New York, the Big Apple.
Su Feng remembers that the last time he came here, he was with Kobe, looking for Sam Gold.
Back then, in the slums of Brooklyn, Su Feng witnessed "magic come to life."
Now, a year and a half later, Su Feng returns to New York as a member of the legendary "'96 Golden Generation."
June 26, 1996—destined to be etched in history.
That summer...
While Michael Jordan led the Chicago Bulls to dominate the league with an unbelievable record...
A wave of young blood stepped onto the NBA stage, full of energy and ambition.
The four elite point guards and four standout power forwards were ready to inherit the mantle from their predecessors. The old order was fading, and a new era was rising.
The shark headed west, the throne shifted, and the stone Buddha remained still. Who would rise to challenge?
North, the Wolf King roared—who would stand out in this "independent" showcase?
It's worth noting that when Su Feng walked into the Little Green Room at Madison Square Garden, the "Spicy Man" was still just a kid.
Okay...
Okay!
As we all know, since the NBA introduced the lottery system and the Little Green Room, every year at the draft, team general managers are expected to be fair and objective—and never overlook the 15 Little Green Room invitees.
So, as a cornerstone of David Stern's vision for building a bridge across the sea, how could Su Feng not be invited to the Little Green Room?
Ahem... let's skip that part.
Being in the Little Green Room comes with perks—like shaking hands with David Stern before the draft begins and receiving a personal "blessing" from the NBA commissioner.
Of course, whether that blessing turns out to be good luck or a curse depends on your actual skills.
When Su Feng shook Stern's hand, he felt like the commissioner gave him an extra look.
"Su Feng, nice to meet you."
And Stern had clearly practiced pronouncing his name—he didn't say "Shufen."
"Good morning, sir."
It was Su Feng's first time meeting Stern. Stern wasn't tall, wore glasses, and had a kind demeanor. He smiled warmly as he greeted each rookie.
So, what was Stern's first impression of Su Feng?
Handsome?
Unlikely—this commissioner wasn't that superficial.
"A promising candidate for idol stardom."
Hmm...
Aside from being handsome, Su Feng didn't leave much of an impression on Stern.
Still, before the draft began, Su Feng and the other members of the '96 Little Green Room took a memorable group photo.
By then, all the stars of the '96 draft class had gathered.
Even Su Feng, usually calm and composed...
Couldn't help but take a deep breath after seeing so many familiar faces—players he'd once battled.
"Su, don't be nervous!" said Kobe Bryant, his own palms sweating.
Su Feng: "..."
Inside the draft venue, Su Feng and Kobe sat side by side. Not far from them, Iverson was partially hidden behind a round, fluffy "hairball."
Even now, Su Feng still wondered why Iverson had passed on him during the tryouts.
The camera quickly zoomed in on Iverson, who was expected to be the top pick that night.
And that "hairball"? It was Iverson's mother, Ann Iverson, who seemed determined to make sure everyone knew Allen was her son—pointing at him every time the camera turned their way.
Iverson kissed his wife, seated beside him, who held their newborn child.
Gotta say—AI really brought the whole family.
"Su, are your parents always this calm?"
Many fans later believed Kobe was fearless, but Su Feng knew he was just a regular guy.
He got nervous too.
After all, he was still under 18.
Su Feng smiled and patted Kobe's shoulder. "My parents don't speak English. I just told them to smile when they hear my name."
Kobe nodded.
Truth is, Kobe wasn't the only one nervous.
Just beyond the draft venue was the "temporary war room" of the NBA's 29 teams.
In 1995, the Grizzlies and Raptors joined the league, expanding it to 29 teams. As for the 30th...
No rush. The owner of that future team was still busy building a second dynasty.
Let's wait until he retires.
…
Appeal!
At Madison Square Garden in New York, there was once a saying: "When you hear the boos, it means the draft has begun."
Amid the crowd's jeers, NBA Commissioner David Stern appeared—radiant as ever.
It's worth noting that, before the lockout that would come soon after, the boos Stern received weren't all that intense.
Don't ask—just know that Stern never flinched.
Below the stage, every rookie was fired up, giving it their all.
Especially in the Little Green Room, the players were eager to find out which team would select them.
"Kobe... I don't think you need to worry too much, really," said Su Feng,
"I'm not nervous, Su. But you shouldn't be nervous either," Kobe replied.
Su Feng: ORZ.
On the podium, after a brief opening speech, it was time for the moment of truth.
Stern read aloud without hesitation:
"The Philadelphia 76ers, with the first pick in the first round, select—"
"Allen Iverson from Georgetown University!"
No surprises there.
As soon as Iverson's name was announced, the crowd erupted in cheers.
Ann Iverson danced with joy.
Though Iverson's buzz cut made him look less intimidating than he would later become, his big eyes sparkled with energy—like he was electrifying the room.
In Su Feng's past life, Iverson had a massive female fanbase—and it wasn't without reason. That rebellious charm was lethal.
Iverson stepped onto the stage in a gray suit and a 76ers cap. The big screen played highlights from his college career.
The top pick was settled.
But for the 1996 draft—hailed by the media as the "Golden Generation"—this was just the beginning.
Next, Stern announced Marcus Camby as the second overall pick.
Again, no surprises.
The Raptors selecting Camby at that spot made perfect sense.
Camby was the most talented big man in the '96 class.
And as a newly formed team, the Raptors were focused on building around the interior—making Camby a logical choice.
With the third pick, Stern called Sharif Abdur-Rahim.
Like the Raptors, the Vancouver Grizzlies were a new franchise and played it safe.
Rahim had solid skills and great footwork. He'd go on to average over 20 points per game in five seasons.
In the 1999–2000 season, he even posted a "20 + 10" stat line and earned an All-Star selection.
The fourth and fifth picks matched Su Feng's memory: the Bucks selected Stephon Marbury, and the Timberwolves picked Ray Allen.
If Su Feng remembered correctly, the Timberwolves would soon trade with the Bucks.
Next up: the Celtics.
Stern announced the name "Walker."
Okay...
Not the Walker sitting next to Su Feng—but Antoine Walker.
Though Walker had a face that screamed "Look at me and I'll kill you," in reality, he'd just grab a few rebounds at most.
Walker was the kind of player who couldn't resist shooting threes—especially when he was missing them.
If Su Feng didn't know his career history, he'd think Walker was cut from the same cloth as himself.
Then came the seventh pick: the Clippers...
Skip.
"The Dallas Mavericks, with the eighth pick in the first round, select—"
When Su Feng heard "eighth pick" and "Dallas Mavericks," something felt off.
And soon, he realized why.
Let's rewind a few minutes...
After the Clippers picked Lorenzen Wright, chaos broke out in the Mavericks' war room.
Their turn was next—but there was no word from Los Angeles.
Just a day earlier, Jerry West had met with the Mavericks' front office.
"I want your first-round pick," West said bluntly.
"But Jerry, this is the eighth overall pick in the 1996 draft," replied new Mavericks coach Jim Cleamons with a smile.
"I know. That's why we're offering Vlade Divac," West said calmly.
Before Don Nelson arrived in Dallas and before Mark Cuban bought the team, the Mavericks—despite their future "Three Js" trio—were still...
Hot garbage.
Dallas had a reputation for racial bias, which made it hard to attract star players.
Even when Nowitzki retired after winning a championship, no superstar wanted to join him—despite his pay cuts.
Until a man named 077 showed up.
So when West offered Divac, the Mavericks were thrilled.
They were already planning to draft a big man—and Divac, a skilled white center, was a dream come true.
But Cleamons, thinking he was a master negotiator, said, "Vlade's salary is an issue. You'll need to sweeten the deal."
West didn't flinch. "No problem. How about our second-round pick next year?"
"Next year's second-rounder?" Cleamons shook his head.
"Fine. I'll throw in Cedric Ceballos and Eddie Jones."
"What next—our entire Lakers roster?"
With that, West turned and walked away.
The Mavericks' front office panicked.
They were planning to draft Samaki Walker—but compared to Divac, that was a downgrade.
At 28, Divac was in his prime.
In this more conservative era, the Mavericks saw the Lakers' offer as a generous gift.
In Su Feng's past life, West didn't trade up for a higher pick—not just because of the value of the '96 class, but also because the Hornets were an Eastern team in need of a center.
Trading Divac for Kobe was just the first move in West's grand plan.
Did West not know how good Divac was?
Sending him to a Western rival wasn't ideal—emotionally or strategically.
But Su Feng's presence in this timeline forced West's hand.
Truth be told, the LOGO man wanted to jump out of the logo and play Su Feng himself.
The Mavericks needed a center, and the eighth pick was West's safest bet to land Kobe.
West believed they'd accept the deal.
To seal it, he offered a second-round pick—his final concession.
Any more than that...
Would be extortion.
Despite all the back-and-forth, the deal between the Mavericks and Lakers was finalized.
According to the agreement, the Mavericks would use their eighth pick to select a player for West. The Lakers would complete the trade afterward.
"Who do you want us to pick?" the Mavericks asked.
"You'll find out soon enough," West replied, keeping the details secret to avoid complications.
Back in the Mavericks' war room...
"Only five minutes left. Are the Lakers ghosting us?"
The Mavericks' staff, growing anxious, feared they'd been duped.
Their pick was coming up.
"Forget it. If we don't hear from them, we'll just—"
Just then, the phone rang.
"Please select Kobe Bryant," said Jerry West.
…
"The Dallas Mavericks, with the first-round and eighth overall pick, select—"
"From Lower Merion High School, Kobe Bryant!"
At the draft venue, when Kobe heard his name…
But while Kobe was busy celebrating, Su Feng was completely bewildered.
Wait—what?
Eighth overall pick?
Dallas Mavericks?
"Weren't the Mavericks supposed to pick ninth? Hold on…"
Although it didn't take long to figure out why the Mavericks had the eighth pick, Su Feng remembered that Dallas wasn't short on perimeter players.
They already had Jim Jackson and Jamal Mashburn…
Huh?
Right—at this point, the Mavericks didn't need guards. What they lacked was a solid big man!
And the Mavericks' front office at the time was… well, not the sharpest.
Instead of picking Dampier, they passed and went for Samaki Walker. Though, ironically, Dampier would end up joining the Mavericks a few years later.
After thinking it through, Su Feng felt he had pieced it together.
Sure enough, just after Kobe walked on stage wearing a Mavericks cap…
Back with his family, after hugging his parents, he leaned over and whispered in Su Feng's ear,
"Su, my agent told me not to rush into interviews."
Su Feng nodded, pretending to be clueless, and asked, "Why's that?"
"He said the Lakers have already made a deal. I'm going to the Los Angeles Lakers!" Kobe was practically bouncing with excitement.
"..."
The LOGO man… he really is the LOGO man.
Even with Kobe picked eighth, he still managed to bring him to L.A.
Su Feng was impressed…
But something felt off from how history was supposed to unfold.
Su Feng remembered that in Kobe's biography, he didn't find out about the Lakers trade until a few days later…
Well, even if the timeline had shifted, seeing Kobe go from the 13th pick to the 8th didn't feel wrong to Su Feng at all.
"Su, I'm not going to the interview yet. I want to see where you get picked."
Kobe, now relaxed, sat beside Su Feng, no longer nervous.
"Don't be nervous!" Bryant said with a grin, patting Su Feng's shoulder.
Su Feng: "..."
After Kobe was selected eighth, the Nets—who now picked ninth—chose Kerry Kittles.
"Hmm… looks like the Lakers used the eighth pick to grab Kobe because they knew if they waited, the Nets would likely take him."
Su Feng realized that his presence in this timeline had changed everything.
In his previous life, the media often ranked Kittles ahead of Kobe during this period.
But in this life, just days before the draft, Su Feng noticed many outlets were already saying Kobe's potential surpassed Kittles'.
"The LOGO man is just too sharp. Thirteenth pick in the last timeline, eighth pick now…"
Su Feng thought that someday, he had to find a way to test the LOGO man.
Because this guy seemed way too good at manipulating the game.
Next, with the tenth pick, the Pacers selected Dampier—not the self-proclaimed best center in the West who would later be dominated by Yao Ming and Shaquille O'Neal.
But jokes aside, Dampier was actually solid as a future defensive anchor.
With the eleventh pick, the Warriors—who had previously ignored Su Feng—chose Todd Fuller.
Yeah… that pick was as questionable as the Warriors' front office at the time.
Twelfth pick: the Cavaliers selected the Ukrainian wall of muscle, Vitaly Potapenko.
Maybe still riding the high of being drafted, Kobe was clearly itching to go do interviews.
"You… want to go ahead? I feel like I'll be waiting a while," Su Feng said, estimating he'd be picked somewhere around 20th.
"No… I'll stay with you," Kobe replied after a moment of hesitation.
Su Feng smiled. That's real steel-bond friendship. His long-term investment in this guy was paying off—reliable!
While Su Feng and Kobe chatted…
"With the thirteenth overall pick in the first round, the Charlotte Hornets select—"
"From Lower Merion High School, Su Feng——!"
Su Feng: "..."
When Stern called his name, Su Feng froze for a moment—then was completely stunned.
Especially when Kobe, more excited than Su Feng himself, shook him around in circles, leaving him dizzy, confused, and overwhelmed…
"Wei Guo, did our son just get picked?" Wang Yuanyuan asked in shock.
"Looks like it!" Su Weiguo replied.
In 1996, the thirteenth overall pick in the first round…
Su Feng pointed at himself.
Yep…
As he walked onto the stage, Su Feng couldn't hear the cheers or boos anymore.
Looking at the kind-faced commissioner, Su Feng felt like he was dreaming.
"Congratulations, Su Feng," Stern said, patting his shoulder. Su Feng then put on…
The Charlotte Hornets cap.
Su Feng, familiar with the Hornets' roster at the time, knew they weren't short on perimeter players.
And he hadn't even worked out with them.
So once he calmed down, his first thought was:
Which team was betting on him with such a high pick?
Actually…
While Su Feng was still stunned on stage…
In the war rooms of the Kings, Supersonics, and Suns, executives were left speechless…
"Who just sniped our guy?"
After saying a few scripted lines on stage, Su Feng stepped down—and quickly learned the truth.
Bill Duffy pulled him aside, beaming.
"Su, keep it low-key in the interview. Don't talk about your role or development plans with the team."
"Huh?" Su Feng looked at his agent, puzzled.
"The Philadelphia 76ers just submitted an official trade request!
The staff in Philly told me the deal will go through as soon as the league approves it!" Duffy said, slapping Su Feng's shoulder with excitement.
Philly…
Philadelphia 76ers?