Chapter 29

On January 17, 2006, on the East Coast of the United States, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, at the Wachovia Center.

Today, a match will be held here, a contest between two fallen aristocrats: the Philadelphia 76ers will face the visiting Houston Rockets at home.

Both teams have won championships in their history and have had superstar players. They are both old teams with a long and storied history.

However, in recent years, both teams have not been in the best shape.

For the 76ers, their star player Allen Iverson has set a new career-high with an average of 33 points per game. His teammate, Webber, an All-Star forward who is in his declining phase, still averages close to 20 points and 10 rebounds per game.

However, apart from these two, the rest of the players have not performed well.

Andre Iguodala, in his second year, has made rapid progress, but he still lacks the skills to handle the ball and play one-on-one on the offensive end. Most of the time, he serves as a defensive specialist and a fast-break leader.

Kyle Korver, who is now well-known, is not yet the super three-point shooter. His three-point shooting percentage is indeed high, and he can be considered a qualified shooter. However, at that time, his defensive performance was below average, making him an easy target for opposing scorers.

The other players are even less capable. Thaddeus Young, Salmons, Steven Hunter, Willie Green... These players are all functional players and cannot shoulder the team's burden. After reaching the finals in the 2000-2001 season, the 76ers have not been able to regain their former glory and have gradually declined, becoming a team on the brink of rebuilding.

"Hey, Chinese kid~"

"YO, Chris!"

Chen Mu was warming up on the court, occasionally greeting his teammates as they passed by.

He had been in Philadelphia for two days and had already met most of his teammates during yesterday's training.

However, Allen Iverson, who usually does not like to participate in training, did not show up yesterday. The only person in the team who had not yet met Chen Mu was this rebellious superstar.

As he was thinking, a small player wearing baggy pants, with a unique hairstyle, and dressed in a very hip-hop style walked into the arena. He did not greet anyone, wearing large headphones, seemingly listening to his favorite hip-hop music.

"Hi, Allen, I'm Chen, the new power forward signed by the team. I'm glad to have the opportunity to work with you."

Chen Mu walked up, suppressing his excitement, and extended his hand to Iverson, hoping to shake hands.

"YO."

However, Iverson clearly did not buy it. He simply glanced at Chen Mu, nodded as a greeting, and did not shake hands. Instead, he lightly tapped his hand in the air and then walked to the side, starting to talk with coach Billy Chicks.

"Haha, what a unique star~"

Chen Mu was not embarrassed. In the original timeline, he was a big fan of Iverson and knew his temperament well.

To gain Iverson's recognition, he must perform outstandingly on the court!

"Our 76ers team has not been in good shape recently, with mediocre performance in the first half of the season. Moreover, we received a message two days ago that our starting center Thaddeus Young cannot play due to a back injury. With Webber also injured, our frontcourt is already short-handed."

The local TV commentator analyzed from the sidelines: "Looking at the remaining roster, Steven Hunter can barely fill in. As for Li Nailong, James Thomas, Michael Bradley... none of them are up to the task. It looks like Allen will have to carry more of the load!"

On the bench, the Haitian big man Thaddeus Young was dressed in a suit, clearly unable to play. Next to him, Webber was being treated for a knee injury by the team doctor.

The entire 76ers team has old and injured frontcourt players. The first substitute power forward is actually Matt Barnes, who is only 6'7" tall.

"However, we have some good news. Yesterday morning, the team signed a ten-day contract with the free agent Chen from China. Although he is currently without a team, about a month ago, he had a standout performance with the Phoenix Suns, averaging double-digit rebounds per game!"

The commentator, looking at the player's profile, said: "We hope this energetic power forward can provide some frontcourt support and help Webber with rebounding."

"However, we also noticed that Chen, known as the 'Chinese kid,' is excellent at rebounding but very poor on the offensive end. In his five games with the Suns, his shooting percentage was extremely low, and his offensive efficiency was very poor. Besides alley-oops and put-back dunks, he seems to have no offensive skills."

"Especially in shooting, Chen Mu has never shown his mid-range shooting ability, and from his on-court performance, it seems he even resists taking mid-range shots."

The commentator took out Chen Mu's game statistics and continued: "In five games, except for a mid-range shot at the end of the third quarter against the Hawks, Chen did not take a single shot outside the paint. Of course, that mid-range shot did not go in."

"Although we do not yet know if Chen has mid-range shooting ability, from this statistical data, I hope everyone does not have high expectations. As long as he can grab rebounds for us, he will have completed his task."

The commentator chuckled: "After all, not all Chinese big men are named Yao, haha."

On the other side of the arena, the Rockets were also warming up. Two players in the Rockets' lineup were particularly eye-catching.

One was the player wearing the No. 1 jersey, the tall and slender swingman Tracy McGrady, who has both exceptional physical and technical skills.

"Swish"

Chen Mu looked up and saw McGrady glide under the basket like a bird, performing an incredibly graceful reverse layup.

This move, just as Chen Mu had seen on screen in the original timeline, was elegant and deadly. McGrady's ability to use his super-fast first step to get past defenders and then rely on his extraordinary physical attributes and soft touch to score is among the top five in the league.

Coupled with his terrifying pull-up jump shot, this sleepy-eyed player can transform into one of the most fearsome assassins in the league, capable of taking down the opposing team's key players.

As for the other eye-catching player, it was naturally...

"Hmm...??"

Chen Mu looked around the entire court but could not find the towering figure.

Just as he was lost in thought, a deep male voice suddenly sounded behind him.

"Hey, you're Chen Mu...?"

Chen Mu quickly turned around and saw, not the face of the person, but a broad shoulder.

"Wow...!"

Chen Mu couldn't help but exclaim. Since his穿越 (time travel), he had grown to over two meters tall and was used to looking down at most people.

Even on the NBA court, only the centers of both teams were taller than him, and even if other players were taller, it was only by a few centimeters, making no significant difference.

However, the height of the person in front of him was astonishing, forcing Chen Mu to look up to see clearly.

"Yao... Yao Ming?!!"

Chen Mu was both surprised and delighted, not expecting that Yao Ming, already an All-Star, would come to speak to him. He stammered for a while before managing to say, "Thank you, Daffy has helped me a lot!"

"He's a great agent, which is why I recommended him to you," Yao Ming said with his characteristic smile. "Don't be fooled by his always being in a hurry; when it comes to work, he's very reliable. In Chinese terms, we call him 'reliable'!"

It was rare to be able to converse in Chinese, and Chen Mu was very happy. He asked Yao Ming many questions about the NBA.

Yao Ming was very approachable, answering Chen Mu's questions while reminding him of various cultural differences and small details to pay attention to.

"By the way, I watched your previous games."

Yao Ming said, "Your rebounding is great. In just a few minutes on the court, your average rebounds were higher than mine."

"Haha, rebounding is my job," Chen Mu laughed.

"To be honest, I have thought about recommending you to Alexander to join the Rockets. After all, our power forward position is well-known to be vacant, and we desperately need a rebounding specialist."

Yao Ming continued, "But your offense is... well, not good. You must know that the current NBA is an offensive era, and without a good mid-range shot, it's hard to survive in this league."

"I saw you practicing your mid-range shots just now, and they seemed pretty good. I hope you can quickly improve your shooting and offense. Who knows, we might really have a chance to be teammates and build a Rockets dynasty...!"

After saying this, the warm-up time was over, and Yao Ming turned to return to the Rockets' half of the court, adding, "I hope you can surprise me in the game...!"

Watching Yao Ming walk away, Chen Mu clenched his fist and smiled, thinking to himself:

"Yao Ming, don't worry, I'm not the same as before...!"

Half an hour later.

"Swish!"

"Yao Ming again! A fadeaway jump shot, the Rockets have extended their lead to 7 points, and the 76ers call a timeout!"

The first quarter was already halfway through, and the Rockets had taken control of the game with Yao Ming's strong inside play. On the 76ers' side, although Allen Iverson was unstoppable, the team's scoring points were too concentrated. Webber's poor shooting performance, with several missed mid-range shots, made the team very passive.

"Chris, you take a break."

Coach Billy Chicks made a substitution, taking out Webber and Korver and bringing in Salmons and...

"Chen, you're up!"

"No problem...!"

Chen Mu stood up, high-fived his teammates one by one, and walked onto the court with his head held high.

On the side of the court, a pair of bright, elf-like eyes were watching Chen Mu, deep in thought.

---

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