The fans watching the live broadcast on their TVs thought Snoopy had completely lost his mind.
He actually ignored Michael Jordan and chose to do an interview instead?
Oh my God, didn't he realize what Michael Jordan meant to basketball?
To be fair, even Jordan himself looked a little awkward at that moment.
But he understood Snoopy's decision. After all, who could resist a tall, blonde, beautiful reporter?
Erin Andrews quickly shifted into her professional mode. She wasn't on ESPN just because of her looks, she was sharp.
"Hello, Snoopy. Tonight you scored 6 points, grabbed 6 rebounds, dished out 3 assists, blocked 3 shots, and stole the ball twice. You pretty much filled every column on the stat sheet. And yet we still don't know what position you actually play."
"Point guard," Snoopy said earnestly. "Even though Coach Ben Holland insists I'm a center, I've always held myself to the standard of a point guard."
He wasn't joking, not even a little.
But professional as she was, Erin Andrews couldn't help it, pfft!
She burst out laughing.
The fans watching from home didn't blame her. In fact, even the commentators Bill Walton and Chad Ford were laughing in the booth.
Because, honestly, that answer was ridiculous.
"So, you think the standard for a point guard is to wrestle seven-foot centers, grab impossible rebounds, and occasionally jump up to swat their dunks out of the air?" Erin teased, still half-laughing.
"Strictly speaking," Snoopy said seriously, "no one's ever proven that a point guard can't do those things. I think you should focus more on my passing, I made three brilliant passes that led directly to scores. And besides, I'm great at ball control. The basketball obeys me."
Erin managed to compose herself. She waited for him to finish, then moved on.
"Let's talk about your last one-on-one play. You dunked over Brook Lopez, but not in the way anyone expected. Why?"
"Because I couldn't do it the way you imagined," Snoopy replied matter-of-factly. He added seriously, "Actually, my dunk was harder. I had to calculate his movement distance and footwork, then figure out my own steps and timing. I also had to estimate the angle to toss the ball when he lunged at me.
My vision was completely blocked, I calculated the position of the rim based on the distance between the bottom edge of the backboard and the top of his head, then executed the pass, in that one second, my brain was running faster than when I write academic papers."
"Uh…"
For once, Erin Andrews was speechless. She swore this was the first time she'd ever interviewed a player like this, Snoopy seemed to exist in a strange, hyper-rational space that normal basketball players didn't occupy.
Fans watching at home were losing their minds. They couldn't tell if Snoopy was a lunatic or a genius.
Either way, they'd never forget him. He was different, his game, his answers, his vibe, everything about him stood out.
"I noticed you had direct matchups and some heated clashes with the Lopez twins. You even dunked on them back-to-back toward the end. Why?" Erin continued.
"They didn't really understand me at first," Snoopy said, his tone calm but firm. "They said some disrespectful things. I had to make them understand we're equals. Even if they're taller, that doesn't give them the right to look down on me. I can still see the view above their heads, and put the ball through the rim while I'm up there."
His dead-serious tone finally gave Erin the spark she'd been waiting for.
"So, you believe you're equal to them?" she pressed.
"Of course."
"But both of them are projected lottery picks," she pointed out. "And according to the mock drafts, you're… well, only one site even has you at 57th overall."
"That's not something I can control." Snoopy shrugged. "Everyone has their own criteria for judgment."
It was a flawless answer.
Erin felt slightly defeated. Usually, dealing with college players was easy, they were emotional, eager, and easy to lead.
Just last year, she'd gotten Joey Dorsey to make some trash comments about Greg Oden on air… and he'd paid for it dearly afterward.
"Last question," Erin said, regrouping. "Will you declare for this year's NBA Draft?"
"That question isn't allowed," Snoopy replied seriously. "We're still in season. That's UCLA policy."
Erin could only smile politely and thank him before ending the interview.
Then Michael Jordan himself walked over.
"Great interview," he said with a grin. "You're more interesting than I expected. When I was your age, I wasn't half as composed with the media."
Snoopy smiled back.
Then Jordan leaned close, speaking softly so only Snoopy could hear:
"If you officially declare for the draft, my shoe brand would like to offer you some support. And a two-hundred-thousand-dollar endorsement deal."
"This is my promise," he said gravely.
Snoopy thought about it seriously, just about to respond, but before he could, a crowd of reporters started shouting from behind Jordan's bodyguards.
"Hey Michael, are you offering Snoopy a draft promise?"
"Michael, who's your pick this year? Is it Snoopy?"
"Michael, was Snoopy the best player on the court tonight?"
"..."
Amid the chaos, the god of basketball sighed, patted Snoopy's shoulder, and said apologetically,
"Sorry. This might actually hurt your draft stock."
Then, escorted by his guards, he left.
Snoopy didn't quite understand what he meant, not until he saw the next day's newspaper.
The headlines were already out:
"Is Snoopy the Next Kwame Brown? The Short Center Chosen by Jordan"
Of course, that was just one take.
Most of the coverage praised him for his performance. After the quarterfinals, Snoopy's name officially appeared on all three major draft boards.
His highest projection: 48th. Lowest: 60th.
Barely hanging on the edge.
But that didn't stop The Orange County Chronicle from selling out again.
After all, just weeks ago, Snoopy had been an anonymous business school honors student. Readers of the Chronicle were the first to notice him, now they were watching him rise. And that kind of shared journey builds a special connection. A kid you've seen grow step by step always feels closer than one who just pops out of nowhere.
That bond exploded again two days later.
UCLA defeated Arizona, led by Jerryd Bayless, to win the South Regional Championship, advancing to the Final Four!
Snoopy posted a stat line of 11 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 blocks, and a steal. His first career double-double.
It made the Lopez twins' earlier trash talk look laughable.
Back in San Francisco, the twins held a press conference announcing they'd hired a shared agent and were declaring for the 2008 NBA Draft. They painted Snoopy as overrated, calling the game a fluke.
One claimed he'd been sick; the other blamed bad pregame food. They insisted Snoopy would soon be "exposed" once teams scouted him properly.
Unfortunately for them, after the Arizona win, Snoopy's draft stock rose again.
Thanks to persistent questioning from sports journalists, several NBA general managers publicly expressed admiration for Snoopy.
Of course, no one could say for sure whether that "admiration" was genuine… or just polite PR talk.
Kind of like how, after Saturday afternoon, no one in Los Angeles could tell who Snoopy's real girlfriend was, Disney's blonde princess Miley Cyrus, or the actress caught kissing him courtside, Jennifer Lawrence.