Listening to the long-lost prompt—"Dribble potential +1, Possession potential +1"—echoing in his mind, Su Feng felt deeply misunderstood.
Why say Su Feng was wrong?
Let's explore the depth of Chinese characters.
What nickname did Comrade Su Weiguo give Su Feng?
Little Bunny, right?
As a little bunny, being labeled with the title "Dribble Sky Negative" was nothing short of injustice.
Facts proved that the reason Su Feng had previously followed the path of Philadelphia's Malone was simply because he hadn't yet met the man who could light up the seven moles on his feet.
But now, from this moment on, Su Feng was ready to raise his hands and declare his new nickname to the world—
Philadelphia Irving!
"Su, is it really that hard for you to keep the ball low and dribble quickly back and forth?"
Just as Su Feng was lost in his dream, Iverson's voice snapped him back to reality.
Oh no—this damn reality!
Just moments ago, Su Feng had imagined himself using a crossover to shake off Michael Jordan, then finishing with The Shot to seal the game in front of the old rogue.
To Su Feng, that scene was a world-class masterpiece!
The kind of classic that would be passed down forever.
"Su, with your dribbling skills, I don't think you could even get past my mom," Iverson teased, exaggerating his tone.
"Ding! Congratulations, host's dribble potential +1!"
"Ding! Congratulations, host's ball control potential +1!"
As someone fueled by stubborn resistance, Su Feng believed that if a few harsh words could make him stronger, then he had only one thing to say…
Bring it on!
No doubt, Iverson was a true dribbling guru.
He quickly identified the flaw in Su Feng's technique.
In addition to teaching him the "rocket dribble," Iverson also recommended that Su Feng train his agility and reaction speed.
Fans who watched the 2008 Beijing Olympics might remember Chen Jianghua playing against Team USA.
Under intense pressure, Chen's dribbling was almost entirely instinctive.
That kind of subconscious reaction, combined with natural ball sense, was the dribbling talent Su Feng had never possessed—until now.
In his past life, Su Feng would marvel at Klay Thompson's shooting and post moves, thinking, "This guy's unreal."
But when watching Klay dribble, most people felt, "Hey, I could do that."
Sure, someone who can hit threes like that must've worked hard.
But without talent, even a hundred years of practice won't get you to the NBA.
"Clearly, I'm destined," Su Feng thought, moved.
In Iverson's backyard, under his guidance, Su Feng felt that even if he was labeled "Iverson's fox friend," he'd gladly accept it.
After all, he'd worn so many hats—except a green one. And since he was still single, there was no risk of that.
"Oh, Su, let's play," Iverson said suddenly after half an hour of coaching.
Another joyful one-on-one?
Su Feng nodded. Coming to this gathering had truly been worth it.
Not only did he learn why Iverson had passed on him during tryouts, but he also gained two boosts in dribbling and ball control.
And now, with signature moves inspired by Kobe, McGrady, and Iverson, Su Feng had collected three elite techniques.
Though he hadn't yet shed the "Dribble Sky Negative" label, he was getting closer—no more watching the water dispenser with Sam Gold.
"Hold on, I need to change my shoes," said Iverson, still in slippers.
And remembering how Iverson had dribbled past him earlier in slippers…
Su Feng couldn't help but recall pickup games from his past life, where guys in flip-flops would still dominate—and even school older players.
"Forget it. Why overthink? I'm Philadelphia Irving now."
Thinking back to the masterpiece he'd imagined, Su Feng felt a surge of excitement.
Soon, Iverson returned in sneakers, ready to play.
After Su Feng's system upgraded to [Sky Wizard], the way he earned Iron Points changed dramatically.
First, each practice shot now earned 50 points.
Second, in NBA-level games, each made basket earned 1,500 Iron Points.
Additionally, the system rated his performance per game. An SSS rating could earn up to 30 rating points.
That meant if Su Feng hit 30 shots and earned an SSS rating, he'd receive:
30 × 1,500 × 30 = 1.35 million Iron Points!
Su Feng also discovered that tougher opponents yielded higher Iron Point rewards—even in NBA games.
So if he faced the old rogue and hit 30 shots with an SSS rating, the Iron Points would be astronomical.
Clearly, the system was encouraging him to fight, dominate, and crush dynasties.
Just like before, in the bullfighting competition, Su Feng's iron score was still tied to the rating of his one-on-one opponent.
Originally, Su Feng thought this bullfighting mode was a system bug. But now, looking back, it's clear the system was simply pushing him toward head-on madness.
So, in summary, Su Feng felt that reaching 1.5 billion iron points in three years wasn't impossible.
Especially since he started on a bottom-tier team that encouraged rookies to shoot freely.
Of course, Su Feng noticed that victory played a major role in the system's scoring. So, as always, the system's logic checked out.
After all, by preventing him from deliberately missing shots to farm iron points, Su Feng was willing to call this system: a paranoid cultivation system.
After Su Feng and Iverson decided who would start on offense, a system notification popped into Su Feng's mind:
"Opponent detected: 1996 NBA Draft No. 1 pick, Allen Iverson.
In the upcoming bullfighting match, the host will receive 5,000 iron points for every missed shot!"
Five thousand points per miss? For some reason, Su Feng suddenly didn't feel like going to Los Angeles after the summer league.
Just look at the face of the No. 1 pick!
How does that compare to the No. 8 pick from the sewers?
And while Su Feng was mentally roasting Kobe, on the court, Iverson—who had the first possession—exploded forward and blew past Su Feng in a single move.
Su Feng: "..."
Focus on the game, young man!
2–0!
Iverson dunked with ease, smiled, tossed the ball to Su Feng, and just as Su Feng put the ball down, Iverson lunged like an arrow and nearly stole it.
Iverson knew he didn't have the height advantage over Su Feng, so he wasn't about to give him a chance to post up.
But what AI didn't realize was that in matchups like this, Su Feng cared more about style than winning.
On the court, Su Feng stepped back and launched a three-pointer.
Swish —!
"Nice!"
Though he didn't understand why Su Feng didn't take the chance to drive, Iverson appreciated the free-spirited style.
2–3!
On Iverson's next possession, he dribbled between his legs repeatedly, then suddenly stepped back and fired a cold-blooded three-pointer.
Swish —!
5–3!
"Hey Su, did you expect me to pull up for three like that after all those dribbles?" Iverson laughed, one hand on his hip.
Su Feng shook his head. He really hadn't expected Iverson to play like that...
Because that move...
Was very futuristic. Very Curry.
In the '90s, this kind of off-the-dribble three-pointer wasn't unheard of, but it definitely wasn't common.
But after watching Iverson for a few seconds, Su Feng suddenly thought—don't say it, this style actually suits AI quite well.
In Su Feng's previous life, Iverson's inefficiency was tied to his relentless drives into traffic and forced long jumpers.
But as a scorer who could average 30 points per game under hand-check rules, if Iverson tweaked his shot selection just a bit, he wouldn't be shooting 39.8% and averaging 16 missed shots per game.
Take future Stephen Curry, for example. That season, Curry averaged 20 shots per game, and no one ever called him inefficient or selfish.
Iverson's explosiveness and speed were absolutely unmatched at the time—even hand-check rules couldn't contain him.
And with the NBA's three-point line still shortened next season, if Iverson leaned more into threes, he'd become a dazzling spectacle in the league.
In the '90s, court spacing wasn't what it would become. If Iverson adjusted his shot profile, Su Feng's own playing environment would improve dramatically.
After all, the more space on the court, the more room for flashy off-ball movement.
Still, even though the idea was solid, Su Feng didn't offer Iverson any advice right away.
Because knowing Iverson's personality, persuasion wouldn't work.
So, on the court, after Iverson tossed the ball to him, Su Feng raised his hand and fired.
Swish —!
"Tell me, Su, hasn't your coach ever said your shot selection is kind of reckless?" Iverson asked, having failed to contest the shot.
"He has," Su Feng replied casually, "but I prefer freedom."
"Freedom?" Iverson's eyes widened.
"Yeah. A lot of coaches today emphasize attacking the basket.
But in my view, I don't just want to drive to the rim.
I want to shoot from places they can't even imagine. That's the freedom I've been chasing!" Su Feng continued to bluff.
Iverson's eyes lit up. Suddenly, what Su Feng said made sense!
Maybe Iverson didn't realize it himself, but in the next few possessions, he started dribbling more and pulling up for threes.
Iverson was different from Curry. Curry used his shot to create separation, while Iverson used his absurd speed to blow open space and fire from deep.
Of course, Iverson's three-point shot was still a bit wild, mostly because he hadn't focused on training it.
In his rookie season, with the shortened three-point line, AI attempted six threes per game and made two.
If he put in the work and chose his shots more wisely, his shooting percentage would definitely rise.
Unfortunately, in Su Feng's previous life, after Larry Brown arrived, Iverson shelved his three-point shot. He'd only practice it occasionally, even when working on his shooting.
Future Iverson's injuries and inefficiency had a lot to do with Brown's "anti-star tactics."
In Su Feng's past life, many people claimed Iverson was inefficient because his teammates couldn't score. But here's the real question: weren't those teammates handpicked by Brown himself?
There were always people trying to defend Brown, praising how he led the Pistons to a championship.
But in reality, when Brown took over the Pistons, Rick Carlisle had already built 80% of the team's foundation.
A roster with Hamilton, Prince, the two Wallaces, and Billups — if Brown couldn't win a title with that, then Milicic might've ended his basketball career early and joined the Iron Fist of Justice.
And the most important thing? Brown was a double-edged sword. When the Sixers had championship hopes, he'd praise Iverson to the skies. But once those hopes faded, he'd bury him in the dirt.
Was the U.S. men's basketball team in 2004 weak?
Maybe. But here's the thing — you had Tim Duncan, and you didn't even know how to use him. What's left to praise about Larry Brown?
This guy was a textbook case of "if I can't fix it, I'll ruin it."
Don't assume all NBA coaches are tactical geniuses. In a star-driven league, the real skill is knowing how to manage relationships with players.
From 2002 to 2006, American basketball tactics were completely overtaken by Europe. Only after some painful reflection did a new generation of young coaches begin to rise. And in the league, no team wanted to hire Larry Brown anymore.
"Is this what freedom feels like?" Iverson thought to himself on the court, subtly influenced by Su Feng's philosophy.
"Wait a minute… My template is Klay. If Iverson starts launching threes like this, isn't this basically a Philadelphia Splash Brothers?" Su Feng mused, scratching his head.
Just like that, after two hours of playing with Iverson, the man was visibly tired.
After all, there was a party nearby. You couldn't expect Iverson to spend the whole day immersed in basketball with Su Feng.
As a "walking Iverson encyclopedia," Su Feng knew when to wrap things up. So he offered, "Allen, let's call it a day. I'll head out now and come back tomorrow."
Tomorrow?
Hearing that, Iverson originally wanted to say he planned to sleep all day.
But looking into Su Feng's sincere eyes, Iverson felt he couldn't refuse. It would've felt too cold-hearted.
"Alright," Iverson nodded.
Seeing Iverson agree to continue tomorrow, Su Feng smiled. He'd already made up his mind — after the summer league ended, he'd head to North Carolina and bring Tracy to Philadelphia.
On one hand, he missed Tracy — it had been a while since they'd seen each other.
On the other hand, now that Iverson had helped him break through his dribbling ceiling, Su Feng's summer training plan needed an upgrade.
Why not go to Los Angeles?
But what if L.A. was too fun — then what?
As for Kobe...
Well, wasn't Su Feng just creating the perfect opportunity for him to go on a solo date with Brandy?
…
Poo, poo.
Just as Su Feng was breaking through his dribbling ceiling, out on the West Coast—after switching between freestyle and breaststroke—the short, powerful shark finally landed in Los Angeles!
If you flip through the history of the Lakers, you'll find this is a franchise built on a tradition of dominant big men.
George Mikan, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar—these legendary centers were all part of the Lakers legacy.
And now, Shaquille O'Neal had arrived.
He signed a seven-year, $121 million contract with the Lakers.
Trading Divac to get Kobe, clearing cap space, and landing O'Neal—in the summer of 1996, when all of Jerry West's moves came together, the blueprint for the Lakers dynasty began to take shape.
"I'm announcing that the Lakers are now my team!"
At this point, O'Neal was only 24 years old, but in the All-Star Game the following season, he would officially be honored as one of the NBA's 50 Greatest Players, alongside 49 other legends. (The list was selected in 1996 and awarded during the 1997 All-Star Game.)
From the moment he entered the league, he declared that the "Big Three" centers had become the "Big Four."
Sure, he'd been swept by the Bulls in the Eastern Conference last season, and swept by the Rockets in the Finals the season before—but don't panic...
Because he'd be swept again in the future.
It's common sense: sharks don't have legs, so they can't walk on their own. Of course, they can only be swept away—with a broom.
"Su, did you hear? I'm going to be teammates with Shaq!"
That day, after learning O'Neal had joined the Lakers, Kobe called Su Feng immediately, eager to brag.
"Oh, yeah." To Kobe's surprise, Su Feng's response over the phone was completely indifferent.
"This is Shaq! I think he's the best center in the NBA!" Kobe said, excited.
Okay...
Su Feng thought he should buy a voice recorder, jot down Kobe's words, and play them back for him in the future.
"Su, I'm sorry, but I might win a championship before you," Kobe laughed.
"..."
"Su, you don't understand—Shaq is like a mountain, like a fortress," Kobe added.
Alright, that's enough!
Shaq this, Shaq that—aren't you just showing off that you've got a superstar to carry you?
You...
You think I don't?
Well...
Even if Allen Iverson has skinny legs, they're still legs!
Of course, Su Feng wouldn't say something so childish out loud.
"What have you been up to lately?" Kobe asked curiously.
"I've been refining my skills with Allen.
You have no idea—he's easily the best rookie of the '96 class.
Especially his dribbling moves. In my opinion, even if you practiced for a hundred years..." Before Su Feng could finish, Kobe had already hung up.
Yep, that's the real Kobe.
Su Feng wasn't in a rush to provoke him—he knew that even if he tried, Kobe wouldn't take the bait right now.
…
The news of the shark's westward migration sent shockwaves through the league — Shaq's move to L.A. was the headline of the summer.
Meanwhile, in the 76ers' coaching office, head coach Johnny Davis's two assistants were stressing over the upcoming Summer League roster.
As everyone knows, NBA Summer League teams are typically led by assistant coaches.
And Davis's first assistant, Jason, and second assistant, Rick, were a pair of lovable guys — and they weren't taking this opportunity lightly. They cherished the chance to lead the Summer League squad.
After all, it was a $100,000-a-year job. In the '90s, who would want to risk losing that?
In the Summer League, each team can sign players freely from the open market, and even invite international talent to participate.
As long as you provide food and lodging, there are no long-term obligations — even if you cut the player afterward.
Jason and Rick weren't worried about finding players. The real problem came when Pat Claus gave them a directive:
This time, he didn't care about wins or losses in the Summer League.
What Claus cared about was that his two picks — Iverson and Su Feng — put up beautiful stats.
And that made things tricky.
Because if Iverson and Su Feng were going to post eye-catching numbers, they'd need teammates willing to play supporting roles.
But where were they supposed to find players willing to take a backseat?
Everyone in the Summer League is trying to prove themselves. Who's going to be selfless enough to play second fiddle?
While Jason and Rick were racking their brains, outside the 76ers' office building...
A muscular Black man with an afro was standing in the summer heat, catching the breeze with his agent.
"Ben, don't give up. Let's go check out some other teams," the agent said, trying to encourage Ben Wallace, who looked visibly discouraged.
"Wait a minute..." Ben Wallace replied, unwilling to walk away just yet.