Chapter 39

Bruce Bowen, born and raised in California, played four years of NCAA basketball at the relatively unknown UC Fullerton, averaging 11.4 points and 5.8 rebounds per game, and was a versatile wing player.

In 1992-1993, Bowen entered the NBA draft, but his average physical attributes and lack of standout basketball skills became the first bottleneck of his professional career.

Bowen, ultimately, went undrafted.

Afterward, Bowen did not give up on basketball. Instead, he chose to hone his skills in the CBA league in the United States, and later gained the attention of the French basketball scene, joining the French professional league and becoming a true professional player.

"The first time I saw him play, I was just a kid, with little understanding of basketball, knowing only about shooting and layups."

Tony Parker, the French point guard and a key player for the Spurs, spoke about the first time he saw Bruce Bowen play in the French professional league, his eyes gleaming with a sense of disbelief, as if recounting a legendary story.

"At that time, he scored like cutting melons and slicing vegetables, with drives, mid-range shots, three-pointers, dunks, fast breaks, and post-ups. He could do everything, and he was strong in everything. He dominated the French professional league, and no one could stop him. He won the scoring title consecutively, and... "

At this point, Parker couldn't help but smile, finding it hard to believe what he had once seen. After a moment of contemplation, he continued, "And he didn't defend at all!"

Bowen's performance on the professional court greatly influenced Parker's basketball journey. The young Parker fell in love with the sport and resolved to become a player like Bowen.

"I want to score, a lot of points, and defense is just a joke!"

Parker said as much.

However, no one could have predicted that a few years later, when the lonely Bowen returned to the NBA after years of wandering and honing his skills, he had developed an extraordinary defensive ability, especially in one-on-one defense against perimeter players. This ability helped him establish himself in the NBA, and he eventually won two championships with the Spurs.

If nothing had changed significantly, in the timeline where Chen Mu exists, Bowen would win his third championship ring with the Spurs in over a year and retire with the team, enjoying the honor of having his jersey retired.

Back on the court.

Chen Mu's ankle was wrapped tightly by the team doctor. Although there was no bone or ligament damage, a sprain, if not treated with cold compression and immobilization, could easily lead to chronic sprains, which would be detrimental to recovery.

"Chen, get up and walk around. How do you feel?"

After the treatment, at the doctor's signal, Chen Mu got up and tried to run. Although it still hurt a bit when he jumped, it was basically fine.

"Can you keep going?"

Cheeks, concerned, asked. The game had already resumed, and without Chen Mu's presence, the 76ers' offense was sluggish, and the score gap widened.

"No problem...!"

Chen Mu's eyes blazed with intense flames, staring intently at a Spurs player, as if he wanted to tear him apart.

"I never thought these legends were actually true."

In the original timeline, Chen Mu had heard that although Bruce Bowen was a skilled defender, he occasionally used dirty tactics, making underhanded moves in positions where the referees couldn't see or judge.

Szczerbiak, Vince Carter, Ray Allen, Tracy McGrady, Kobe Bryant, Amar'e Stoudemire...

These famous names had all been "taken care of" by Bowen, especially Szczerbiak, who was once kicked in the face by Bowen during a game, nearly causing a large-scale brawl.

"Bruce Bowen, even if my legs break today, I will thoroughly destroy you...!"

"Beep beep"

The 76ers called a timeout. After some adjustments, Chen Mu replaced Hunter, and the game continued!

"RUN RUN RUN!!"

In the frontcourt, Allen Iverson, a proud star, clearly understood how much anger Chen Mu felt after being fouled. Without needing to say much, he passed the ball directly to Chen Mu.

"Rookie, is your ankle okay?"

Bowen, whether intentionally or not, immediately matched up with Chen Mu and said with a slight mocking tone, "If it's serious, don't push yourself. After all, you have a long career ahead, and there's no need to risk it for a regular-season game~"

"..."

Faced with Bowen's provocation, Chen Mu remained silent, his brows furrowed, and he held the ball with both hands, making a triple-threat move.

He knew that every word Bowen said was meant to make him recall the moment he was fouled, instilling fear in him and affecting his offensive efficiency.

"Absolutely can't fall for it. Must stay calm and use each shot over his head to thoroughly destroy him...!"

Chen Mu thought to himself, took a deep breath, and then suddenly made a shooting motion.

"Fake move?"

Bowen immediately moved in close, but his legs were spread wide.

In the previous two offensive plays, Chen Mu used fake moves as bait, using his accurate mid-range shooting to influence the defender's judgment and then score.

This time, Bowen expected Chen Mu to do the same.

But he was wrong.

Chen Mu raised the ball and shot without hesitation. Due to Bowen's tight defense, this shot was not entirely standard.

But Chen Mu's upper body, honed like a statue in the fear chamber, remained perfectly poised. His wrist and elbow were unaffected, and he cleanly shot a mid-range jumper over Bowen's head.

"Swish!"

The ball cleanly went through the hoop. Chen Mu turned and walked away without a word, returning to the half-court to start defending.

"YO..."

Watching Chen Mu's retreating back, Bowen sighed lightly, a smile on his lips. "This rookie is for real...!"

In the next play, the Spurs' Duncan and Ginobili on the weak side made a play. The latter broke through the defense in a snake-like manner, stumbling into the paint and scoring, but the score gap remained unchanged.

"Again!"

Back in the frontcourt, Chen Mu shouted, and Iverson passed the ball to Chen Mu, then moved to the weak side to create space, giving Chen Mu the opportunity to single-handedly take on Bowen.

Turning to face the basket, Chen Mu was about to start when Bowen's surgical hands came close.

"Knew you'd try to steal the ball...!"

Chen Mu was unfazed, pulling the ball back slightly, evading Bowen's steal, and then jumping, raising the ball with both hands in a perfect shooting form, like a cannon, and shooting a mid-range jumper.

"Damn... a pull-up jump shot?!"

Bowen was surprised, looking up to see that Chen Mu's eyes showed no hesitation or unease, completely unafraid of being fouled by Bowen. His eyes were fixed on the rim, revealing a strong determination.

"Swish!"

The ball went through the net, and Chen Mu landed, finally looking at Bowen, a slight smirk on his lips. "Oh, you're here. Didn't see you just now. Sorry."

After this cocky remark, Chen Mu turned and went back to defend, leaving Bowen standing there, speechless.

"Does this Chinese kid... have no sense of fear...?!"

In terms of height and weight, Bowen was at a disadvantage compared to Chen Mu. While his defense was effective against perimeter players, he had fewer options against opponents with significant advantages in strength and height.

In the two plays, Chen Mu shot without hesitation, decisively and cleanly, making Bowen's "entanglement" tactics ineffective.

"Is this rookie planning to simply keep attacking and shoot me to death...?"

Bowen had a bad feeling, sighed, and gritted his teeth, focusing on the next play.

The Spurs missed a shot, and Chen Mu grabbed the rebound, passing it to Iverson and quickly running to the frontcourt.

"Rookie, want to shoot another mid-range?!"

Bowen kept up, not lagging in speed, sticking to Chen Mu like a sticker, not giving him any chance to receive the ball.

Iverson lobbed a high pass, and the ball returned to Chen Mu's hands. The matchup was set, and the entire crowd held their breath, many standing from their seats.

"Again, the Chinese kid! Again, against Bruce Bowen! This is their fourth one-on-one matchup of the game, and the Chinese kid has made all three previous shots. Can he do it again?!"

The commentator was also excited, not blinking, watching Chen Mu and Bowen's every move, holding his breath.

Chen Mu's brows furrowed, and he took a step to create space, raising his hand to shoot.

"Want to shoot again?! Dream on!!"

Bowen, no longer relaxed, immediately moved in close, jumping to interfere with Chen Mu's shot.

But Chen Mu wasn't a fool. He immediately pulled the ball back, moved it horizontally, and smoothly jumped to shoot.

"Is... is this a fake move?!"

Bowen regretted it deeply. At this moment, he realized that Chen Mu's previous two crisp shots were a setup, aimed at making him jump in this play!

"No way...!"

Seeing Chen Mu about to shoot, Bowen, in the air, extended his right leg and lightly touched Chen Mu's waist.

"Ugh...!"

Chen Mu was taken aback, his body tilting to one side, but he gritted his teeth and shot the ball.

"Beep beep! Spurs' No. 12, defensive foul!"

The referee's whistle blew, and both Chen Mu and Bowen fell to the ground, both looking up anxiously.

The ball spun in the air, seeming to have a bit too much force.

"Clap clap clap clap... swish!"

After the arc, the ball hit the rim, bounced a few times, and finally fell into the basket.

"YES!!!"

The 76ers' players and coaches cheered loudly, a rare 2+1 opportunity that could potentially turn the tide of the game.

"Huff huff huff~"

On the ground, Chen Mu enjoyed the cheers and praise from his teammates, then turned to look at Bowen, raising his right hand to his mouth, shaking his wrist, and blowing on it.

"Bruce, were you defending me just now? I didn't feel it."

After a moment of posturing, Chen Mu, with the help of his teammates, got up and walked a few steps to Bowen, who was still sitting on the ground, and looked down at him. "My hands are burning hot...!"

"Ding"

At the same time, a small notification appeared in Chen Mu's field of vision. Mobile users, please visit http://m.piaotia.net

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