Chapter 1 A Glimmer of Hope

Ever since successfully breaking through his dribbling ceiling with the help of Iverson, Su Feng had been in an exceptionally cheerful mood.

Did you know that Su Feng's potential in dribbling and ball control had already reached 62 points!

The thought of showing off fancy dribbling moves to those tough guys in the NBA and then finishing with a layup that would make people exclaim in awe…

"The dawn is breaking!"

…

On the 5th, Su Feng, who was diligently practicing with Iverson, suddenly received a notice from the team that assistant coaches Jason and Rick wanted to invite him and Iverson for coffee.

Because the Summer League was only a week away, Su Feng thought that the two assistant coaches probably had some special tactics to explain to him and Iverson.

After all, a No. 1 overall pick and a No. 13 pick from the golden generation, what a lineup.

Most people who could become NBA assistant coaches weren't lacking in emotional intelligence and knew their place.

So, although Iverson didn't really want to go, he was eventually dragged away by Su Feng.

Actually...

Su Feng had underestimated the value of his and Iverson's names.

Because Jason and Rick weren't planning to discuss tactics with them, but rather wanted to ask these two big shots to recommend any acquaintances who could be recruited as tools.

That damned ball-blind man Krause had given Jason and Rick a death order...

If Iverson and Su Feng's stats in the Summer League didn't look good, then the future contract renewal of these two assistant coaches might really be a problem.

During this period, Greenberg and Krause were the real power holders of the 76ers.

In Su Feng's previous life, John Davis wanted to suggest that Iverson pass the ball more during games, but because Iverson felt he was being treated as a "lone wolf," he only passed and didn't shoot in several subsequent games, which worried Davis.

At a crucial moment, Krause stood up and told Davis to ignore it and just let Iverson play happily.

Jason and Rick, still newbies, had no choice because their head coach Davis was just a Benzema.

Krause's desire to promote Iverson and Su Feng was already well known within the 76ers' front office.

And in this critical period of changing team owners, to get food on the table, one had to learn to take sides.

Therefore, Jason and Rick wanted to build a good relationship with Iverson and Su Feng.

Because in the NBA, it was common for stars to look down on assistant coaches.

Sometimes, not to mention assistant coaches, even if you were the head coach after a few years, you would have to hand over your clipboard to your star player.

There was no choice, the NBA was a star league.

Except for a few head coaches who held the power of life and death, most head coaches had knelt down to please the stars to keep their jobs.

Su Feng had no idea how much Krause liked him now, because after Krause drafted him, Krause's approval rating in Philadelphia had reached 90% in the latest survey by the Philadelphia media.

Su Feng possessed looks that transcended borders, and recently McDonald's had been in talks with Bill Duffy about commercial collaborations because of the All-Star Game.

Plus, the moral buff of being a Philadelphia hero, and the fact that the media had discovered after in-depth investigation that the person Su Feng saved was actually Iverson's friend...

Therefore, despite not having played a single NBA game, in the eyes of Philadelphia fans, Iverson and Su Feng were already the saviors of Philadelphia...

Originally, if it were just fans hyping things up and the 76ers' front office had a little more understanding of basketball and the coaching staff had more power, then Jason and Rick wouldn't want to kneel down to Su Feng and Iverson.

But unfortunately, Krause, the ball-blind man who held the power of life and death, loved to interact with the fans.

When Krause heard that the local folks in Philadelphia were praising him, he got even more excited.

He didn't understand basketball, but in his opinion, his choices of Iverson and Su Feng were definitely right.

Therefore...

Iverson and Su Feng would probably be the most envied rookies in the upcoming Summer League.

…

Outside the 76ers office building, just as Su Feng was dragging Iverson, who had an unwilling expression on his face and looked like he wanted to go to a party...

Su Feng noticed a thug standing outside the building?

Was this a killer sent by Kobe, who held a grudge?

Ahem, of course, that was just a joke.

Because Su Feng quickly recognized the person's appearance.

This person had a face full of bulging muscles, and his elbows were so big that you would want to stay far away from him at first glance. In addition, his fluffy afro looked like he grew it out just to add to his height.

It was a pity that this person wasn't experienced enough.

Because his afro could only give him a maximum of two centimeters of height.

Oh, and standing next to this person was someone in a suit and tie, looking like an insurance salesman.

Su Feng smiled.

He had to say, America was really too small.

It was one thing to bump into Kobe back then, after all, from a geographical and temporal point of view, it was impossible for Su Feng not to meet Kobe.

But...

This brother...

Wasn't this Ben Wallace?

At the Palace of Auburn Hills, the fierce Artest was only pushed by this guy, and in the end, he only lay down on the referee's seat to rest and calm down at the persuasion of another Wallace.

There was no way you could say that Artest was backing down.

He was obviously laying the groundwork for changing his name to Metta World Peace in the future.

Although Ben Wallace's hairstyle at this time was a bit different from his peak, there was no way around it, this guy was just too famous in Su Feng's previous life.

A man who could rival O'Neal in free throws and make it to the All-Star game with just defense.

Although his height was said to be 206 centimeters, Su Feng felt after walking closer...

How was Ben Wallace a little shorter than him, even with shoes on?

Of course, after walking closer, Su Feng discovered that although Ben Wallace at this time was still a bit young, his muscles were absolutely genuine.

Su Feng remembered that before Ben Wallace went to college, 90% of the invitations he received were trying to trick him into playing football.

But Ben Wallace was also a man of firm Dao heart, and he sternly rejected these invitations, only wanting to play basketball wholeheartedly.

Compared to Su Feng and Iverson, these darlings of fortune, Ben Wallace's recent experiences could only be described as tragic.

When he participated in the 1996 draft, Ben Wallace didn't receive any invitations from any teams, becoming one of the most famous undrafted players in the future NBA.

The reason he wasn't drafted was related to his age and height.

Although his wingspan was close to 220 centimeters and his bench press was close to the ceiling for NBA interior players, his poor technique and height of less than two meters, plus his age of 22...

Made NBA teams not even glance at him, directly sentencing him to "death."

In Su Feng's previous life, Ben Wallace was completely ignored along the way, and in the end, Celtics coach M. L. Carr would give him a chance to play in the Summer League.

But at the time, Carr wanted him to switch to playing guard because in Carr's opinion, letting Ben Wallace play inside with that height was a joke.

However, for someone like Ben Wallace, who was "technically challenged," having him play guard was like having Nash play center.

So, the hard-working Ben Wallace had to wander again.

Originally, he was going to play in the Italian league, but because the team he was going to join refused to pay Ben Wallace's salary due to poor performance, the trip had to be abandoned.

In the end, it was Wes Unseld, who was also a short interior player, who took pity on this kid and gave him a chance, allowing him to join the Washington Bullets at the time.

However, at the beginning with the Bullets, Ben Wallace's job was also to watch the water cooler.

Later, it wasn't until he was scouted to the Pistons that Ben Wallace began to shine under George Irvine and Rick Carlisle.

Su Feng knew about Ben Wallace's tragic experience, but Su Feng didn't know that Ben Wallace had come to Philadelphia to apply for a job.

After all, no matter how much of a "human encyclopedia of the Four Great Shooting Guards" Su Feng was, his knowledge points also had blind spots.

In fact, Ben Wallace's experience was even more miserable than the written records in Su Feng's previous life.

After not being drafted, in order to make a living, Ben Wallace, who had seen "The Shawshank Redemption," originally wanted to write letters to let NBA teams see him and give himself a chance to prove himself in the Summer League.

But unfortunately, Ben Wallace thought for a long time but couldn't write a 300-word essay.

So, as the Summer League approached, Ben Wallace decided to impress these NBA teams with his sincerity.

Actually, before coming to Philadelphia, he had already gone to Charlotte, New York, and Atlanta to apply for jobs.

Originally, Ben Wallace didn't need to come in person for something like signing up for the Summer League, but...

He was really short on money and needed a stable job.

He had 11 siblings, and when he was a child, under his mother's education, Ben Wallace knew that hard work could change his future.

When he was very young, Ben Wallace had earned his first pot of gold by cutting hair.

As the youngest of the boys in the family, he had always been the hope of the whole family when he grew up.

Therefore, Ben Wallace, who was so tenacious that he was even a bit naive, believed that sincerity was the best way to impress others.

In Su Feng's previous life, Celtics coach M. L. Carr was willing to give him a chance because of his visible sincerity.

So, even in the "cold" wind of Philadelphia's summer, Ben Wallace was still persevering.

Look at me, just take a look at me, I will definitely prove that I can protect your inside!

Just give me a chance, even if you make me a slave!

I can't score, but I can rebound!

My technique is rough, but I will use my thick chest to protect my teammates!

"What... are you doing here?"

Just as Su Feng was looking at Ben Wallace with an appreciative gaze, Iverson, who had been dragged along by Su Feng, stared with his big eyes and asked Ben Wallace curiously.

Ben Wallace and his agent were stunned, because of course they recognized Iverson and Su Feng.

The No. 1 pick of the '96 golden generation and the first Chinese player to play in the NBA.

Well...

Most importantly, both of these guys were handsome.

"I... I'm Ben, I'm here to apply for a job," Ben Wallace said nervously, perhaps because Iverson and Su Feng's reputations were too intimidating. (I simplified the translation, otherwise it would be too long-winded)

Iverson nodded and didn't think much of it. After Ben Wallace answered, he dragged Su Feng into the office building.

However, after hearing Ben Wallace's answer, a bold idea suddenly popped into Su Feng's head.

Su Feng's bold idea was of course to help Ben Wallace.

The reason Su Feng had this idea wasn't because Su Feng was a good Samaritan who wanted to help everyone he met, but because...

A few days ago, during his conversation with Davis, Su Feng felt that this tool coach wanted him to occasionally play power forward in future games.

Because the trajectory of history had changed, and after Coleman was traded, the 76ers' interior was now very empty.

And in Davis's opinion, the 76ers' frontline was still relatively saturated.

But Su Feng's excellent static talent seemed to make it not bad for him to occasionally play power forward?

So, Davis decided to communicate with Su Feng in advance.

After learning about his head coach's idea, Su Feng felt a little panicked...

In Su Feng's previous life, McGrady, who was also tall and had a long wingspan, refused to admit that he was 203 centimeters tall because he was afraid of being arranged to play inside by the coach.

What a joke, this was the '90s!

Su Feng had finally gotten rid of the title of Philadelphia's Little Malone, and Davis wanted him to be Philadelphia's Little Flying Pig!

You had to know that in this era, it was useless to fight and retreat.

Su Feng had fought with Barkley, and he knew that going inside now was suicide, even with injury exemption rights, Su Feng couldn't beat those muscle men.

At that time, not only would he be clanking shots, but he would be purely getting beaten up.

And in Su Feng's opinion, using his weaknesses to compete with others' strengths was just too stupid.

Therefore, when he heard that Ben Wallace was here to apply for a job, Su Feng felt that he had to help Big Ben.

In Su Feng's previous life, Big Ben had always been overlooked, which was related to the few opportunities he received.

In addition, Su Feng knew what the 76ers' style of play would be in the coming season, to put it bluntly, it was just chaotic chucking like in the '90s.

If Big Ben was there, and he built a good relationship with Big Ben, then wouldn't it be great if Big Ben grabbed the rebound and threw it to him to shoot?

As a rookie who was already thinking about usurping the throne before even entering the NBA, Su Feng knew very well that it was impossible for him to influence the team's management at this time, so why not build a clique in the team?

Didn't another man with the name Feng almost get beaten to death by the Fu Nan gang?

Having made up his mind, Su Feng decided to play it by ear.

After all, he was just a rookie now, and if it really didn't work, Su Feng wouldn't be stupid enough to go against the coaching staff.

But...

What Su Feng never expected was that as soon as he and Iverson walked into the coach's office...

Jason and Rick looked at them as if they were saviors and asked, "Allen, Su, do you know any free agents who you have a good relationship with?

We're still missing two people for our Summer League roster. We all agree that if we have players who have a good relationship with you, then the team's chemistry will be higher..."

Su Feng: "..."

Su Feng was shocked.

This wasn't him trying to interfere with the coaching staff and control management, this was the coaching staff asking him for recommendations.

So, after Iverson shook his head, Su Feng looked at Jason and Rick and smiled, "Coach, I have a friend who is very good at defense.

He also participated in the draft this year, but unfortunately he wasn't selected.

But believe me, he definitely has the strength. He's not tall, but he's very good at rebounding and boxing out."

After hearing Su Feng's introduction, Jason and Rick were overjoyed and really wanted to meet Su Feng's friend.

In short, introductions needed to highlight the key points.

In his introduction, Su Feng mainly emphasized the person's defense, rebounding, and boxing out, and to Jason and Rick, wasn't this the "refuse head" they had been looking for?

"What's your friend's name?" Jason and Rick asked curiously.

"Ben Wallace, from Virginia Union University," Su Feng said, based on his memories.

"Virginia Union University? NCAA Division II?" Jason asked.

"Yes, although he's from Division II, he often practices with me during the holidays.

Oh, right, Kobe often gets blocked by him too," Su Feng said, making it up as he went along.

And on the side, after hearing that Su Feng's friend often blocked Kobe, Iverson also became curious about Su Feng's friend.

"Wait, Ben Wallace, why does that name sound so familiar?" Jason suddenly scratched his head.

At this time, Rick reminded him, "The young man who's been standing outside the building for the past two days, I think his name is Ben Wallace."

Jason was shocked, thinking, could it be such a coincidence?

"Su, I want to confirm, the Ben Wallace you're talking about, wouldn't happen to be..." Jason asked.

Su Feng nodded, "Yes, I suggested that he come to Philadelphia and try out."

"I see."

In fact, Jason and Rick had seen Ben Wallace's profile, but they thought he was too short.

But since this guy was Su Feng's friend, what did it matter if he was a little shorter?

To keep their jobs and complete Krause's task, Jason and Rick were that real.

So, a little later, Wallace, who had been standing outside the building in the "cold" wind, was called in by Rick.

Originally, Wallace thought that his sincerity had moved the 76ers.

But just as he was about to introduce himself...

"We're planning to sign you to a Summer League agreement, just covering room and board, are you willing?" Jason asked.

Ben Wallace: "..."

What was going on?

Looking at the confused Ben Wallace, to prevent him from saying the wrong thing, Su Feng walked up to him in time, hooked his neck with his elbow, and whispered in his ear, "If you want to play in the Summer League and the NBA, shut up and follow my lead."

Ben Wallace nodded. He wasn't that smart. He didn't make it to NCAA Division I because of his poor grades.

But he wasn't stupid either. Although he didn't know why the 76ers were willing to sign him, in Ben Wallace's opinion, wasn't this the opportunity he had always wanted?

"You're really something. When you came to apply for a job, why didn't you say you were Su's friend?" Jason asked with a puzzled look.

Friend...?

Ben Wallace could swear on his conscience that he had only met Su Feng for the first time today...

"Sir, please forgive Ben, he didn't mean to hide it.

He just hopes that his strength can be recognized." While explaining for Ben Wallace, Su Feng winked at Ben Wallace.

Looking at Su Feng's piercing eyes, Ben Wallace nodded quickly, "Yes... Su is right!"

"Okay, that's it. Have your agent look over the agreement.

If there are no problems, we'll sign it, and after you sign, you'll be a member of the 76ers' Summer League team," Jason said, throwing a document on the table and looking at Ben Wallace.

It had to be said...

Whether it was in China or abroad, having connections really made a world of difference.

Jason's attitude when talking to Big Ben at this time and when talking to Iverson and Su Feng was obviously that of two different people.

So, Ben Wallace signed with the Philadelphia 76ers in a daze.

Although it was just a Summer League contract, it included room and board, so who cared!

…