to shake the Warriors dynasty.
The Los Angeles Lakers management's attention was also focused on the talented young players of the 2018 draft class.
Among these talented young players, Trae Young and Jinwoo, the "Black Mamba successor" who emerged from the Kentucky Wildcats, became the Los Angeles Lakers management's ultimate choice.
Today, as the first game of the NCAA Elite Eight concluded.
Jinwoo, with a record-setting 41 points in a single game, plus his complete dominance over Trae Young on both ends of the court, made him the Los Angeles Lakers management's only choice.
"It's a shame… we don't have a high draft pick this year."
Hanging up the phone call from her brother, Jesse Buss, who was live from the Oklahoma Sooners arena, Jeanie Buss's face was full of regret: "Before today, we could have potentially traded for a late lottery pick to select him!"
"But after today, Jinwoo has already become a hot favorite for this year's top pick!"
To get Jinwoo with a late lottery pick?
What a ridiculous thought!
Jinwoo will be a top three, or possibly even the first overall pick, in the 2018 draft!
How could the Los Angeles Lakers management trade for Jinwoo without shedding some serious assets?
After the NCAA Elite Eight concluded, major media outlets in the United States also reported extensively on the game.
The reason was clear.
The Kentucky Wildcats eliminated two potential top draft picks, Deandre Ayton and Trae Young, in two consecutive games this year.
And Jinwoo's performance in this game, scoring 41 points and dominating Trae Young on both ends of the court, also gained the universal recognition of all fans.
But even so, the Kentucky Wildcats' supporters still expressed concern about the team's prospects of advancing to the final championship game.
The reason is simple.
This year, besides the Kentucky Wildcats, the other three teams that advanced to the Final Four all possessed extremely astonishing combat power. (Historical Note: The actual 2018 Final Four featured Loyola-Chicago, Michigan, Villanova, and Kansas).
In the narrative, the other three teams mentioned are:
* Villanova University:
This year's Villanova, led by Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, Donte DiVincenzo, and Eric Paschall, showed an almost invincible, crushing momentum.
After entering the knockout rounds, they were unstoppable, never falling behind, and winning every game by double digits!
* Michigan State University:
Michigan State's offensive performance was not their fiercest, but they were in a league of their own on the defensive end.
With Jaren Jackson Jr., the presumed best defensive player in the entire draft, on their team, they were nearly invincible on the defensive end!
* Duke Blue Devils:
Unlike the clash of offense and defense in the upper bracket, the encounter between the Duke Blue Devils and the Kentucky Wildcats in the lower bracket will be a collision between powerhouses.
In the past 20 years of the draft, the University of Kentucky and Duke University have sent the most number one picks to the NBA league.
The meeting of these two powerhouse teams is likened to a spectacular event.
However, compared to the previous three teams with explosive combat power, the Kentucky Wildcats' strength is definitely perceived as the weakest among the Final Four.
Before the Final Four even began, the online buzz in the United States about the Kentucky Wildcats vs. Duke University game had already climbed to its peak.
As for the main reason?
Naturally, it was because the two greatest players in Los Angeles Lakers history, Kobe Bryant and Magic Johnson, announced on their social media that they would be attending this Final Four game live!
And in related interviews, Kobe Bryant also directly stated:
He was going specifically to see Jinwoo!
"I am very much looking forward to Jinwoo's performance, but I want to clarify one thing…"
Facing the camera, Kobe calmly said: "Jinwoo's template is not me; his offensive performance has already far surpassed mine in my younger days!"
Kobe's words quickly sparked intense discussion among fans online.
But soon, another superstar's statement on his social media caused fans to boil over.
LeBron James, the Cleveland Cavaliers' core player and the league's consensus star, also stated:
He would be attending the next game live to watch the showdown between the Kentucky Wildcats and Duke University!
"Kentucky and Duke, their matchups always spark imagination."
LeBron James flashed his signature smile to the media: "Besides that, I'm very curious to see what kind of performance that young man from Korea will put on!"