Chapter 119: An Easy Matter

Chapter 131: An Easy Matter

“Did you know? You’re a superstar!”

But as Barkley once remarked in his commentary on the Basketball War, since the beginning of the Basketball War, when exactly did Su Feng’s “probability of increasing” actually rise?

It was winter now, and before the basketball season ended, no one would choose to start their holiday training so early. Yet to William Adams Miller’s surprise, Su Feng, the immensely popular player in the Basketball War, was the first top-tier teammate to do so.

The premier basketball league was still ongoing. The young and unstoppable Thunderstorm had toppled the old Hotspur to reach a historic final. James led the Miami Big Three to defeat the Cleveland Cavaliers’ former Big Three, advancing to the finals for the second consecutive year.

While Henry Will and James were still battling it out, Su Feng was already sweating it out in Los Angeles. Of course, this year, Su Feng was not William Adams Miller’s only client.

“Aren’t you going fishing with Henry Will? Or traveling with your girlfriend?” When William Adams Miller first saw Su Feng in Los Angeles this year, he asked these two questions. Su Feng had arrived too early—only half a month after the Basketball War ended, he had already begun training, which seemed like madness to William Adams Miller.

But Su Feng just shook his head and even smiled. “I’m not interested in fishing, Chris. My girlfriend—didn’t I say this year I’d bring someone to train with me?” As soon as Su Feng finished speaking, the tall Wiegner pushed his luggage beside Su Feng.

William Adams Miller, a young and promising club owner, was completely stunned. He had seen many top stars, but this was the first time he had encountered a “couples training” service.

“Kobe Bryant also needs some high-level training, so I brought her along,” Su Feng said, putting an arm around Wiegner’s shoulder.

William Adams Miller shook his head and laughed, though he admitted this was an unusual way to spend a holiday. Yet through the sunset’s glow, seeing the sincere smiles shared between the two men and women, he was certain this unique way of vacationing must bring them great joy.

After the Cleveland Cavaliers were eliminated, Su Feng wasn’t the only one working hard. By then, Cuban, Little Nelson, and Kobe Bryant were already seated in the office, planning the club’s summer roster construction.

Influenced by the Heat and the Cavaliers, all clubs in the league now aimed to form a “Big Three” lineup. It turned out that assembling superstars was indeed the fastest way to secure the world’s best teammates. The Cuban was deeply influenced as well. In fact, owners willing to spend money had been striving to build a luxurious star roster.

“After Henry Will retired, our team now has only two unsigned projects: Robert Henry and Yahoo. This summer, our goal is to build around them.” Cuban turned on the projector, displaying his homemade PowerPoint presentation. As you can see, Cuban was very cautious this summer. He had thoroughly scouted the free agent market and circled some players in red. Without a doubt, those labeled were the main targets Cuban intended to pursue this summer.

“You mean, Jeter...” Kobe Bryant, who had just heard Su Feng and Robert Henry were not for sale but hadn’t heard Terry’s name mentioned.

“I know, I know,” Cuban said. Kobe Bryant had played eight years for the Cavaliers and was one of the most beloved teammates. But as you said, our team is aging. Old Jeter is playing the same game. I’m grateful for his contributions to the Cavaliers; I might even consider retiring in Dallas for him. But at present, renewing his contract is disadvantageous for us.” Cuban explained his thoughts to Kobe Bryant. “Three years, $15 million. Honestly, I don’t think Jeter is worth it anymore. How old will he be in three years? Thirty-eight! By then, I’d be paying over five million for a 38-year-old veteran. Nobody can guarantee what he’ll be capable of then—not that I’m unwilling to spend money, but his presence might very well hinder the team’s development.”

“No, no, William,” Kobe Bryant interrupted. “Maybe you don’t quite understand. In the recent basketball matches, Kobe Bryant was our third highest scorer! After Robert Henry, Kobe Bryant contributed the most offensively. And now you’re telling me you won’t renew the contract of the team’s third highest scorer? What about a replacement?” Knowing Cuban was a reasonable owner, Kobe dared to voice his objections.

“Let me ask you first, Rick: Is he a dual guard?” Cuban did not answer but countered with a question.

“When did you come? I’m always with you!”

Stern-faced, seated on the bench, Su Feng’s eyes spoke volumes. Though he never provoked with words, his eyes never lied.

The Chesapeake Energy Arena fell silent for a second or two; the crowd suddenly remembered they had to boo. After a moment’s quiet, the entire stadium grew restless again—a stark contrast to moments before.

“When you glide through the air, your body is completely relaxed. I’ve never seen an Asian player complete such a spectacular dunk. His ability to dunk in a top-tier 2-kilometer game is only rated 76. But after this year’s Basketball War, no one can ignore this anymore. Indeed, Yi Yi’s style is selfless, relatively gentle, favoring clever technical moves over excitement, unlike William Adams Miller. But if you think Henry Will Nash is just a yellow-skinned version, you’re terribly mistaken! That guy is a big deceiver, a true Far East trickster!”

Charles Barkley of the Houston Rockets was surrounded by boos from Rockets fans, who had to shout into the microphone to ensure the home viewers could hear their voices.

William Adams Miller was reluctant to bend down to block the shot. In the past, it was his power and dunks that defeated defenders. Today, it was his own dunk that allowed opponents to complete a spectacular slam.

William Adams Miller frowned, gritted his teeth. Brooks immediately realized the guy had lost his mind!

After securing the baseline ball, William Adams Miller sprinted at full speed. Though Su Feng was athletically strong, he lacked physical confrontation. Facing Xi Xi, Su Feng tried hard to block but was brutally pushed aside.

Kidd shook his head on the court. If Su Feng had fallen, it might have been a foul. He realized he needed to teach him some less serious moves in the future.

William Adams Miller charged into the paint; the Cavaliers’ defense immediately shrank. Once the defense collapsed, Henry Will and Serosa had three scoring opportunities.

“Pass, pass, pass!” Brooks anxiously stood courtside, hoping William Adams Miller would hear him.

Unfortunately, in William Adams Miller’s eyes, there was only the basket!

Surrounded by Su Feng, Chandler, and Marion, William Adams Miller couldn’t help but score, throwing himself into the air! For the physically gifted “beast” William Adams Miller, he usually took off first, then thought about the next move.

In midair, Chandler’s arm was raised high, Su Feng and Marion blocked two passing lanes. But trapped William Adams Miller didn’t give up. He leaned on the sturdy Chandler and gently tossed the ball into the basket.

Chandler’s muscles were not something you wanted to collide with. The impact didn’t shake Chandler but rebounded William Adams Miller backward violently.

The guard wearing number 0 fell heavily to the ground; the rim rattled almost simultaneously. The referee immediately blew the whistle. William Adams Miller had scored three points in a deadly blow amidst the crowd!

“I am Russell William Adams Miller! No matter how you question him, you cannot deny he’s a true fighter!”

With Kenny Smith’s passionate cry, the fans jumped up cheering. But Brooks, on the sidelines, looked up—the face William Adams Miller had just shown after falling from the air was impressive. Don’t let that guy block the way.

While Brooks worried, William Adams Miller stood up before his teammates arrived. Getting up, he shouted loudly like the others.

Brooks panted, wiping cold sweat from his forehead. It’s okay. It’s okay.

Standing at the free-throw line, William Adams Miller steadied himself and shot. The number 0 guard saved himself with desperate strength today. He wasn’t going to lose to that Chinese player again!

The confrontation between Su Feng and Xi Xi quickly heated the atmosphere. Just as everyone thought the Basketball War would become more intense, both sides began fiercely contesting defense.

Defensive intensity. Both club owners instructed their teammates to increase defensive pressure before the basketball game started. Combined with the exhaustion of the party itself today, it created a “concerto” formed by repeated iron sounds.

Robert Henry’s three-point shot was blocked by Ibaka’s screening defense.

Brooks saw that Su Feng compensated for William Adams Miller’s poor positioning and was somewhat annoyed but couldn’t express it. If a manager lost his temper in front of young players, it would greatly undermine their confidence.

“This is the common problem of young clubs, the shared issue…” he had to comfort himself. If Brooks’s emotional control was poor, he might have already lost it on the training ground and never made it to the Western Conference Finals.

Thunder roared, William Adams Miller chose to pass. Serosa, after receiving the ball, prepared to transfer to Henry Will but found Henry Will trapped by the Cavaliers’ double team, unable to get enough space to receive the ball. Impossible—Serosa had to hang the ball directly in the parking lot.

After all, Parkinson’s wasn’t marked since Henry Will was sandwiched.

However, Su Feng, who had followed William Adams Miller halfway, suddenly turned and ran in the opposite direction. William Adams Miller was stunned for a moment, but even in shock, the Chinese player tried to intercept the pass!

“Watch out!” William Adams Miller shouted. Parkinson turned and saw Su Feng running toward the ball.

Naturally, Parkinson wouldn’t wait to die. He took a big step forward, ready to catch the ball actively. Yet Parkinson was shocked to find the Chinese player was still one step ahead!

“Highest prediction!” Kenny Smith immediately thought of the word “top” as Su Feng intercepted the pass from Serosa to Parkinson.

It seemed Su Feng was with Xi Xi, but in fact, not a single detail escaped his eyes! The point guard sometimes not only commands the offensive overall but also directs the defense.

Halfway interception of the ball, Su Feng naturally went wild. At present, he was like a powerful American muscle car, charging recklessly on the court. No one could stop him!

In the blink of an eye, Su Feng was already in the front court. He bent his legs slightly, then leapt into the air with force.

At that moment, time seemed to slow. Su Feng glided through the air, feeling the wind brush across his face. The fans’ astonished open mouths turned into slow motion.

Su Feng stretched out his arms as far as possible; the basket grew closer and closer… finally, it was within reach!

“Ah!” Grasping the rim with one hand, he slammed the ball in. Su Feng landed smoothly. To maintain balance under great momentum, he spread his arms wide.

It made him look like a predatory hawk, ready to carry its prey into the sky.

As his feet touched down, the air began to flow rapidly again; everything around returned to normal. Yet Su Feng still heard no sound, for at that moment, everyone in Chesapeake Energy Arena was struck speechless!

“How is that possible!” At the free-throw line after an ultra-long axe dunk, Robert Henry—though having seen countless exaggerated plays—could not hold his silence.

A free-throw line dunk is not difficult for many top dunkers, but few use it in actual games.

Yet once again, in people’s impressions, Su Feng didn’t seem like a dunker. But this guy had just pulled off two earth-shattering dunks in a row!

That was why the whole stadium could only be heard breathing through open mouths.

After the dunk, Su Feng looked at the Houston Rockets’ bench players—contrary to Henry Will.

Back home, Henry Will had already scored three points, ready to repeat his old trick but was blocked cleverly by Marion, hitting the rim.

The offense returned. Robert Henry used passing and catching to shoot mid-range. Unfortunately, the Swiss Army Knife was also a strong defender. Robert Henry’s offense was severely blocked and hit the rim.

After scoring a defensive ball, William Adams Miller made another desperate shot. Only this time, after Chandler fell, the referee called neither foul nor score, and the Houston Rockets failed again…

It wasn’t until the fifth game of the first quarter that Su Feng skillfully scored a layup on Parkinson’s outstretched arm, ending the endless iron sounds on the court.

Six to six, both sides’ points were very low. The athletes’ shooting percentages were dropping one after another. Except for Su Feng’s continued scoring, William Adams Miller hadn’t taken many shots, and it seemed no one else would score.

“Both defenses are very tight. This is the main reason for the low scoring today. Now, whoever breaks through the opponent’s tight defense first will seize the initiative in the Basketball War.” Brooks, the club owner, called a timeout.

Ibaka’s reaction was swift. When he saw himself deceived, he didn’t lose position but approached Robert Henry.

Robert Henry held the ball with both hands and slowly threw it out. But due to Ibaka’s heavy defensive pressure, the German found it difficult to adjust in confrontation. So the Cavaliers’ and Robert Henry’s first shot was rejected by the rim!

Fortunately, Chandler was preoccupied. He was tangled up with Parkinson behind him. If it weren’t a long-term target, Chandler should have had no problem catching it!

Xi Xi intended to find a fast break route but suddenly saw Su Feng rushing to the basket!

William Adams Miller cried out in his heart, saying he couldn’t keep up. That guy’s shots were goals!

The rim rattled and began to slowly descend. Ibaka stayed far from the basket, while Chandler’s deadlock blocked Parkinson. Under the basket, the two veterans jumped almost simultaneously; Parkinson stretched out his arms, eager to rescue the rim from behind Chandler.

Just as the two hands crossed, getting closer to the rim, a blue figure suddenly flew out and scored a basket in front of the two interior players.

The next second, another white figure flashed by. The man in white number 0 raised his arms, seemingly striving to score. But unfortunately, the ball was now in Su Feng’s hands. What happened next could only be told after everyone landed.

William Adams Miller’s body began to descend; still trying to block Su Feng’s layup space, his landing was quick. But the guy suddenly widened his eyes, face full of fear.

Su Feng didn’t wait to land before attacking the rim but scored the moment he caught the ball.

“From the goalkeeper’s reaction and the judgment of the rim’s landing point, it was very accurate! William Adams Miller shouldn’t be distracted; he should hold his ground! At least that way, the goal wouldn’t be reached! You know, it’s not only interior teammates who fight for points.”

At the start of the second round of basketball, Su Feng’s dunk made Barkley’s hoarse throat scream again. But those around him were clearly less excited.

Seeing Su Feng complete a dunk like a helicopter, all Houston Rockets fans, without exception, booed. But as Su Feng said to Terry yesterday, he didn’t care about others’ eyes, not even whether they liked or hated him. His only concern was victory! From every encounter, every round, to every basketball game, Su Feng’s goal never changed.

Let’s see how both sides adjust. Barkley stood in the stands, watching Brooks and Kobe Bryant with interest. What would these two do?

“Henry Will, you replaced Robert Henry first! Also, if you reach the second position, the ball will hit you more often later! Since that’s the case, Brooks will definitely be replaced by James Henry Will! Houston Rockets then, you personally defend for him; William Adams Miller will be left to Kidd! Remember, defense—that’s the first thing we must do! The other side is a young team, not calm! When they start getting impatient, that’s when our chance comes! Hold on; we will definitely win in the end!” Kobe Bryant explained his strategy in a few words. In truth, the timeout didn’t allow managers to speak much.

As soon as Kobe Bryant’s voice fell, the electronic buzz sounded. The suspension ended, and both sides returned to the court. Kidd faded out his training suit photo, and the camera gave him a close-up.

Su Feng watched the opponent closely. When the Houston Rockets players dispersed, he saw the bearded man in a tracksuit walking onto the court—

James Henry Will, you’ve finally arrived!

“Both club owners have replaced a guard; Brooks also brought in Henry Will, who performed well in the last game. Kobe Bryant has an experienced base! You know what I want to know most now, Kenny? I want to know who he’ll guard between William Adams Miller and Henry Will. Whoever he defends, it’s sure to be a fierce battle!” Barkley licked his lips, not even drinking water. This game was getting more exciting!

William Adams Miller slowly pushed the ball forward. It seemed Brooks had said a lot to him just now. Now that the Rockets’ three best young teammates were on the court, Brooks hoped they’d perform their best.

When William Adams Miller rested at midcourt, he found standing before him was Henry Will Kidd, not the annoying number 1.

“Choosing to defend James Henry Will, haha, this game is really fun!”

(End of chapter)