Chapter 1 I'm Speechless

As everyone knows, as a mature, poker-faced player, Su Feng hadn't allowed his emotions to be read through his expressions on the court for a long time...

But tonight...

Anyone from twenty years in the future would be stunned by this scene, right?

Shaquille O'Neal, the arrogant man who looked down upon this league with a Superman mentality...

He actually...

He actually "scooped the poop"! Can you believe it?

And at the Staples Center.

When O'Neal, who had just made both free throws, noticed the change in Su Feng's expression, he felt...

It was all worth it!

Mock me!

Go ahead and mock me!

My posture might be ugly...

And my image might be ruined...

But as long as he could get that damned poker face of Su Feng to show some emotion...

O'Neal wouldn't even mind selling his soul to the devil!

"Hey, how about I foul twice more in a bit?

Maybe that fatso was just lucky just now?" On the court, Barkley proactively suggested to Su Feng during the Raptors' offense.

After forcefully pushing his jaw, which had dropped to the ground, back into place, Su Feng nodded and said, "Okay."

And so...

A few dozen seconds later, O'Neal was once again sent to the free-throw line by the Raptors.

This time, even though O'Neal only made one of the two free throws, judging from his practiced movements, Su Feng was sure that...

This fathead had definitely put in a lot of off-court effort this summer while he was away at the Olympics.

"Looks like I misunderstood 'Jing Qiaoqiao De Xie' back then." On the court, after slightly calming his mood, Su Feng mused to himself.

In his previous life, as an online keyboard warrior, Su Feng's favorite thing to do was to argue with people online.

One time that particularly stuck with him was when he had a friendly discussion on a certain website with a netizen named Jing Qiaoqiao De Xie about whether the "OK combo" still had untapped potential.

As a result...

When he saw this netizen brazenly claiming that if "OK" had faced stronger opponents back then, they might have reached even greater heights, Su Feng felt that this person didn't understand basketball at all.

Because, judging from how the Lakers dynasty was built, the Kings and the Trail Blazers both had opportunities to take them down.

But...

Right now, Su Feng finally understood what Jing Qiaoqiao De Xie meant by "stronger opponents."

Because as an "O'Neal Encyclopedia," Su Feng knew very well that in the 99/00 season, O'Neal had actually considered practicing the "scoop the poop" free throw.

But because the Lakers won the championship that year and successfully established a dynasty afterward, this idea was resolutely abandoned by O'Neal.

After all, why would he do something that would lower his image when he could maintain his superstar aura and still win?

But...

In this life, after Su Feng took home the championship trophy for two consecutive years with unstoppable momentum...

To use Su Feng's self-deprecating words...

Su Feng, the times they are a-changin'!

In this past summer, do you know how hard O'Neal worked off the court to defeat the Raptors?

No more laughing and joking around.

O'Neal, who burned calories all summer long, not only rejected donuts and soda, but also managed to lose some excess weight to ensure he wouldn't be run to death by the Raptors.

Moreover...

On the court, as the game went on, Kobe's move that he had never revealed before when sparring with Su Feng...

Appeared!

If Su Feng could barely accept a Shark whose free throw percentage was slightly above the break-even point at his peak...

Then, what happened on the court next, in Su Feng's opinion...

Even the most die-hard Lakers fan wouldn't dare to imagine it!

Because...

During the "OK" era, when had you ever seen O'Neal willingly give up his low-post position to Kobe?

Under Kidd's orchestration and with O'Neal's screen, when Kobe, who weighed 103 kilograms this season, started to play him with his back to the basket in the low post...

Su Feng felt like he was playing a horror game tonight...

Kobe quickly turned around to create space for a shot in the low post.

And by maintaining his center of gravity while turning, Kobe ensured that he had enough time to complete his next move in front of Su Feng.

Then, in the instant of turning in the opposite direction, Kobe made a move as if he was going to attack the basket.

Seeing that Su Feng wasn't fooled, Kobe used his strong core to turn his body to the other side in the next second.

This time, Su Feng made his move.

And Kobe made his move too.

On TNT, at this moment, Calipari and Derek both looked at Kenny Smith.

Because no one in this league understood what Kobe had just done better than Kenny Smith.

"My God..."

Smith, who was being looked at with high hopes by Calipari and Derek, was stunned.

At the Staples Center, while admiring Kobe's elegant move, the excited Lakers fans had already blurted out the name of the move Kobe had just used...

—dream.shake.

Direct Chinese translation:

—Meng Huan Wu Bu (Dreamlike Footwork).

Alternate name:

—Da Meng Jiao Bu (Hakeem's Footwork).

"Nice shot, Kobe! I've always said that you're more talented than that damn bastard!" On the court, as the Lakers retreated on defense, please don't say silly things like O'Neal being jealous of Kobe anymore...

Because judging from the look of admiration he gave Kobe, in this life...

Motivated by someone, Su Feng wouldn't be surprised if these two played together on the Lakers until they retired.

Heavens above...

Is this the most ideal version of the "OK" combo?

That netizen named Jing Qiaoqiao De Xie, are you watching?

I, Su Feng, have brought out the most formidable inside-outside duo in history!

It was on October 31, 2000.

During the opening game of the 00/01 NBA season.

An O'Neal who had mastered the "scoop the poop" in the 00/01 season.

And a Kobe who had learned the dream shake in the 00/01 season.

What Kidd...

What Jones...

What Richmond?

In Su Feng's opinion, even adding Kevin Garnett to this Lakers team wouldn't be as surprising as the evolution of O'Neal and Kobe themselves.

If there were a billion different possibilities in a billion different timelines, then in the timeline Su Feng was currently in, what he saw were two monsters.

Just as Su Feng's expression was being changed by Kobe...

On the sidelines, a white coach was already smiling with satisfaction.

The facts proved that even Su Feng, who knew Kobe like the back of his hand, hadn't completely grasped Kobe's movements over the past summer.

Especially since he had started preparing for the Olympics with the Chinese national team...

What Su Feng didn't know was that Kobe had also visited another famous coach this summer.

And that person was:

—Jack Sikma.

The creator of the dream shake.

In Su Feng's previous life, Yao Ming's full-time center coach with the Rockets after the 07 season.

From Sikma, Kobe, who had gained weight, not only initially mastered some of the back-to-the-basket skills that most centers in this league didn't know...

Also, because he had nimble footwork, Sikma also suggested that he add the "dream shake" to his arsenal.

Of course, even though Kobe had some back-to-the-basket ability, for the Lakers who had O'Neal, if it were in Su Feng's original timeline, Kobe might have had to wait a few more years to get his stage.

However, all of this changed after Kidd arrived.

Because in the eyes of the organizing master Kidd, since Kobe had a certain success rate with his back-to-the-basket game, why not let him and O'Neal take turns posting up in the low post?

And it was obvious that...

"Zen Master" was convinced by Kidd.

Because after being swept out of the playoffs for two consecutive years by Davis' Raptors, "Zen Master" had also seen the result of overusing O'Neal.

So, if someone could replace O'Neal in the game and allow O'Neal to rest appropriately, why not do it?

Moreover, this season, since the NBA had established the defensive three-second rule, O'Neal's physical exertion on the court was greater than before.

Therefore, under Kidd's orchestration and distribution, "Zen Master" had reason to believe that this Lakers team would launch their offense in the new season in a highly harmonious manner.

Everything was interconnected.

Because Kidd wasn't afraid of Kobe's "death stare," so when he felt that Kobe wasn't suitable for one-on-one play, he wouldn't pass the ball to Kobe.

And because O'Neal wanted to win too much, he didn't mind Kobe taking away the low-post position that originally belonged to him at certain times.

As for Kobe?

Tch...

If it meant letting him win against Su Feng once, he might even be willing to stay single.

Therefore...

"Wait... why am I the one getting beat up, and I still have to say that I beat myself to death?"

On the court, after observing the first quarter and understanding the causes and consequences, Su Feng was dumbfounded.

Because no matter how he looked at it, it was like he had "killed" himself.

In short, compared to last season, this season's Lakers...

Were completely different.

In the first quarter, the home team once led the Raptors by as many as 15 points.

There was nothing they could do...

Because Su Feng, Carter, and Nash all played in the Olympics in the summer and missed the preseason, it was clear that they, along with Barkley, were still trying to find their rhythm in the first quarter.

At critical moments, Jermaine O'Neal stepped up and became the Raptors' real star player in the first quarter.

25 to 34.

After the first quarter, the Raptors successfully filled in some of the hole they had dug at the beginning of the game.

Even though Su Feng had already completed the "Shark Killer" achievement after last season, under the reasonable system settings, all the buffs Su Feng received depended on his actual performance in the game.

Therefore, Su Feng knew very well that whether he could regain his form in the next game was the key to whether the Raptors could complete the comeback tonight.

After all, if he went down too...

Then the Raptors couldn't possibly wait for a Carter "six-piece set," could they?

In the second quarter, Davis sent out a lineup of Jermaine O'Neal, Jackson, Su Feng, Olden Polynice, and Yarić.

On the Lakers' side, with Kidd's addition, "Zen Master" had more cards to choose from.

In the second quarter, the Lakers sent out a lineup of Medvedenko, Horry, Kobe, Richmond, and Kidd.

In his previous life, Kidd was also an undeniable physical freak during his prime.

And for a moment...

Su Feng had already begun to miss the Lakers team that had Derek Fisher.

Because in Su Feng's opinion, if Fisher was still on this Lakers team, then at least...

The Lakers' locker room would definitely be stirred up by this troublemaker.

And it was worth mentioning that...

Although the Lakers had been suppressing the Raptors throughout the entire first half...

When the host handed the microphone to a Lakers fan on the sidelines, wanting to ask this fan if they were confident that the Lakers would end their losing streak against Su Feng's team...

All he saw was this irritable Lakers fan glaring at the host and directly retorting.

If what this Lakers fan said was translated into Chinese, the general meaning would be as follows:

What's the big idea? Beat the Raptors?

The game isn't over yet, and you're already messing with me?

Are you kidding me? The other side has Su Feng's Raptors, don't you think that winning the first half means we've won this game?

No way, no way, it's already 2000, does anyone still think Su Feng is weaker than Jordan back then?

Host: "..."

In the second quarter, Su Feng gradually regained some form and successfully displayed his "Maple Float" in the game, which he had worked hard to practice in the summer but hadn't yet been included in the system's skill library.

However, since both Jackson and Yarić needed time to adapt to the NBA, compared to the Raptors team that had Tracy McGrady before...

In Su Feng's opinion, what this Raptors team needed most right now was probably time.

In contrast, the Lakers not only came prepared tonight and launched various sneak attacks on the Raptors as soon as the game started, but also...

The intensity of the game that the Lakers were playing tonight...

Was completely at the Finals level.

In simple terms...

After winning the championship for two consecutive years and being swept in the Finals for two consecutive years, the Raptors' and Lakers' demands in this regular season opener were completely different.

The result of this was...

O'Neal finally ended his losing streak against Su Feng on this night.

In the end, the score of the game was 104 to 119.

In the entire game, O'Neal, who shot 11 of 18 from the field and 8 of 13 from the free-throw line, scored 30 points, 15 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 blocks.

You see, when victory really came knocking, O'Neal's stats didn't improve too much compared to when he lost to the Raptors before.

In addition to O'Neal, Kobe, who shot 9 of 19 from the field, also scored 27 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals with free throws and three-pointers.

In this game, compared to the previous Finals, after handing over the playmaking to Kidd, Kobe only had 2 turnovers in the entire game.

In addition, Kidd also had a bizarre stat line of 8 points, 13 rebounds, 6 assists, and 2 steals in this game.

Richmond and Jones scored 11 and 14 points respectively.

On the Raptors' side, after the Lakers' perimeter barrage, Su Feng, who shot 11 of 23 from the field, scored a game-high 34 points, along with 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals, and 1 block (on Kobe).

Jermaine O'Neal had 25 points and 11 rebounds.

Other than that, no one else on the Raptors scored in double figures.

You might not believe it, but the Raptors' third-highest scorer on this night was actually Ben Wallace...

This guy shot 4 of 6 from the free-throw line and 2 of 3 from the field, scoring 8 points, 14 rebounds, and 2 blocks.

Carter and Nash contributed 7 points and 8 rebounds, and 6 points and 9 assists, respectively.

After the game, O'Neal and Kobe were overjoyed in the interview.

Because this was the first time in their careers that they had defeated Su Feng's team in an NBA game.

However, just as O'Neal and Kobe were being interviewed, on the side...

"Zen Master" felt like he was being forgotten.

Because it had been a long time since he, Jackson, had led a team to victory against a team led by Davis!

Unlike the Lakers, who felt like they had won the championship on this night...

Su Feng didn't feel too sad about the loss in this game.

Because for the NBA regular season, which has 82 games...

It was too normal to have a loss in the opening game.

"It's okay... I just feel like I haven't played in a long time, and my touch is a bit rusty." After the game, Su Feng said calmly in the interview.

In Su Feng's opinion, the loss in this game was actually a good thing for the Raptors.

Because that way...

The Raptors could transfer the halo they had been wearing to the Lakers.

Su Feng knew very well that this Raptors team not only had new players who needed time to develop, but also veterans who needed time to integrate into the team.

In addition, he, Nash, and Carter also needed time to regain their best form, so it was time to shout along with Lakers fans all over the world...

The Lakers are the champions!

...

After losing to the Lakers in the opening game, the Raptors didn't stay in Los Angeles for too long.

Because...

On the 1st, they had to return to Toronto to face the Philadelphia 76ers in a back-to-back game.

Also on the 3rd, they had to challenge the Boston Celtics on the road.

To be honest...

Judging from the Raptors' opening schedule in the new season...

Su Feng had already sensed the "sanctions" from Stern.

It was clear that with the Raptors winning two consecutive championships, Stern had begun to use some reasonable rules to restrict the Raptors.

And, by the way, he could use the Raptors to boost attention...

Do you guys know that as early as when he noticed the Raptors' schedule for the new season, Su Feng felt that Stern might as well just exhaust him to death...

However, compared to the previous opening game, Su Feng was even more looking forward to this game against Philadelphia.

Because just as the Raptors lost to the Lakers yesterday, the young Yao Ming had also just finished his debut in the NBA.

As a result, with him joining the team and integrating with the team earlier in this life, Yao's highlight debut was gone.

14 points, 9 rebounds.

This was the answer that Yao gave in his debut in this life.

"Yao and Allen will become an inside-outside duo no less than Kobe and O'Neal!"

After Yao Ming's debut, the local media in Philadelphia even made such an evaluation of him.

Because...

After watching Philadelphia's debut this year, your first impression will definitely be...

This is a team full of hope.

Although there was still a lot of room for improvement in the pick-and-roll cooperation between Yao Ming and Iverson...

Although in the 76ers' opening game, Yao Ming missed many shots that he usually made...

But, when this 226cm tall mobile Great Wall repeatedly screened for Iverson at the high post in the game...

To use the words of Nets coach Byron Scott, who was defeated by the Philadelphia 76ers in the opening game...

Iverson alone is enough of a headache.

But now...

He actually has Mount Everest as a bodyguard!

How are we supposed to have fun playing?

On the morning of the 1st, in the shooting practice session after returning to Toronto, after noticing that his, Carter's, and Nash's shooting training was quite worrying...

Su Feng felt that the Raptors might have to start the season with a losing streak.

But that way...

It's pretty good, isn't it?

Because the reason why Su Feng loved basketball was because basketball had both wins and losses, right?

If you win, then find a way to keep winning.

If you lose, then find a way to win back.

In one's life, everyone is destined to lose many times.

Failure is never a terrible thing.

What's terrible is that one day, you will be afraid of failure and refuse to continue moving forward.

Life, how can there be so many moments of 8000?

More often than not, it's just hovering at 7470 and getting stuck at 7970...

...

ps: Regarding the meme of 8000 and 7470, many friends who don't play DotA2 may not know it, but here, Qiao really suggests that you search it on Baidu, because it's really inspirational.

ps2: The ability value of Su Feng's new season will be posted for free later, and a small summary will be made under the ability value for a certain period.

ps3: Thank you _Stop Beating_ for the 50,000 reward!