April 3rd, U.S. time.
On this day, not a single game was scheduled across all North American sports leagues!
The reason was simple!
The final championship game of the 2018 NCAA Tournament would be decided today!
San Antonio, Alamodome.
This arena, capable of holding nearly seventy thousand fans, was completely sold out today!
One hour before the game began.
The arriving Kentucky Wildcats fans and Villanova University fans engaged in a passionate outpouring for audiences worldwide.
The noise in the arena grew louder and louder; exuberant college students weren't about to adhere to rules of polite spectating, as everyone vented their excitement, and shouts of friendly rivalry grew increasingly frequent!
🌟 Star-Studded Sidelines
"The fans of both teams have given us an astonishing showdown before the game!"
Kenny Smith from the TNT commentary booth on the sidelines was also enthusiastically commentating: "Everyone around the world is looking forward to the start of today's game, whether it's fans or the management of various NBA teams!"
"And for the Kentucky Wildcats and Villanova University, they will also fight here today for ultimate glory!"
Shaquille O'Neal quickly followed up, saying: "Today will also be the most crucial day of their college careers for the players of both teams!"
"Their performance will directly affect their draft position in the upcoming NBA Draft!"
The Kentucky Wildcats and Villanova University have both been championship teams in recent years, claiming multiple titles.
Today, one of them is bound to stand on the highest podium once again!
"The level of attention for today's game is absolutely unprecedented, with celebrities from all walks of life around the world attending in person!"
Following the direction of Kenny Smith's finger, the live broadcast camera captured a host of big-name stars on the sidelines.
First and foremost were the supermodels led by Kendall Jenner, who, perhaps due to her fierce competition with Kylie, chose not to sit with the latter today.
Sitting beside her were Hailey Bieber (Baldwin) and Gigi Hadid.
These three supermodels, simply by sitting on the sidelines, had already become the most beautiful scenery in the entire arena.
Facing the live broadcast camera, Kendall generously displayed the Jinwoo No. 1 jersey she was wearing to the crowd and shouted: "The Big Blue Nation!"
"Believe in Blue!"
"Believe in Blue!"
"Believe in Blue!"
This spirited act quickly ignited the passion of the University of Kentucky fans present, who uniformly chanted the unique cheer of the Kentucky Wildcats.
Taylor Swift and Selena Gomez, two queens of European and American pop, also appeared on the big screen, and then the camera panned to Kobe Bryant and Magic Johnson not far from them.
"Come!"
The appearance of these two instantly pushed the atmosphere in the arena to a climax.
In addition to these big-name stars, Anthony Davis, Karl-Anthony Towns, John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins, and Rajon Rondo, among other NBA players who graduated from the University of Kentucky, also came to the scene to cheer for their alma mater.
LeBron James, Kevin Love, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, and many other active stars also came to watch the game.
Not just players, the sharp-eyed Kenny Smith immediately noticed the management of various NBA teams sitting on the sidelines, also watching this highly anticipated battle.
"Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Mikal Bridges, Donte DiVincenzo, Jalen Brunson, and Jinwoo from Korea!"
"The young men who will showcase their talent on this court today, one day in the future, perhaps all of them will become the faces of the NBA league!"
Charles Barkley briefly introduced the core players of both teams.
When he mentioned Jinwoo, the cheers in the Alamodome noticeably increased.
Clearly, this young man, who led his team to defeat two highly touted potential number one picks and completely dominated them on both offense and defense, had already become the hottest superstar!
🏀 Game Begins
"Kids..."
During the pre-game warm-up, Kentucky Wildcats Head Coach Calipari gathered all the players: "Honestly, I no longer have a tactical system. Bring out your most confident selves and form your own league!"
"If you win, the glory is yours. If you lose, all the responsibility is mine!"
"Glory will belong to Kentucky!"
The Kentucky Wildcats players, led by Alexander, shouted in unison.
For these college students, this game might be the most memorable battle of their student careers!
Other than giving their all, they couldn't think of any other way to handle it!
The same passionate roar also came from the Villanova University bench.
The entire Villanova University team surrounded Jalen Brunson, raising their arms high and roaring repeatedly.
"Come!"
Amidst the cheers of nearly seventy thousand fans, the starting players of both teams took to the court one by one!
The loudest cheers were undoubtedly for Jinwoo!
Amidst the cheers from the entire arena, both centers stood at the mid-court line, and the head referee tossed the ball high!
Villanova University's starting center, Omari Spellman, was a step quicker, tipping the ball first to Jalen Brunson.
On the opening possession, Villanova University's starting five moved like machines in a factory workshop, pressing the switch and operating frantically.
Mikal Bridges, Josh Hart, and Eric Paschall, three players both inside and outside, successively took their positions, constantly probing and attacking the paint.
The Kentucky Wildcats switched defenses inside and out, constantly changing their defensive formation with the opponent's movement.
Bridges made the first shot of the game.
When he received the ball, he was already inside the free-throw line, and before Vanderbilt could switch to defend, he quickly released the shot!
After a steady two-point make, Villanova University transitioned from offense to defense, quickly completing their return to defense and appearing swiftly in front of the Kentucky Wildcats players.
"Number 1 seed Villanova University has shown us their excellent team coordination in the opening phase!"
"They are like machine parts, each performing their duties, coordinating precisely. Whether on offense or defense, they can quickly appear in their positions. They are a truly formidable team, no wonder they are the top favorites to win!"
"For us, this will be an extremely dangerous game!"
The Kentucky Wildcats fans on the sidelines couldn't help but exclaim in admiration at Villanova University's swiftness.
Turning around, Alexander stood at the top of the arc, scanning left and right, and finally passed the ball to Jinwoo, who had cut to the basket!
"Bang!"
As the basketball landed in his hands, although Jinwoo had already used Vanderbilt's screen to shake off Bridges' pursuit, Paschall and Spellman had already occupied the space in the paint.
Their solid positioning gave Jinwoo no chance to drive in for an easy score.
"Swish!"
Even with Villanova University's two big men already in defensive position, Jinwoo, with the ball, still showed no intention of slowing down or stopping suddenly.
Three steps became two, and he leaped into the air!
Before Paschall and Spellman could jump to attempt a block, Jinwoo, relying on his terrifying jumping ability, had already reached his maximum height, squeezing between their combined encirclement and forcefully slamming the basketball into the hoop!
"Boom!"
A massive, echoing sound reverberated throughout the entire Alamodome!