On July 1, accompanied by Bill Duffy, Su Feng officially signed with the Philadelphia 76ers.
Su and the 76ers agreed to a three-year rookie contract worth 3.5 million green coins.
Back in 1994, after the Bucks selected Glen Robinson—nicknamed "Big Dog"—with the No. 1 overall pick, Robinson famously declared, "If you don't give me $100 million, I won't play."
Desperate, the Bucks offered Robinson a staggering 10-year, $68.15 million contract—despite him never having played an NBA game.
At the time, Robinson's deal sparked dissatisfaction among many players across the league.
To prevent future rookies from demanding outrageous contracts, the NBA implemented a strict rookie scale system starting in 1995.
During the lockout negotiations for the 1998–99 season, experts reviewed the rookie contract system, ultimately settling on a four-year structure—with the fourth year being a team option. After the contract expires, players become restricted free agents.
Three years, 3.5 million...
Aside from Xu Guoliang's "sponsorship," this was Su Feng's first real payday.
No surprise—starting out as a young entrepreneur is tough.
It's worth mentioning that on the day of the signing ceremony, Su Feng had hoped to ask Iverson why he passed on him during the tryout. But... no chance.
Iverson was just too popular.
After signing with the 76ers, Iverson—wearing his No. 3 Philadelphia jersey—was immediately swarmed by the media.
In Su Feng's previous life, how famous was Iverson?
During his rookie season, while other rookies were still figuring out how to stand out, Iverson had already signed a 10-year, $50 million sneaker deal with Reebok.
And in that deal, if Iverson made the All-Star team three years in a row, the contract would automatically convert into a lifetime deal.
So in the future, if you ever see headlines about Iverson selling burgers or lamb skewers on the street...
Just smile—because even if someone goes bankrupt, they can still live comfortably thanks to deals like that.
At worst, he might be selling beef buns in the sewers to make ends meet.
As someone who's been around, Su Feng knows how wildly successful the "Answer" sneaker line was. Iverson's height was relatable to the average person, so when the "Answer" series launched, it became a massive hit.
Speaking of which, Iverson's nickname "The Answer" has an interesting origin.
It was during a wild March earlier that year, when asked by the media, Iverson gave his own "answer."
He said that back in Hampton, his friends called him "The Answer."
Why? Because he could score whenever he wanted—and dunk whenever he felt like it.
Iverson even had the word "Answer" tattooed on his biceps early on.
Facing the media, Iverson never tried to hide his past.
His popularity wasn't without reason.
David Stern was a shrewd businessman. He knew that Grant Hill, with his gentlemanly style, deserved praise—Hill was the kind of "model husband" Stern wanted to promote.
But even with his rebellious streak and sketchy friends, Iverson's "bad boy" image was also marketable.
Iverson was the idol of countless Black kids growing up in the slums.
In the future, people would often compare Carmelo Anthony's background to Iverson's.
But truthfully, compared to the gangsters around Anthony, Iverson's crew was more like a bunch of rowdy kids.
Iverson and Anthony were worlds apart.
Born in the ghetto, Iverson was already a local Black icon in high school football—playing quarterback, a position traditionally dominated by white athletes.
On February 14, 1993, a group of white kids reported that a white girl named Barbara had been struck in the head during a fight at a bowling alley. Iverson was sentenced to five years for "inciting violence," with a ten-year probation.
The harsh sentence nearly ended Iverson's sports career.
Even worse than the sentence was the chaotic trial.
Twenty white witnesses gave conflicting testimonies.
And the reason they believed Iverson led the fight?
Among all the Black kids there, he was the only one they recognized.
Years later, Iverson still gets angry when recalling the incident: "Come on, in a place where everyone knows me, I'm not dumb enough to raise a chair and hit someone...
And I'd rather they say I hit a guy with a chair than claim I attacked that girl."
It just goes to show how "free and sweet" the air in the land of liberty really is.
To save Iverson, in October 1993, 150 volunteers rallied across Hampton, urging the court to clear his name.
During this time, the NAACP also appealed to the Supreme Court.
Eventually, under public pressure, Iverson was released after four months and granted parole.
He was allowed to continue participating in organized sports.
Two years later, all charges against him were dropped.
After his release, what touched Iverson most was how the gang of street kids had taken care of his family while he was in prison.
Since then, Iverson firmly believed that when justice slaughters the innocent, it's often the educated who hold the knife.
By 1996, Iverson was already a cultural phenomenon.
He was the idol of countless Black youth.
Of course...
His taste in friends was still questionable.
Helpless...
Holding the 76ers No. 23 jersey in his hand, Su Feng looked at Iverson surrounded by the media. Realizing he wouldn't get the "answer" he wanted today, he shook his head and...
Abruptly found himself surrounded by another group of reporters.
No surprise—being the first Chinese player to join the NBA, combined with topics like Philadelphia's past heroes and the "Philadelphia Twins," there was no way the media would let Su Feng slip away.
NBC had even scheduled an exclusive interview with Su Feng after his tryout.
But thanks to his impressive training performance, NBC postponed the interview until the end of the Summer League.
"Su, can you tell us why you chose the No. 23 jersey?" asked a local Philadelphia reporter.
"I wore No. 3 in high school, but that number now belongs to Allen.
So I thought about choosing No. 24, since my good friend Kobe wore it for a while in high school.
But unfortunately, as you all know, the 76ers retired No. 24.
So I had to go with No. 23.
In my opinion, I'm a little weaker than Kobe—so 24 minus 1 equals 23," Su Feng replied after thinking for a moment.
The media on-site was stunned by Su Feng's explanation...
Wait—his interpretation of No. 23?
In the 1990s, thanks to Michael Jordan, the number 23 had already taken on a mythical status.
Just like wearing No. 10 on a soccer field—in Su Feng's previous life, if you wore No. 23 and didn't play like Jordan, it felt awkward...
The potential for mockery was about the same as when you play Hearthstone and sarcastically say "Good game" to your opponent.
But Su Feng's reasoning was flawless.
His logic, his humility—it all made sense.
He said he wasn't as good as his friend, so he picked a number one lower. Who could argue with that?
"Su Feng, as the first Chinese player to score in the NBA, do you have anything to say to fans back home?" asked Su Junyang, who had slipped into the crowd.
After Su Feng was drafted, Su Junyang became the head of the "China Sports News" bureau in Philadelphia.
Well... he's the bureau chief and also the only reporter there.
Hearing the question from an old acquaintance, Su Feng paused, then answered in Chinese: "I will not bring shame to the motherland!"
Upon hearing this, Su Junyang silently gave Su Feng a thumbs-up from the crowd.
Then came the trickier questions—some clearly designed to put Su Feng on the spot.
But...
Reporters in this era were still new to the art of provocation!
They didn't even spark Su Feng's urge to fight back.
With one response in his left hand and another in his right...
Ahem—under Su Feng's smooth Tai Chi-style deflections, the media were completely disarmed.
"Is this really just an 18-year-old kid?
He's as savvy as a seasoned businessman!" many reporters thought to themselves that day.
…
And just like that, the signing ceremony between Su Feng and the 76ers ended on a cheerful note.
Not long after, Su Feng received a phone call from Kobe, who had already arrived in Los Angeles.
Kobe had just signed his contract with the Lakers. As Su Feng remembered, Kobe told him over the phone that he chose No. 8.
Why? Because he wore No. 143 at the Adidas training camp, and this year he was selected with the eighth overall pick in the first round. To Kobe, the number felt meaningful.
Of course, Kobe originally wanted to wear No. 24, but that number was already taken by veteran George McLeod—so he had to let it go.
"You picked No. 23?" Kobe asked, surprised.
Using the Ericsson GH398 mobile phone Kobe had gifted him before leaving, Su Feng smiled and replied, "Yeah, I told the media I wanted No. 24.
But since I'm a little weaker than you, I went with No. 23 instead."
Su Feng didn't know why, but even through the phone, he could feel Kobe's joy radiating from the other end.
"Cool, that's so cool. Once No. 24 opens up on the Lakers, I'm definitely switching to it," Kobe laughed.
Hmm... Actually, even if you hadn't said it, I already knew you'd switch to No. 24 someday.
It's worth mentioning that during the call, Kobe also shared a story about his arrival in Los Angeles.
Right after getting off the plane, Kobe was walking through the city when a passerby—who didn't recognize him—asked, "Do you play basketball?"
"Yes, sir," Kobe replied shyly.
"Where are you from?" the man asked.
"I'm from Raulme, Philadelphia..." Kobe began, out of habit—his go-to introduction for years.
But then, after taking a deep breath and looking up at the Los Angeles sky, Kobe smiled and said, "I think I'm now a Los Angeles Lakers player."
Yes...
You are officially a member of the Los Angeles Lakers.
And I've put on the jersey of the Philadelphia 76ers.
Looking back on the past two years, now that he had entered the NBA, Su Feng felt like everything had happened so suddenly.
"When the Summer League ends, I'll take you to L.A. and show you around," Kobe said at the end of the call.
"Alright..." Su Feng replied.
Knowing Kobe well, Su Feng was sure he wouldn't be taken out just to "hang out."
Because Su Feng remembered—next summer, Kobe would be buried in training, and then training some more.
…
After the signing ceremony, Su Feng returned home and immediately opened his system panel.
Before starting his intense summer training, Su Feng had spent two days thinking it over and decided to invest in his strength potential.
So, after three upgrades, his strength potential reached 56.
Adding the 3 million "iron-hitting" points he had previously earned, Su Feng had now converted the 12 million points he'd saved into thin air—just for strength alone.
Next, Su Feng clicked on the bounce attribute.
Bounce was also ridiculously expensive—another 3 million points gone.
Finally, he invested 2 million points into his defensive attributes.
After upgrading, his assisted defense potential reached 89, one-on-one marking hit 93, lateral movement reached 92, defensive awareness rose to 94, and his steal and block potentials were 88 and 69, respectively.
Alright... Su Feng's hard-earned "iron-hitting" points were now down to just 1 million.
And once his assisted defense hit 89, the little plus sign next to the stat disappeared.
That meant Su Feng had maxed out that ability—for further upgrades, he'd need to find new opportunities.
Ever since his speed attribute broke the ceiling of 100, Su Feng had developed the habit of viewing his stats from a higher dimension.
Take defense, for example. Now that Duncan had entered the league, Su Feng was determined to use his three monthly scouting chances to study Duncan closely!
It's also worth noting that under [Sky Wizard], Su Feng didn't have a fixed template for every ability.
For instance, his speed was benchmarked against Bolt—but his ball-handling speed was auto-generated by the system, since Bolt never ran with a basketball in both hands.
His strength template was matched to Jordan. But when Su Feng checked Jordan's strength rating, he found that the "old rogue," according to the system, had a strength stat of just 83...
"So that means, if I bulk up to around 100 kg and keep training hard, theoretically, my strength ceiling is 83!
But since the system removed the firewall that capped my stats, I can change my template by gaining weight.
Like... if I go up to 150 kg or 160 kg, and keep grinding for a few years, maybe I can enter the World's Strongest Man competition," Su Feng mused.
Why the Strongman competition?
Well... isn't it obvious?
If you're 198 cm tall and weigh 160 kg, then based on the system's interlinked attributes, your speed stat might drop to single digits...
Natural strength?
Doesn't exist. In Su Feng's view, Jordan's 83 strength rating was already exaggerated for an NBA guard.
Future LeBron is a good example. Fans who watched him early in his career know that when "The King" first rose to power, his explosive first steps were lightning-fast.
But as he bulked up over time, those light-footed "Lingbo micro-steps" disappeared.
Shaquille O'Neal, who transitioned from lean to heavy in his move to Los Angeles, is another example.
Sure, the heavier Shaq was more intimidating—but the fast, agile version was gone.
So, based on real-world comparisons, Su Feng felt that if he could fully digest his strength upgrades this summer, he'd rank in the upper-middle tier in this era of "lightweight guards."
"How far I go next season depends on how much of my speed attribute I can absorb," Su Feng thought.
In the past two days, he had asked Bill Duffy to go to Jamaica to find someone.
A sprint coach named Mills.
Yep...
The same Mills who would one day coach Bolt.
No choice—Fraser was his technical director, Mancias specialized in strength training, and Alan Stein focused on bounce. Each had their own role.
So for speed, Su Feng needed a new expert.
In his view, professional work requires professional people.
Su Feng didn't need to train like Bolt—basketball and football are all about short-distance bursts.
Mills had trained Bolt in Su Feng's previous life, and since their heights were similar, Su Feng believed Mills could design a scientific and effective training plan for him.
Of course, Su Feng had no intention of becoming a sprinter.
In his eyes, asking him to quit basketball and train for sprints was basically asking him to die.
So breaking the human sprint limit? That's Bolt's job!
"This world... is so cruel to me!
Why does my shooting attribute have Reggie Miller as a reference, but..."
On the day he finalized his summer training plan, Su Feng silently closed the system interface.
Yep, every one of his attributes had a reference template—except dribbling and passing!
Su Feng decided that if those two attributes still didn't have templates after the next system upgrade...
Then he'd use his precious "ceiling-breaking" cheat to finally remove the label of "can't dribble."
…
On the morning of the 2nd, Su Feng woke up at 4 a.m. and suddenly thought...
Why am I up so early?
Opening the refrigerator, Su Feng realized he had gotten used to waking up at 4 a.m. every day with Kobe Bryant.
Yep—look at that. The sandwiches in the fridge were still packed in pairs.
"Ah It's only the first day without Kobe, and I already miss him!" Su Feng sighed, knowing he needed to find a new "plug-in."
Otherwise, with the new method of earning iron-hitting points, there was a real chance his progress wouldn't keep up with the system upgrades three years down the line.
It's worth mentioning that, while Su Feng was waking up groggy in Philadelphia, Kobe had already moved into his new house in Los Angeles...
Also groggy—leaning against the wall.
First day without a sandwich... and already missing it!
Just like that, Su Feng didn't head to the temporary training hall he'd rented until 8 a.m.
Bill Duffy arrived to watch the training and, patting Su Feng on the shoulder, said, 'Su, Coach Davis asked me to let you know that Allen Iverson is inviting you to a party at his villa tomorrow afternoon.
What?
Iverson invited me to a party?
Su Feng was stunned for a moment, then snapped back to reality—wait...
AI already lives in a villa and is throwing parties?
Classic Iverson.
Perfect timing, though. Su Feng felt this could be a great chance to finally get the truth about why Iverson passed on him during the tryout—and maybe even recruit Iverson as his third "tool man."
Of course, if that plan failed, Su Feng had a hundred million backup plans.
Like convincing his third brother, Tracy, to come to Philadelphia before the Summer League starts—and then using honey-glazed steak to turn Tracy into Iron Man and challenge the throne of Iron King!
"Well, where's the address?" Su Feng asked, looking at Bill Duffy.
"The address is…"