"How about it?"
After Payton and Su Feng finished their one-on-one, Karl walked over to Payton.
"Coach, are you asking about the score?"
"21 to 9. Didn't you see it all?" Payton laughed.
Karl: "..."
To be honest, Karl felt like he'd live and die by Kemp and Payton in the future.
These two—one had a knack for impulsive decisions, the other for trash talk.
And both were relentless on offense.
"He's got talent, he's aggressive, but he lacks experience.
I got past him easier than crossing the street in the morning," Payton scoffed.
Karl sighed. It seemed Su Feng wasn't the one they'd been waiting for—the kid with seven moles on his foot.
"Alright, let me think of other options."
With the finals approaching, Karl had to admit—he wasn't confident about beating the Bulls this time.
But just because they couldn't win this year didn't mean they wouldn't win next year.
Didn't mean they wouldn't win the year after that.
"Coach, what are you thinking? Didn't you hear me praising the kid?" Payton asked, puzzled.
Karl: "?????"
Was that supposed to be praise?
"What did you mean then? Weren't you telling me we shouldn't waste time on him?" Karl asked.
"No, just the opposite."
Payton picked up the basketball from the ground. "Coach, do you know what he said to me right after we played?"
Karl shook his head.
"He told me I threw 81 trash talk lines at him," Payton said.
"Does that mean anything?" Karl asked curiously.
"Even though I held back a bit because I want to be fresh for the finals,
to be honest, most players under my defense—especially with me trash-talking like that—would've mentally collapsed," Payton said, looking at Karl.
You even know your trash talk can break people's minds!
Karl felt like he had 10,000 things he wanted to say but couldn't.
"He stayed calm. Even though he couldn't beat me, he kept pushing me to spots where he wanted me to shoot every time he defended.
He's different from any defender I've faced before. His lateral speed is insane, and his strength doesn't feel like that of a high schooler.
He's clearly had professional strength training. His wingspan is long—he nearly covered my face several times.
Too bad I'm just too good," Payton said with a smirk.
Karl: "..."
"So what do you think about his other skills?" Karl asked.
"Honestly, at first I underestimated him because he's Asian.
But after playing against him, I changed my mind.
In basketball, strength doesn't lie.
His agility is average, but his shooting fundamentals are solid.
He even scored a few buckets on me that reminded me of Michael.
His post-up skills are way more refined than most perimeter players his age.
If I train him for at least three seasons, I can turn him into a solid defensive specialist," Payton said.
This time, Karl fell into deep thought.
Because he knew that in Payton's eyes, very few players earned the title of "defensive specialist."
"The Knicks have a few first-round picks this year. I'll try to find a way to bring him to Seattle," George Karl said after a long pause.
"But I heard Sacramento is also very interested in him," Payton replied.
"Relax. Sacramento won't pick him," George Karl smiled.
"Oh?" Seeing Karl's sly grin, Payton was ready to grab some popcorn.
"I've got a friend who scouts for the Kings. He just got back from Europe, and they've been blown away by Peja's performance."
In this era without social media, what mattered most?
Intelligence, of course.
And George Karl's network spanned nearly the entire league.
The Supersonics didn't have a first-round pick this season, so Karl's friend didn't see them as competition.
"The Kings need a scoring wing to turn their record around.
Our goal is to win a championship," George Karl said, patting Payton's shoulder.
"I get it, Coach. You mean a garbage team like the Kings doesn't deserve to pick Su," Payton said bluntly.
Karl: "..."
Alright, Payton.
…
In May, aside from flying around for training, the thing Su Feng faced most often every day…
Was the flight attendant who always seemed to have "no good intentions" toward him.
In Su Feng's previous life, many domestic athletes ended up marrying flight attendants. It wasn't without reason, but still…
To be fair, compared to the stewardesses, Su Feng cared much more about which team would draft him.
By early June, after completing tryouts with several teams, Su Feng had only the 76ers left.
However, in Su Feng's eyes, whether or not he participated in their tryout didn't make much difference anymore.
Because things had changed recently in Philadelphia.
Back in May, while Su Feng was training all over the place…
The 76ers' former owner, Harold Katz—a philanthropist—had sold the team to Comcast, whose main business was TV entertainment.
As the saying goes, "New emperor, new officials." John Lucas, who had been both head coach and general manager, was promptly dismissed.
His replacement as head coach would be his assistant, Johnny Davis.
Gradually, the dark clouds hanging over Philadelphia began to lift.
Their new general manager, Brad Greenberg, had hit the jackpot.
Just like Su Feng remembered, he landed the No. 1 pick in the 1996 NBA Draft.
And with the change in ownership, everything seemed to be moving in a positive direction…
But the 76ers' front office was now more cautious than ever.
So, although many Philadelphia fans hoped the team would keep Kobe Bryant—the hometown hero—and Su Feng…
In reality, in 1996, as long as Tim Duncan didn't enter the draft, there was only one real option for the 76ers.
Based on their roster structure, the 76ers were focused on drafting either a center or a point guard.
Among the 1996 draft prospects, the best big man was widely considered to be Marcus Camby from UMass.
In college basketball, he was everywhere…
Second only to Duncan.
However, one line in Camby's scouting report practically sealed his fate:
"He's good, but he's too thin."
Too thin?
Sorry, but the 76ers were still traumatized by the despair Sean Bradley had brought them.
So forget the big man—go for a point guard!
Then comes the question: If the 76ers hadn't picked Allen Iverson in 1996, who would they have chosen?
The answer: Stephon Marbury.
A jet-speed guard with elite offensive skills.
A talent with mesmerizing ball-handling.
Iverson or Marbury—that was the only real choice for the 76ers' front office in 1996.
That's why Su Feng felt that trying out for the 76ers had lost its meaning.
Of course, even if he couldn't say it out loud, Su Feng's body was still very honest.
After all, during this tour around the U.S., Su Feng had seized every opportunity to train.
Even if the 76ers only brought him in to fill a spot—wasn't that still valuable?
He remembered his one-on-one with Kobe, and how often he'd been bricking shots like a mosaic lately…
Sigh.
Forget it. Kobe was a long-term investment, and Su Feng had plenty of patience.
According to the plan, Su Feng would attend the 76ers' training camp on the 8th.
"The draft order doesn't seem to have changed much."
Looking at the recently released 1996 draft board, Su Feng fell into deep thought.
During previous workouts, several teams had given Su Feng verbal promises.
So after thinking it over, Su Feng decided that instead of worrying about which team would pick him, he should focus on improving himself over the summer.
"Sky Vertical Wizard… What kind of system would that be?" Su Feng wondered.
Well…
Even though he had lived two lives, Su Feng wasn't a god.
He couldn't remember everything perfectly.
In fact, the butterfly effect had already begun…
There had been a small change in the 1996 draft.
So small, in fact, that even Su Feng hadn't noticed it.
…
As Su Feng was preparing to arrive at the final stop of his training journey…
The East Coast—Boston.
Kobe Bryant had impressed the Celtics' front office with his outstanding performance at their training camp.
The only regret was that, just like in Su Feng's previous life, Red Auerbach was absent from the trial due to health reasons.
And with the smokescreen previously released by the LOGO man, once the Celtics received the sixth overall pick, they became completely enamored with Antoine Walker.
"The Lakers have poor judgment. Antoine can't be a 'magician' at all," one Celtics staffer chuckled.
"Yeah, Antoine is the Black Larry [Bird]!"
The Celtics had made up their minds—they weren't going to gamble on Kobe's talent with the sixth pick.
Maybe this was just fate for the two prodigies?
Cut to Philadelphia.
Okay…
Okay.
One thing's for sure—Su Feng felt like the world was full of malice toward him.
Even though he had already complained that the 76ers' tryout was just a formality…
He never imagined that the players participating in this trial would be none other than Stephon Marbury and Allen Iverson.
If Su Feng remembered correctly, in his previous life, when the 76ers were caught in a dilemma over their draft pick, they had invited both Iverson and Marbury for a joint workout.
But…
Su Feng wasn't made of steel.
Wasn't it obvious he was just a stepping stone?
Wake up, young and naïve Tucson—the 76ers had won the lottery!
No offense to those who claimed Iverson made it to the NBA purely through grit and determination…
This was a high school senior who led his team to a state football championship as a quarterback—a position traditionally dominated by white players.
To convince him to switch to basketball, his coach practically begged him.
And let's not forget the classic line: "If you go to the NFL, you'll be a superstar. But if you play in the NBA, you might surpass Michael Jordan."
You're saying he wasn't worthy of the No. 1 pick?
That he was just "talented"?
Even though Iverson's actual height was probably between 178 and 179 cm, don't fool yourself into thinking that just because he's your height, you can become Iverson too.
Iverson had sprint speed comparable to elite NFL running backs. Rumors said his vertical leap reached 110 cm.
And Iverson didn't just have speed, bounce, and strength—his agility was off the charts. Future training guru Ganon Baker became famous for mimicking Iverson's dribbling.
In Su Feng's previous life, many Iverson fans claimed that dribbling could be mastered through hard work.
Every time he heard that, Su Feng just wanted to say: in the future, even Klay Thompson joked that if you work hard enough, you can be a dad in the Western Conference Finals…
Iverson's crossover was so wide and unpredictable—it was a dazzling sight at the turn of the century.
When he jumped to dunk, you might even think his legs had boosters attached.
This was a man who could ride over a seven-footer and knock him down while finishing a drive under hand-check rules.
Let's be honest—none of the four were "normal." (AI, Carter, T-mac e Kobe)
No matter how many times history repeats itself, Iverson was Philadelphia's best answer in 1996.
Of course, Su Feng also remembered that Marbury's "downfall" was a bit unfair.
Because during the workout, Marbury's performance was also impressive.
But later, when the 76ers' management spoke with both Iverson and Marbury individually, Marbury—who hadn't yet been "baptized" by socialism—revealed his fangs. The front office was turned off.
And Iverson?
Look at this kid—he radiates positivity. When he smiles, he has the aura of a protagonist.
Cough…
Anyway, since Su Feng had already decided to participate in this trial, and in case the 76ers needed someone to help test Iverson or Marbury's offense…
Su Feng was always up for a good challenge.
The only thing he regretted was that he hadn't been beaten up enough lately to make it truly worthwhile.
…
"Hey, Su, Philadelphia's hero—cheer up for today's tryout!"
At the 76ers' training facility, seeing Johnny Davis in such a good mood made Su Feng feel a sharp pain in his chest…
"Hey, although we were very satisfied with Kobe's performance during his tryout…
I have to say, Su, I'm feeling really optimistic about you today!" Johnny Davis said, patting Su Feng on the shoulder.
Su Feng: "..."
Listen!
Is that even human language?
In Su Feng's previous life, there were many rumors that Kobe had lost to Iverson in a one-on-one, which led the 76ers not to pick him.
But in truth, none of the biographies Su Feng read—neither Kobe's nor Iverson's—mentioned such an event.
The reason is simple: Kobe participated in the tryout before the 76ers secured the No. 1 pick. After they got it, they weren't afraid to break the hearts of Kobe fans.
The situation in this life was nearly identical.
The only difference was that Su Feng had accepted many training invitations, so Philadelphia believed it made sense for him to join the 76ers' tryout to save time.
And so, Su Feng found himself thrown into a royal showdown that was originally meant for just Marbury and Iverson…
…
Okay…
Even if he was just a side character, Su Feng's physical exam results still made the 76ers' staff drool.
201 cm tall with shoes, 219 cm wingspan, 267 cm standing reach, 91 kg weight…
Su Feng's static measurements were excellent—even among elite NBA wings.
It's also worth noting that when Iverson was measured at 183 cm, Su Feng couldn't help but wonder: how many pairs of socks was he wearing?
Cough—back to the point. During the dynamic tests, the 76ers' staff quickly wiped away their drool.
Su Feng's standing vertical was 70 cm, his running vertical was 87 cm, his lane agility drill was 12.1 seconds, and his ¾ court sprint was 3.46 seconds.
To be fair, Su Feng's numbers were better than Durant's future 66 cm standing vertical and 84 cm running vertical.
And considering Su Feng was only 18, the 76ers believed he had plenty of room to grow.
After all, Westbrook was a similar case.
When he entered the league, his standing vertical was 76 cm and his running vertical was 93 cm—solid, but not elite.
But Su Feng's static measurements were far superior to Westbrook's.
In his senior year, Su Feng had thrown down multiple one-handed dunks in games.
So the reason the 76ers' staff stopped drooling wasn't because of Su Feng…
It was because Iverson's physical data left their jaws on the floor.
Su Feng had secretly asked about Iverson's lane agility score—and after hearing it, he stopped caring about Iverson's measurements.
10.03 seconds…
No doubt, Iverson's talent was just…
Ridiculously absurd!
During the bench press test, Su Feng avoided watching Iverson to protect his fragile ambition.
In the 84 kg bench press, Su Feng managed 7 reps—respectable.
Because bench press performance is affected by wingspan, Su Feng's result was considered above average by the 76ers' staff.
For comparison, Durant famously recorded zero reps at 84 kg.
And bench press isn't a direct measure of strength—it's just a reference.
After the physical tests, both Marbury and Su Feng felt humbled by Iverson's freakish talent.
Although Marbury—who hadn't yet become a political figure—also posted excellent results, it was hard not to feel overshadowed.
Still, Marbury didn't give up hope of competing with Iverson.
Because next, the 76ers had scheduled a five-on-five scrimmage.
Aside from the three rookies, the other players were all 76ers trainers.
Su Feng was in despair…
Five-on-five was fine, even if he was just there to fill a spot…
But when he heard that Johnny Davis wanted Iverson and Marbury to each lead a team, Su Feng felt doomed.
At that moment, Su Feng suddenly missed "Philadelphia Magician" Kobe and "Canadian Stockton" Nash.
"Forget it, time to go back to running drills," Su Feng told himself.
While warming up, Su Feng noticed that the 76ers' staff clearly favored Iverson.
Pat Claus, second only to GM Brad Greenberg, had assigned Su Feng to Iverson's team.
Obviously, Claus believed that pairing Su Feng with Iverson would increase their chances of winning.
After all, Su Feng was still a rookie, but his talent was undeniable.
And while NBA trainers were solid, they weren't on the same level as NBA players.
Poor Marbury—also stuck running drills with him.
As Su Feng warmed up on the sidelines, preparing for this dull scrimmage, suddenly…
"Hey, Su, I'll pass you the ball when I run later."
Hearing someone speak to him, Su Feng turned his head—but where was the person?
Pop, pop!
Iverson, still sporting a buzz cut, had just slapped Su Feng's backside and looked up at him with a smile.
Su Feng: "..."
He must've misheard.
Just as he was about to chat with Iverson, AI had already turned and walked away.
Okay…
Not that Su Feng wanted to badmouth Iverson, but as a "walking Iverson encyclopedia," he knew exactly how AI played.
He didn't pass.
He just chased "freedom."
In college, Iverson's coach—the man who changed his life, John Thompson—taught him to play with passion and aggression…
Basically, if you want to be free, you have to be happy.
Under Thompson, Iverson soared in every game.
So to say that a man who played quarterback, delivered countless highlight passes in the NBA, and averaged over 7 assists per game in seven seasons "doesn't pass" is unfair.
However, to believe that Iverson would feed Su Feng the ball in a tryout that could determine the No. 1 pick?
Su Feng wasn't buying it.
But before the game started, when Iverson flashed another sincere, friendly smile…
Su Feng was 50% convinced.
But…
Wait a minute!
This doesn't make sense!
You could say fake Kobe was "greedy" for Su Feng's cooking, but Su Feng had never met Iverson before.
He could swear on his conscience—this was their first meeting.
Don't even suggest that Iverson had some sixth sense and saw Su Feng's warm personality and friend potential. Su Feng refused to believe it.
Could this AI be possessed?
Impossible!
Su Feng was confused.
"Could it be that Iverson also fell for my handsome face?" Su Feng thought with a grin.
One thing's for sure—Su Feng wasn't being shameless.
But…
Well, aside from Iverson thinking he looked good, Su Feng couldn't think of any other reason.
And then, as the game began…
Su Feng was completely stunned.