The game ended, and Lucas Oil Stadium was completely transformed into a sea of joy for UCLA fans.
Kayce found the dejected Griffin. It was time for a superficial brother to offer some comfort, especially since Kayce had targeted him several times during the game.
"Excellent performance! You were truly unstoppable in the paint, but today, Lady Luck was on our side!" Kayce hugged Griffin in greeting. That guy really gave his all today.
Griffin finished with a massive double-double of 34 points, 19 rebounds, and 4 assists. Although he missed a few free throws in the second half, with these stats, he would likely still be the first overall pick in this year's draft.
In 2009, small ball was not popular among teams; twin towers were more favored. To contend for a championship, a team needed big men.
"No need to comfort me. Kayce, your skills are truly excellent, and your shooting touch is outstanding. Remember to call me before you go to New York!"
Griffin was still thinking about having fun together then, so it seemed the loss hadn't hit him too hard.
Kayce gave him a knowing look, and the two bumped fists again. By this time, the media reporters couldn't wait any longer and swarmed around Kayce.
Seeing that he couldn't get away, he could only wave to Beth, Anne, and Britney, apologizing to the girls.
The surrounding reporters had already extended their microphones, asking the same old questions. Kayce gave a string of clichés—trusting his teammates, trusting himself, respecting the opponent—which left the reporters a bit frustrated.
"Why don't you become a press spokesperson? Listen to these answers. Are these the words of a young man? No explosive content. Looks like we'll have to make things up."
Everyone started asking questions in a chaotic flurry again. Seeing that the situation was not good, Kayce immediately made an excuse to slip away. They could just make up whatever content they wanted; he wouldn't read it anyway.
At this time, he just wanted to return to the locker room and celebrate this hard-won victory with his teammates.
Beth, Anne, and Britney slowly left with the audience. After a game, they were also a bit tired. After all the yelling and jumping, their voices were a little hoarse.
"It would be great if Kayce could go to New York in the future. New York fans would definitely love him," Britney still couldn't stop thinking about it.
"Los Angeles suits him well. Fans here already love him. Don't you think so, Beth?" Anne, naturally, wouldn't be outdone and motioned for Beth to support her.
"Actually, it's the same everywhere. He has known what he wanted since he was a child. Basketball might be an accident; he actually likes music the most."
Beth naturally knew their little thoughts, but she wouldn't interfere with Kayce's life.
"Music? I know Kayce sings very well. I fell for him when I saw him sing at a New Year's Party. But usually, he just reads and works out. If it weren't for the parties every weekend, he'd be like a bookworm."
Britney openly admitted her affection, and by the way, she also complained about Kayce's monotonous life.
"I do remember him saying he studied music when he was little. Is he very talented in music?" Annie also asked curiously at this moment.
"Of course! When he was little, his teacher said he was a genius. He has a good voice, he just wasn't very good at the violin!" Beth happily recounted Kayce's embarrassing childhood stories, and the three girls immediately burst into laughter.
Back at the hotel, Kayce was too excited to sleep. He first chatted and joked with Westbrook and a few others, then began replying to the numerous blessings from his superficial brothers. After all this was done, he realized that the three girls were very quiet tonight.
"Did they forget about me?" Kayce suddenly felt a little unaccustomed, but then he thought, it's fine if they forgot, as long as it wasn't a love triangle.
During the game, Kayce felt a surge of energy. He knew that perhaps new items had appeared in his Dream Space. Now he just waited for midnight to arrive; he was a little impatient.
Kayce lay in bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep. In desperation, he could only close his eyes and count sheep.
At midnight, Kayce entered the Dream Space. He called up the holographic projection of the control panel and indeed found a new notification in the Achievement Room.
When he entered the Achievement Room, he immediately found a silver achievement badge. With a light touch, the relevant information immediately appeared before his eyes.
Achievement Badge [Hot Zone Hunter]: 2/500
Enhances the player's shooting percentage when taking shots from their preferred positions. Restores a small amount of stamina after a successful shot.
Kayce was overjoyed when he saw this description. Being able to restore a small amount of stamina after making a shot—this badge was too powerful!
Posterizer also had the effect of restoring stamina, but Kayce barely felt it, as frequent poster dunks in a game were impossible.
But the upgraded silver achievement badge [Hot Zone Hunter] was different. This badge would work whether it was a solo drive or a catch-and-shoot.
Currently, Kayce's shooting hot zones were the mid-range area around the free-throw line, the 45-degree area on the left three-point line, and the corner on the right three-point line. To unlock more hot zones, he needed to play more games.
"Making a shot can restore a small amount of stamina. This is too exciting! This badge is tailor-made for a primary ball-handler!"
Kayce naturally thought of how, with an all-around playstyle, combined with this badge, he would become a perpetual motion machine. As long as his shooting percentage was high, stamina might no longer be a weakness.
Kayce then shifted his attention to the new bronze achievement badge generated in this game and lightly touched its surface again.
Achievement Badge [Dream Shake]: 2/50
Increases the chance of back-to-the-basket fakes making defenders lose their balance.
Looking at the badge's information, Kayce chuckled.
"Although only one was generated, it can bring a great improvement. The game wasn't played in vain!"