As Ginobili and the other international teammates charged toward Heximone with excited shouts, he noticed Kobe Bryant was applauding Heximone.
Ginobili's mind immediately flashed with a thought: "Could this kid have lost his mind from anger?"
Kobe was not angry, he simply became certain that this kid Heximone still had considerable potential. He was definitely not just a simple point guard who only passed or shot three-pointers…
At the same time, scouts, whether in person or watching on television, were also revising their scouting reports on Heximone.
By the end of the first half, most scouting reports on Heximone read: average physical ability, average explosiveness, average driving power, insufficient shooting confidence, unknown shooting ability, but good basketball IQ, strong ball-handling and passing skills, a severely one-dimensional role-player point guard who needs improvement in perimeter shooting and mid-range jump shots.
At the end of the third quarter, and especially after the start of the fourth, the scouting reports on Heximone began to be rewritten: good body coordination, good explosiveness and driving power, very strong passing and ball-handling skills, stable three-point shooting, a decent point guard with both perimeter shooting and playmaking abilities.
And after Heximone's super explosive alley-oop dunk sealed the win, the scouting reports on Heximone were elevated again: great potential in physical ability, possessing both explosiveness and driving power, very strong passing and ball-handling skills, stable three-point shooting, with a little development, he could be molded into an all-around point guard who can drive and shoot, inside and out, and has great court vision…
From a fringe, one-dimensional point guard, to a decent point guard with perimeter shooting and playmaking abilities, to an all-around point guard who can drive and shoot, inside and out—it was unprecedented for scouts from renowned universities, and even some NBA teams, to revise their opinions twice in a single game for a high school player!
It could only be said that at the beginning, these scouts had preconceived notions and underestimated Heximone's Asian appearance too much!
In this game, Heximone's scoring was not high, with only five three-pointers and the final dunk, totaling 17 points!
On the international team, the highest scorers were the twin towers in the paint: Gasol and Nowitzki!
Gasol had 21 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 blocks, with his final rebound and assist being nothing short of masterful!
Nowitzki also played well today, scoring 19 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 blocks.
Ginobili had a tough game today, under Kobe's strong pressure, he only managed 9 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, and 3 steals.
With Heximone's help, Da Zhi successfully scored 9 points, 2 rebounds, and 1 block! While his stats weren't spectacular, to achieve these numbers as a substitute player in about 15 minutes of playing time was a high scoring efficiency. At least, Da Zhi's name had entered the prospect lists of some scouts.
Compared to the other six substitute players, Da Zhi had already gained a significant advantage.
Kobe scored a game-high 38 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block, essentially playing like two or even three players.
However, while Heximone scored 17 points, he also dished out 15 assists, making him the only player in the game to achieve a double-double!
Even Kobe didn't achieve this!
And 15 assists in a single game also broke the assist record for the Nike Hoop Summit event!
This put the organizing committee in a difficult position!
Because before this, the organizing committee was certain that the American team, led by Kobe and O'Neal Jr., would not lose. They had even prepared to award the Most Valuable Player of the game to Kobe… They had already written the acceptance speech and were just short of engraving Kobe's name directly on the trophy… Heximone's dramatic comeback disrupted all the committee's arrangements!
The organizing committee had to hold an emergency consultation, and the final decision was, indeed, to award the Most Valuable Player trophy to… well, still Kobe!
The committee's reasoning was that when the award was established, it simply stated it would be given to the most outstanding player in the exhibition game! It did not specify it would be given to the most outstanding player on the winning team.
Kobe was indeed the most outstanding player in this game, so this explanation was, on the face of it, flawless…
But was that really the case?
Awarding the MVP to the best player on the winning team is a universally accepted rule…
However, Heximone's influence and fame were worlds apart from Kobe's; they were in no way comparable.
The organizing committee was worried that Heximone might have negative feelings, so they specifically created a "Special Contribution Award" for him! This award sounded like it was added on the spot, specifically to placate Heximone and make him accept this unfair outcome…
However, with the full $30,000 prize money intact, Heximone happily accepted the result!
Americans have always been adept at playing the double standard game.
The only way to avoid being subjected to double standards is to increase your own strength!
When your strength is so great that the other party has to weigh the consequences of using double standards, double standards will naturally recede.
For Heximone now, quietly reaping the benefits was the wisest choice.
However, to Heximone's surprise, after the award ceremony, Kobe walked directly over to him and handed him the $30,000 prize money he was holding.
"What does this mean?" Heximone asked, bewildered. "You're giving it to me?"
The organizing committee had already given him $30,000 as a "Special Contribution Award" to appease him. If Kobe's $30,000 was added to that… Wow! That's $60,000 in hand, quite a windfall!
However, Heximone was clearly thinking too much. Kobe said calmly, "It's not a gift! It's a loan! You have to repay it in the future. I know you need this prize money more than I do right now… To establish yourself on this continent, you can't get anywhere without money…"
"Really? Are you perhaps feeling uneasy because you snatched the MVP from me?"
"How is that possible! I won this award with my own strength! Why would I feel guilty? Don't mistake kindness for malice!"
"Okay, okay! I appreciate your kindness… So, when do you plan to get this money back? I need to know a rough timeline?"
"Next time! Next time we meet on the court, and I defeat you, you'll have to return this money…"
"…A silly agreement… By the way, $30,000 is not a small amount, are you sure you're just giving it to me like this?"
"No problem! Perhaps $30,000 is still a large sum for us now! But soon, it won't be…"
"Hmm? It sounds like you've already decided to participate in this year's draft?"
"Not finally decided yet! But I think it's about time… And you? When are you planning to enter the league?"
"Me… I might find a university first and play some NCAA… After all, I don't want to be undrafted…"
"Haha! How is that possible? As long as the league scouts aren't blind, they wouldn't miss you…"
"It's different! I come from the East, my skin is yellow, and in their eyes, I'm born with the label of not having talent… It probably takes more than one basketball summit to tear off that label…"