Cheers roared like a tidal wave.
Yuki Sato opened his eyes in confusion. The first thing that entered his vision was a basketball court.
Ten players were locked in fierce combat on the hardwood. The surrounding stands were packed to the brim, filled with shouting fans.
"What… where is this?"
His mind went blank for two or three seconds.
Something was wrong.
He clearly remembered falling asleep at home. So why was he suddenly here? Was this some kind of dream?
Yuki secretly pinched his thigh.
Sharp pain shot through his nerves.
This wasn't a dream.
His gaze dropped to his body.
A familiar jersey.
As a veteran NBA fan, Yuki immediately recognized it—it was the Golden State Warriors uniform.
Holding a basketball.
He suddenly looked up again.
The players on the court… were also wearing Warriors jerseys.
"…No way."
Heart pounding, Yuki scanned the court more carefully.
Klay Thompson.
Draymond Green.
And on the opposing side—players wearing Indiana Pacers jerseys.
George Hill.
Roy Hibbert.
He knew them all.
"What's going on? Did I… time travel?"
As someone who kept up with internet trends, Yuki had read countless time-travel novels. He had even fantasized about going back in time and getting rich using future knowledge.
But fantasy was fantasy.
Reality hit like a sledgehammer.
A surge of unfamiliar memories flooded into his mind.
This body's memories.
Pain throbbed in his head as the memories merged.
After a long moment, Yuki finally understood.
He had crossed over into a parallel timeline, into another version of himself.
In this world, Yuki was no longer a struggling salaryman.
He had shown excellent basketball talent in high school, moved to the United States for college, played in the NCAA, and eventually signed a minimum contract with the Golden State Warriors.
Just like the players currently on the court.
For a basketball fanatic like him, standing on an NBA court was nothing short of a dream.
This was a stage filled with billionaires and multimillionaires.
Superstars here earned over 20 million dollars a year. And in two years, the new NBA TV broadcast deal would kick in, causing salaries to skyrocket even further.
Maximum contracts would exceed 30 million dollars per year.
It was crazier than robbing a bank.
Unfortunately, this version of Yuki was just a bench warmer.
Since joining the Warriors, he had played fewer than ten games, only appearing during garbage time.
He had signed a low-salary contract worth 470,000 dollars.
After taxes and expenses, that still translated to over 32 million yen per year.
Something the old Yuki wouldn't even dare to dream of.
But dreams alone weren't enough to survive the NBA.
Historically, it was extremely difficult for Asian players to establish themselves in the league.
Apart from a few exceptional talents like Yao Ming, no one had truly gained a stable foothold.
Before crossing over, this body's original owner had already struggled in the U.S. for many years.
He had worked hard—painfully hard.
Yet reality was cruel.
Sooner or later, he would be cut.
"Hey! Why are you spacing out?"
A voice snapped Yuki back to reality.
He turned his head and saw a tall Black teammate in a Warriors jersey.
"The head coach told you to get ready. You're going in."
"…Me?"
Yuki froze.
He had barely played at all.
The coach was clearly giving him one last chance—either show something, or get cut.
He glanced toward the sidelines.
Steve Kerr sat there expressionless.
Stephen Curry was seated nearby, towel around his neck.
Kerr's eyes flickered with impatience.
If Yuki showed even the slightest hesitation, he'd probably be sent straight back to the bench.
The whistle blew.
A Warriors player committed a foul.
Taking advantage of the stoppage, Kerr signaled for a substitution.
Yuki Sato was sent in—replacing Harrison Barnes.
As Barnes walked past him, Yuki subconsciously raised his hand for a high-five.
Barnes glanced at him coldly and walked past without responding.
Contempt clear in his eyes.
Yuki frowned, anger flaring.
What's his problem?
But there was no time to dwell on it.
The moment Yuki stepped onto the court—
Buzz!
His mind exploded.
A mysterious force surged through his body.
At the same time, a mechanical voice echoed in his head.
"Basketball God System activated."
"Newbie gift pack detected. Please open to receive rewards."
System?!
Yuki was stunned.
Time travel… and a system on top of that?
Was this the legendary System?
Suddenly, time froze.
A spectator's spilled drink hung suspended mid-air.
A holographic interface appeared before his eyes.
It looked exactly like the NBA 2K attribute screen.
Name: Yuki Sato
Age: 22
Height: 2.00 m
Wingspan: 2.10 m
Weight: 98 kg
Attributes filled the panel.
Almost everything was below 50.
Overall Rating: 51
Pathetic.
Only a few shooting stats were barely passable—mid-range and three-point shooting hovered around the high 70s.
That explained it.
With no physical advantage, shooting was the only thing keeping him alive.
Even so, 51 overall was nowhere near NBA level.
Then he noticed something else.
Badges.
Only one lit up.
Bronze Badge: Corner Three-Point Shooter
"Wait… wasn't there a newbie gift pack?"
The interface flashed.
Five glowing badges appeared.
Yuki's eyes widened.
Four gold badges.
One… purple badge.
Hall of Fame.
Anyone who played 2K knew how terrifying that was.
A purple badge was something even star players barely possessed.
The system voice rang out again.
"Newbie gift pack opened."
Rewards obtained:
Death Coil – Gold
Interceptor – Gold
Double Team Master – Gold
Corner Three-Point Shooter – Gold
Defensive Deterrence – Hall of Fame (Purple)
"Host's attributes insufficient. Newbie protection activated."
"Badges forcefully bound. Attributes automatically adjusted."
"Existing bronze badge detected. Badge fused and upgraded."
"Corner Three-Point Shooter upgraded to Hall of Fame."
Stats skyrocketed.
Defense: 90
Perimeter Defense: 82
Stamina: 60
Speed: 55
Overall Rating jumped from 51 → 70.
Not amazing.
But terrifying.
Because almost all of that rating came from defense.
Two Hall of Fame badges.
Three Gold badges.
A monster-level defensive build.
Time resumed.
The crowd roared once more.
No one paid attention to Yuki.
To them, he was just another drinking-fountain player.
But Yuki's blood was boiling.
This is it.
This is my chance.
These five badges…
Are the beginning of my NBA legend.