After the finals concluded, the organizing committee, based on the game's performance, selected the most outstanding player of the final four this year, to be awarded alongside the presentation ceremony for the championship trophy.
He Ximeng had 23 points, 11 assists, 3 rebounds, and 2 steals in this game. His performance was decent, but not spectacular.
Due to Iverson's interference, He Ximeng committed a career-high 5 turnovers. Iverson's hands were too quick, often making his movements hard to track before the ball was stolen. Even his passes posed a significant threat.
He Ximeng had intended to showcase his skills in front of Kayla, but Iverson proved to be even more formidable than he had anticipated.
He Ximeng couldn't overpower Iverson and could only manage to fight him to a standstill.
He Ximeng held the advantage in assists, but Iverson outscored him.
Iverson scored 28 points, 7 assists, 2 rebounds, and 4 steals, also committing 5 turnovers. However, Iverson's turnovers were not due to He Ximeng's steals, but rather from passes to his two interior teammates, which were intercepted by Duncan.
Duncan, playing against two opponents, still managed 27 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 steals, and 4 blocks!
Before the final four showdown, He Ximeng had aspired to contend for the most outstanding player of this year's final four.
Now, it seemed He Ximeng had underestimated the difficulty of the NCAA final four.
In the semi-finals, He Ximeng had managed to edge out Ray Allen by a narrow margin thanks to his all-around skills.
In the finals, He Ximeng not only failed to suppress Iverson but was instead slightly outplayed by him, failing to be the brightest star on the court.
More critically, within the team, even though Duncan restrained his scoring ability and didn't deliberately compete with He Ximeng for—
Even if the NBA league remained pessimistic about the potential of Chinese players, with the championship title as a credential and the proof of averaging a double-double, surely He Ximeng, even if he couldn't compare to players like Iverson, Ray Allen, or Marbury, would at least rank above players like Tony Delk, Walt McCarty, or Jerome Williams?
As the Wake Forest players took to the podium, shouting and jumping, celebrating the most glorious moment of their college careers, He Ximeng's mind was occupied with thoughts of where he might rank if he participated in this year's draft.
And how to ask for leave from Coach Dave Odom!
Because of Wake Forest's successful ascent to the national championship, setting a new historical record for the team and securing the program's first-ever championship trophy, Dave Odom had transformed from an ordinary NCAA coach into a legendary one.
In stark contrast, Coach Dean had been having a very unpleasant time. North Carolina had been eliminated early and the entire team witnessed Wake Forest make history and win a championship trophy from home. For the North Carolina players, it was merely the emergence of another formidable rival in the future of North Carolina.
For Coach Dean, the pain was that he might have lost a championship trophy this year. While North Carolina was not short of championship trophies, Coach Dean was.
Two months prior, could he not have known Wake Forest's situation? Their core point guard was injured, and whether they could even make the national tournament was uncertain. In just two months, Wake Forest had gone from the brink of the national tournament to the championship podium. It felt like a dream.
And all this change originated from that pair of eyes, filled with confidence, belonging to the Chinese boy.
Also feeling the sting, much like Coach Dean, was Bobby Jones, who had extremely high hopes for He Ximeng!
Two months ago, how much Bobby Jones had wished He Ximeng would play for his alma mater, North Carolina.
As a result, Bobby Jones's foresight had been proven correct; He Ximeng was indeed extraordinary. However, it was a great pity that He Ximeng could not be utilized by North Carolina, ultimately benefiting Wake Forest.
Every time he thought of this, Bobby Jones felt an urge to sever ties with Dean. James Worthy was also not a good person. If he hadn't helped Dave Odom make the connection, He Ximeng might not have gone to Wake Forest. If He Ximeng hadn't gone to Wake Forest and instead joined North Carolina, would the NCAA championship this year have gone to North Carolina? Even if it wasn't North Carolina, wouldn't they at least have avoided being eliminated in the second round?
But the dust has settled, and everything has its predetermined course.
What is yours will ultimately be yours, and what is not yours cannot be forced.
After the game ended, He Ximeng returned to the hotel and eagerly made a few calls.