Chapter 51

On November 16, 1993, at the Orlando Arena in Orlando, Florida, which served as the home court for the Orlando Magic, a team that joined the NBA in 1989, the arena itself was also a newcomer, having been built in the same year.

In fact, from the name "Orlando Arena," it is clear that, unlike most NBA teams, few are named after the city. For example, the Jazz's current home is called the "Delta Center." Most old NBA arenas have sold their naming rights, but the Orlando Arena has not yet done so.

However, this is not surprising. As a new team that joined the NBA in 1989, the Magic had a period of being a weak team until Shaquille O'Neal joined the team last season, which marked the beginning of their rise to competitiveness. Now, with the addition of the super rookie Penny Hardaway, the team is ranked second in the Eastern Conference, with a record of four wins and one loss in their first five games. This performance has shocked most of the league's experts.

It's important to note that the Eastern Conference is currently more competitive than the Western Conference, even with Charles Barkley moving to the West and Michael Jordan retiring. The Eastern Conference still boasts strong teams, such as the New York Knicks with Patrick Ewing, the Atlanta Hawks with Dominique Wilkins, the Chicago Bulls with Scottie Pippen, the Cleveland Cavaliers with Mark Price, the Indiana Pacers with Reggie Miller, the New Jersey Nets with Derrick Coleman and Kenny Anderson, and the Charlotte Hornets with Larry Johnson and Alonzo Mourning.

Although this season's Eastern Conference may not be as strong as previous years, for the young Magic to be among the top three teams after the first few games is almost unbelievable. Last season, Shaquille O'Neal, apart from challenging the league's top three centers and being dominated by them, showed no signs of being a typical rookie when facing other teams. His absolute strength was overwhelming.

This season, Penny Hardaway seems to be following in O'Neal's footsteps. Although his statistics in the first five games do not match O'Neal's, Hardaway faces a more challenging situation because he can play at the point guard, shooting guard, and small forward positions. As a result, Magic head coach Brian Hill has been rotating him through these positions. Despite this, Hardaway has not shown the typical rookie struggles, playing comfortably at any position. This has even made Coach Hill, who is new to the Magic this season, hesitant about where to place Hardaway.

For a rookie to cause such a dilemma for a head coach is quite rare. For example, the top draft pick Chris Webber, who recently joined the Golden State Warriors, has also caused significant headaches for Coach Don Nelson. However, Nelson's pain is not the same as Hill's. Webber is not a well-behaved player, especially after the Magic traded him to the Warriors immediately after drafting him. This move severely hurt the pride of the American media's darling. After losing the NCAA Finals, Webber's reputation had already been questioned, and his popularity among fans is now lower than Hardaway's. The NBA teams also favored Hardaway, making him one of the few top picks in NBA history to be traded immediately upon entering the league. This has been a great humiliation for Webber, who is currently in his "second rebellious phase." As a result, Webber is now in a conflict with Coach Nelson, which has further reduced his chances of being the league's top rookie. The league is now promoting the "Four Super Swingmen" led by Hardaway and Lin Han, while Webber is once again being sidelined.

"Do you think there's any doubt about the outcome of this game between Perry and Lin Han?"

"It's hard to say, really hard to say. If I had to choose, I would naturally pick Perry to win. Don't you think the same? Perry's skills are more than twice as good as that guy's."

"Of course, we all support Perry, but since entering the league, Perry has lost the sharpness he had in high school and college. I'm afraid Perry will continue to play lukewarmly in this game. Perry is just too good, sacrificing his stats for the team."

"That's true. Lin Han is a guy who can take nearly 30 shots in his first NBA game and has not had a game with fewer than 20 shots in the first four games. As long as the other teams don't double-team him, I think he will keep up this shooting rate. If Perry could do the same, it would be great."

"I agree. Perry is now too focused on sacrificing for the team. He is too mature. I really hope he could be a bit more childish and selfish. Even if his selfishness can't match Lin Han's, it could at least be on par with Marshon and Laettner."

Clearly, although Lin Han has been scoring at a terrifying rate in the first few games, he is not a favorite of the mainstream American media. Despite the current American environment advocating against racial discrimination, Lin Han's yellow skin means he will not be accepted quickly. Most of the mainstream media in the United States is controlled by Jews, and even the less important media are often anti-Semitic. However, these anti-Semitic media are not good either, as they claim to be the true Anglo-Saxon race and are the ones who most enjoy racial discrimination. Unless Lin Han can win them over with his noble character like Hardaway or Grant Hill, even if he becomes a player like Jordan, he can still be brought down if he does not meet their standards. Hasn't Jordan, who they once elevated to the status of basketball god, been easily brought down by them?

"Regardless, I think Hardaway will beat Lin Han in this game and become the best rookie of the year. I believe Perry has deliberately increased his offensive intensity in recent games to prepare for this game."

"Let's hope so."

Before the game started, the journalists in the media seats were already discussing what the script for this game would be. As fans of the Magic, although they are still a relatively new fan base, they have been feeling very proud this season. The Magic, a team that was once a weakling, has transformed into a powerhouse in less than four years, giving these fans a sense of sudden wealth. They believe their team should defeat all other teams, and the world should revolve around them. Enemies are not to be respected but to be defeated. The NBA is too simple; if one batch of players doesn't work, they can just get a new batch. They have plenty of draft picks and don't need the depth of the game; they need the game to give them satisfaction.

Therefore, when Lin Han and the Jazz players entered the court as the away team, they were almost stunned by the incredible cheers from the Magic's home fans.

"Hey, Lin, get used to it. This is Florida, where the entertainment spirit is strong. And please forgive the youth of these fans."

Seeing Lin Han's shock at the behavior of the Magic fans, Stockton patted his back and laughed. In fact, when the Magic's performance improved last season, these fans began to expand their influence. The Magic fans are known for their harshness, and last season, when he and the Jazz came here, they were also stunned.

Of course, the Jazz's opponent in this game is the Magic players, not the Magic fans. So, after a brief moment of shock, Lin Han was not too concerned.

The Magic's starting lineup remained unchanged, with the starting center still being the big man Spencer, who faced a significant challenge from Shaquille O'Neal, who was stronger, more agile, and faster. The power forward was still Malone, the small forward was Brian Russell, who had secured a "pseudo-starting" position due to Lin Han, the shooting guard was Lin Han, and the point guard was Stockton.

On the Magic side, the starting center was Shaquille O'Neal, the slim and agile big man who was the biggest threat to the Magic in this game. The power forward was Chris Corvey, a former bench player for the Jazz, and the small forward was Nick Anderson, an excellent role player in the league. The shooting guard, who was matched against Lin Han, was Penny Hardaway, who had a grudge against Lin Han from their time at the Chicago talent camp. The point guard was Scott Skiles, an experienced player whose position became awkward with Hardaway's arrival. Last season, Skiles averaged nearly 15 points and 10 assists, making him the primary playmaker for the Magic. Now, with Hardaway as the primary playmaker, Skiles sometimes even sits on the bench. However, since Hardaway is playing shooting guard in this game, Skiles is still in the starting lineup.

"Lin, look, that guy on the other team is giving you a very intense look. You need to be careful in this game."

While warming up on the court, Lin Han, prompted by Malone, looked over to the Magic's side, where his "old teammate" Penny Hardaway was staring at him intently. The angry, regretful, and intense look in Hardaway's eyes made Lin Han's spine chill.

"This guy is going to go all out."

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