The person who found all of this the most unbelievable was Coach Ishida, head coach of the Yanda University men's basketball team.
"Ogawa Tetsuya… Tetsuya!," he muttered with a sigh mixed with pride. "You really did make something of yourself in the end."
"Good kid. Looks like you were hiding the vast majority of your strength all along."
"No wonder it only took you one year to lead our school team to a CUBA national championship, and then you firmly set your sights on the NBA."
"With strength like yours, keeping you in the CBA would just be letting you bully weaker competition, wouldn't it?"
"Our country hasn't produced a true top-tier superstar in years."
"The future of our nation's men's basketball…"
"…now depends on you."
The Yanda University student gymnasium was completely empty.
Coach Ishida sat alone on the hardwood floor, staring up at the CUBA Championship banner hanging high above, muttering to himself as echoes drifted through the vast, silent space.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the Pacific—
Los Angeles.
Ogawa Tetsuya knocked on the door of the Lakers general manager's office and stepped inside, calm and composed, neither humble nor arrogant.
"Hey, Tetsuya—you're here."
Before General Manager Rob Pelinka could even speak, Magic Johnson, who was already inside, broke into a wide grin and greeted him enthusiastically.
"Hello, President Earvin. General Manager Rob," Ogawa Tetsuya said as he shook hands with both men. "I'm honored that after the Summer League, I get to walk into the GM's office—rather than packing my bags and heading back home."
Ogawa Tetsuya's trademark dry humor immediately drew hearty laughter from both of them.
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, they got straight to business.
"Tetsuya," Pelinka began, first offering a dose of praise, "we're extremely satisfied with your performance in this Summer League."
"That's precisely why we called you in—to finalize a formal contract."
Ogawa Tetsuya didn't respond right away. He lowered his head, thinking it over carefully.
His explosive Summer League showing—combined with the shocking physical test data that had circulated—had already sparked fierce competition among multiple teams.
However, most franchises couldn't guarantee him a core role. Some couldn't even promise a starting position.
The Lakers were different.
Head coach Luke Walton had repeatedly emphasized that Ogawa Tetsuya was already penciled in as the starting center.
Moreover—whether in his previous life or after transmigrating—Ogawa Tetsuya had always been a die-hard Lakers fan.
Knowing what awaited Kobe in the years to come, he wanted even more to lead this fallen giant—now reduced to league fodder—back to glory.
Seeing Ogawa Tetsuya remain silent, Magic Johnson, the Lakers' President of Basketball Operations, grew anxious.
Afraid Ogawa Tetsuya might reject the offer, he hurriedly began making assurances.
"Tetsuya, you have to believe us—the Lakers are the most sincere team out there. Your future absolutely belongs here!"
"Our goal this season is to develop young players. You'll have plenty of opportunities."
"Our franchise has produced countless Hall-of-Fame centers—Wilt Chamberlain, Shaquille O'Neal, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, George Mikan—we have the strongest center lineage in NBA history!"
"Your talent looks like a yellow-skinned Shaq, and the Lakers are the vastest ocean for you to roam!"
Magic Johnson discarded the restraint of a typical executive, making no effort to hide how highly he regarded Ogawa Tetsuya.
He had worked alongside Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the NBA's all-time scoring leader, and had personally witnessed Shaquille O'Neal lead the Lakers to a three-peat.
He understood better than anyone that a truly dominant interior force never goes out of style.
Magic had long believed that the league's shift toward small-ball was simply because no one like Shaq had emerged again.
Ogawa Tetsuya hadn't expected that a legend—ranked top ten, perhaps even top five, in NBA history—would believe in him so completely.
"General Manager Rob," Ogawa Tetsuya finally asked, "what contract are you offering?"
Despite Magic's glowing praise, Ogawa Tetsuya still hadn't expressed any intent to sign.
He needed to know exactly what the Lakers were willing to offer—so he could maximize his own interests.
"After unanimous discussion within management," Pelinka replied, "we're prepared to offer you a contract equivalent to the No.1 overall pick, Markelle Fultz—four years, 37.4 million dollars."
As he spoke, Pelinka placed the contract agreement neatly on the table in front of Ogawa Tetsuya.
Magic added from the side, "Tetsuya, this is the largest contract we could secure for you. You should know—our No.2 pick this year, Lonzo Ball, is earning less than this."
Ogawa Tetsuya understood immediately.
The Lakers were treating him as a rookie.
But he had entered the Summer League as a free agent—meaning he was fully entitled to negotiate under free-agent terms.
This was nothing short of an international joke.
With the fusion of peak Shaquille O'Neal–level talent, plus the System acting as a cheat-like advantage, how could he possibly accept such a bargain-bin contract?
Having reached his decision—
Ogawa Tetsuya raised one finger, his expression calm and utterly confident.
"One year," he said evenly. "I'll only sign a one-year contract—and it starts at ten million per year."
"What?!!"
Magic Johnson and General Manager Pelinka both froze in shock, exclaiming in disbelief.