After reaching the state finals, while preparing for the next match, Su Feng and Kobe's biggest enjoyment these past two days has been "listening" to Michael Jordan's games together.
"Michael is coming—! Buckle up, guys! Oh... Michael missed the shot this time."
"The Bulls are running their classic triangle offense. The ball goes to the wing—Michael. Let's see what he does with it..."
"Wow, crossover! Roar—what is that? Hey, Horace (Grant), even though you were once Michael's teammate, you're holding your ground... Oh! Michael's fading mid-range jumper missed."
"Michael, Michael! This is his sweet spot—classic Michael-style turnaround... Oh! The turnaround misses again."
Listening to the radio commentary, Su Feng never imagined the English version could be so entertaining.
Old rogue, old rogue—do you finally have a rough night?
Of course, Su Feng, well-versed in history, knows this stretch of brick-laying isn't just a "black mark" on Jordan's comeback—it's the setup for his return to dominance.
At this point, Jordan is clearly not in peak physical condition, nor has he fully regained his competitive rhythm.
On the 24th, during the Bulls-Magic game, "Jordan's successor" Anfernee Hardaway even stole the spotlight by outscoring Jordan, drawing a wave of new fans.
And those who had sky-high hopes for the Chicago Bulls couldn't hide their disappointment.
But...
Can you believe that this slumping Jordan is about to explode again?
If Su Feng remembers correctly, in just a few days, Ewing is about to leap from the Empire State Building just to "assist" Jordan.
As the unofficial background prop for '90s superstars, Michael Jordan will drop 55 points on the Knicks in the March 28th matchup.
Of course, you can't blame Ewing for that one, because guarding Jordan that night was...
John Starks.
Jordan's "old friend," who also helped eliminate Houston last year.
Honestly, the Knicks—Nima, they're outrageous.
In Su Feng's view, they should be renamed: "Robbing the Rich, Still Rich Knicks."
In Su Feng's previous life, championship chances in the '90s poured on the Knicks like rain.
However...
The Knicks always managed to open their umbrellas just in time—turning away every opportunity.
Besides being perpetual background props, in a few years, those proud New Yorkers would pay the price for their arrogance: two decades of struggling to attract superstars.
And that's the end of it.
From now on, the Knicks would become prime-time targets for U.S. networks every year during season previews.
…
March 26th, Harrisburg Capital Stadium.
1994–95 Penn State High School Basketball League State Finals.
In the stands, supporters of Lower Merion have turned the entire stadium into a sea of white.
It's supposed to be a neutral venue, but tonight, the players from Eric Catholic High School could feel the world was steeped in hostility toward them.
As Eric Catholic's star player, Michael Carter shouted to his teammates, frustrated:
"If everyone wants to support them, then we'll prove with our actions that we're not worse than they are!"
"OK."
"No problem."
"Don't worry."
Michael Carter: "..."
Bro—where's the confidence?
We beat them in the division league!
Why are you all acting so unsure?
Truth is, Carter misunderstood his teammates.
Because this wasn't a lack of confidence…
This was coming from deep within.
Lower Merion's aura was so overwhelming it felt like they'd already reached the NBA—and even Su Feng was caught in that illusion.
But what do you expect, when the 76ers had been so disappointing that year?
To Philly fans, it was more worthwhile to go to Harrisburg and watch Lower Merion play than suffer through another Sixers game.
On the court, Bryant earned loud cheers during his warm-up dunks.
Su Feng remembered that when Kobe entered the NBA draft in 1996, many Philadelphia fans wished the team would find a way to pick him.
Joe Bryant was a Philly native, and the city saw Kobe as "Philadelphia's own son."
"Su, listen—your fame's almost catching up to mine," Kobe joked, patting Su Feng on the shoulder as they warmed up.
Well… Su Feng definitely heard the crowd chanting his name.
Sure, it wasn't quite at Kobe's level—the hometown hero—but thanks to his unique backstory, Su Feng had gained a strong fanbase of his own.
Still…
Su Feng felt it might be time to teach these fans the correct pronunciation of his name. Being mispronounced daily? Unlucky.
That aside, being a state final, the game had a different vibe from anything before.
Tonight, the starting five from each team were introduced individually by the DJ.
But when the DJ announced their season averages, three of Lower Merion's role players hung their heads while Su Feng and Kobe stood tall, proud as ever.
Rasman, Stewart, and Swartz weren't bitter.
They just felt… a little over-hyped.
They even felt guilty for dragging Kobe and Su Feng down most of the time.
Well, at least that's how Kobe and Su Feng imagined their teammates were feeling—these guys were just too endearing.
…
Once both teams were ready, the state final tipped off.
In the stands, unlike past games, the number of NBA and NCAA scouts had tripled.
For scouts, discovering raw talent usually leads to long-term observation to assess a player's potential.
Of course, history has shown scouts all kinds of things over the years.
But more often than not, their reports read like verdicts—deciding a player's future before it even begins.
At center court, Kobe was once again in charge of the jump ball.
Eric Catholic High School's center, Nelson, had solid athletic ability, but compared to Kobe's bounce—which soared well beyond his peers—Nelson could only sigh.
Snap—!
Lower Merion took possession, and in a thunderous wave of cheers, Robbie "I'm a mature no-hesitation shooter" Swartz dribbled past half court and quickly handed the ball to Kobe.
Kobe nodded approvingly, then scanned Su Feng's movement on the court.
If you had to sum up Kobe's mindset in one lyric right then, it would be: In my eyes, only you—no one else.
Eric Catholic High School had clearly studied Su Feng's game closely.
Their small forward, Gray, stuck to Su Feng like glue, denying him every opportunity to slip away unnoticed.
But Su Feng, the cold-blooded shooter machine, didn't care who was guarding him.
And Kobe? He wouldn't hesitate to pass just because Su Feng had a man on him.
Never underestimate the trust between these two.
On the court, Su Feng sprinted to the left at a 45-degree angle, and Kobe's pass met him right in stride.
Kobe nodded at him.
Su Feng met Kobe's eyes, planted his feet, hung in the air, and flicked his wrist.
Clank!
Su Feng: "..."
To be fair, he didn't intend to hit iron—he certainly didn't subscribe to any iron-worshipping strategy.
Dang... Am I cursed to miss every pass from Kobe?
Heading into this championship game, Su Feng—having earned Kobe's trust—wanted to put up some numbers.
He just never imagined those numbers would look more like a pile of bricks than a stat line.
Lower Merion failed to grab the offensive rebound, so Su Feng immediately dropped back on defense.
Suddenly—
"Ding! The host has met the system criteria for long shots and missed attempts during an official competition!"
"Ding! Congratulations, host has unlocked the [Yang Yan] badge."
"[Yang Yan] badge—current level: ..."
On the court, Su Feng didn't have time to figure out what on earth this mysterious badge was.
Because right then, Kobe—lightning fast—cut off Eric Catholic's star guard Michael Carter just as he broke past Swartz.
Kobe stole the ball and zipped it to Su Feng!
No time to think—Su Feng went with the flow and laid it in for Lower Merion.
2–0!
Finally, Su Feng had a moment to glance at the badge he'd just unlocked.
"What the hell is this!"
"Hold up—don't think I haven't played 2K, okay? I know how badge grinding works. But why does this feel so off-brand…?"
Su Feng could never have imagined that...
A bunch of missed shots could actually unlock a powerful badge.
"So my past two games... make total sense now!"
cough Back to business.
After viewing the unapologetically anime-style "Yang Yan" badge, Su Feng gasped.
[Yang Yan] Badge — Current Level: Bronze
Activation Condition: The system detects the host is "cold."
Active Effect: For 6 minutes, boosts shot accuracy by 10% in the host's hot zones.
Passive Effect: Increases resistance to contest by 5%.
Note: Outside of the first unlock, the host can only unequip this badge before games or daily training. Requires 24 hours before re-equipping.
"What even counts as 'cold'?"
While pondering, Kobe bumped Su Feng in the chest—and just then...
"Ding! The system has detected that the host feels cold!"
"Based on recent shooting data, host's hot zones include: right wing (three-point & mid-range), left wing (three-point), and left corner."
"[Yang Yan] badge: activated!"