This was the first time Chen Yu had watched a game this up close.
Sitting high up in the stands offered a panoramic view of the entire court.
But sitting courtside was a completely different feeling.
Especially when, right at the start, the towering Mike Miller shot a corner three-pointer just three meters in front of Chen Yu. The sense of immersion was a totally different experience.
Unfortunately, he missed.
Logically, this was the Heat's season opener. After a long offseason, the players should have needed more time to get into their rhythm, but once the game started, it was the Heat who found their groove first.
Tim "The Beetle" Hardaway faced Darrell Armstrong. Although he no longer had his famous killer crossover, a simple shift in his center of gravity was still enough to sink a steady mid-range jumper.
Chen Yu couldn't help but take a second look at him.
This player shared the same famous last name as the superstar on the Phoenix Suns, and his own reputation was just as formidable. His killer crossover was so good that even Magic Johnson had praised him, calling him one of the league's top ball-handlers.
He had won Rookie of the Year and, starting from his second season, put up luxurious stats of 20 and 10, cementing his position as one of the league's top point guards.
Unfortunately, at the peak of his career, he suffered his first major injury: a torn ACL in his left knee.
He was out for the season. When he returned, he still put up top-tier numbers—20.1 points and 9.3 assists—but his once-unstoppable, signature killer crossover was gone.
He changed his playstyle and, under Old Nelson's guidance, began focusing on shooting three-pointers.
In the '92-'93 season, he averaged only 4.7 three-point attempts per game. In his first season back on the court, that number shot up to a whopping 7.2!
Now, his drives to the basket were slower, but his shot was getting more and more accurate.
Chen Yu's gaze penetrated Hardaway's left knee, revealing the shocking state of the joint within.
Chen Yu didn't know the grade of Hardaway's tear at the time, but an ACL tear often leads to collateral ligament and meniscus tears as well. To put it simply, one injury causes a cascade of others.
Surgical repair was not only difficult, but more importantly, it was nearly impossible for the ligament to regain its original strength after the procedure.
Ligaments have poor regenerative capabilities to begin with. Tearing them also destroys the already sparse microvascular structure within, further reducing blood supply to the ligament.
Coupled with the scar tissue that forms after surgery and the retraction of the ligament post-tear, the ligament's strength would be a far cry from what it once was, even if the repair looked perfect.
A decline in athletic ability was therefore an inevitable result.
And Hardaway's left knee was a prime example. Chen Yu could clearly see that the repaired ligament was a mess of scar tissue.
Inside, there were also numerous atrophied and ruptured microvessels.
The surrounding ligaments and meniscus also showed damage, along with tissue hyperplasia and fluid buildup.
If a healthy knee was a clean, tidy room, then Hardaway's knee was a room that had been ransacked by a burglar and turned completely upside down.
Chen Yu crossed his arms and couldn't help but wonder, 'If it were me, would there be a way to repair this kind of damage?'
After a moment, Chen Yu decided it should be possible.
'It's not because my surgical skills are superior.'
They were all qualified surgeons; Chen Yu's surgical skills were actually on par with those of top specialists.
'The only advantage I have is the Eye of All-Seeing.'
'Could even the most skilled surgeon perform a procedure with a live CT scan, observing every minute bit of damage and treating it specifically?'
'Of course not.'
'But with the Eye of All-Seeing, I can.'
Wherever his gaze fell, he could see even the most minuscule tears and then figure out a way to repair them.
Combined with targeted post-operative rehabilitation—Chen Yu had read papers on the subject. Research showed that specific exercises during recovery could help healing tissue after ligament regeneration by applying longitudinal loads to the original tissue. This would optimize the tissue's mechanical properties, thereby preserving athletic ability to the greatest extent possible.
'Not to mention, I also have bonuses that enhance the effects of different levels of treatment.'
'Unfortunately, Hardaway's knee is already in this state. A complete recovery would probably be very difficult now.'
As his mind wandered, the first quarter came to an end.
The Magic played as if they'd forgotten how to play basketball; it was a complete mess.
They scored only 14 points in the entire quarter.
The superstar newcomer Tracy McGrady, in whom the Magic's management had placed high hopes, shot only 3 for 8 to get 7 points. Even so, that accounted for half of the team's total score.
Of the five starters, two had scored zero points.
The Heat, on the other hand, were frighteningly efficient on offense, making 13 of their 16 shots in the quarter for a shooting percentage as high as eighty percent.
Hardaway alone racked up 12 points, leading the team to a whopping 37 points in the quarter.
In the first quarter alone, they had built a 23-point lead.
It was no exaggeration to say the game was already over.
Rivers stood on the sidelines with his arms crossed, his expression extremely grim.
The Heat were a powerhouse in the East; there was no doubt about that.
But Rivers hadn't expected the gap between the two teams to be this wide.
Although they were playing the second game of a back-to-back on the road, their performance shouldn't have been this poor.
He couldn't help but turn his head and look toward Hill in the corner of the bench.
'If Hill were on the court, things wouldn't look this ugly.'
Mike Miller was still too green; he couldn't carry the team just yet.
But Hill had already been ruled out for rest, so what could Rivers do? The only thing he could do was pull Tracy McGrady aside and urge him to play more methodically.
Tracy McGrady's sleepy-looking eyes were filled with helplessness. Although he had gotten his wish and signed a max contract, this was, after all, only his fourth year in the league.
Facing Eddie Jones, an All-Star level guard who was a versatile, two-way player, was giving him a headache.
In the second quarter, the Magic found some of their rhythm, but they only managed to play evenly with the Heat. By halftime, there was still a huge 24-point gap.
As the players from both teams headed off the court, Ron Kap, who was sitting in the front row, followed them and hurried into the players' tunnel.
Chen Yu had wanted to say hello, even starting to raise his hand, but Kap had already strode past him.
This was actually the busiest time for a team doctor.
Some players might feel discomfort somewhere after playing for a half, and they needed to get it checked out during the halftime break to try and maintain their performance in the second half.
Chen Yu was filled with frustration, a sense of powerlessness that came from having all these skills but no place to use them.
'If this doesn't work out, what about other professional leagues?'
Chen Yu pondered, crossing his arms.
Miami didn't just have the Heat.
Miami was a famous sports city in the United States. All four major sports leagues had a team in Miami.
Putting aside the Heat in basketball, there was the Miami Dolphins in football, one of the most successful teams in National Football League history, with two Super Bowl championships.
Then there was the Miami Marlins of the baseball league, also a strong team that had just won the World Series a few years prior.
Finally, there was the Florida Panthers, an ice hockey team based in Sunrise City, which is in Broward County.
Broward County is considered part of the Miami metropolitan area, located just over forty kilometers from downtown Miami.
Chen Yu wanted to be a team doctor, but he hadn't limited himself to just being a basketball team's doctor.
Any professional sports team needed a team doctor.