Chapter 43

Two days later, Philadelphia.

"Defend, defend!"

"Control the boards!"

"Be patient, play this offense well!"

Inside the Philadelphia 76ers' training ground, the team was divided for practice. On one side, the core player Allen Iverson led the white team. It seemed that to test Iverson's ultimate strength and ignite his fighting spirit, head coach Billy Cunningham had employed a common trick used by NBA coaches: he let the main scorer lead the bench players.

On the black team, except for the rookie point guard, the small scorer Louis Williams, who would later shine with the Hawks, the rest were all starters. Iverson was incredibly fast, but Louis Williams was no slouch either. The two small players dominated the offense, making for an exciting game.

"Swish"

After using his signature crossover to create space and hitting a mid-range shot, Iverson hadn't even made it back to the defensive half when the black team's Webber had already thrown a long pass from the baseline, sending the ball to the front court where Iguodala slammed it in.

"DAMN!"

Iverson cursed, shaking his head slightly. He wiped the sweat from his face with the corner of his jersey and dribbled the ball forward. The white team, aside from Iverson, lacked good scoring options. Although Chen Mu had a solid mid-range shot and dunking ability, his independent offensive skills were still lacking, heavily relying on Iverson's playmaking.

The other players on the white team had even less scoring ability, allowing the black team to double-team Iverson without hesitation, assign a player to specifically guard Chen Mu, and have the remaining two players block Iverson's passing lanes, preventing him from easily passing the ball.

This strategy was very effective. Although Iverson's individual offense was unstoppable, even under double-teams, he could still create space and score in various ways. However, Chen Mu rarely got to play, and the other players barely touched the ball. The situation for the white team was dire.

"Allen, Phil used to train Jordan this way. Jordan always won, leading the bench against the Bulls' entire starting lineup!"

From the sidelines, head coach Billy Cunningham loudly encouraged: "Where's your energy? Where's your drive? You're the MVP, the best! Are you willing to lose like this??"

"Who said I would lose...?!"

Although Iverson disliked training, his determination to win was well-known throughout the league. Under Cunningham's provocation, Iverson unleashed his full power, finding a gap in the double-team and making a crossover move, then scoring with a layup.

"Beep"

The first half of the practice game ended, and the ten players on the court went to rest. They drank sports drinks and chatted, but Iverson was so exhausted he could barely speak.

"Allen, what's wrong?"

Chen Mu took a sip of water and turned to ask.

"Just a bit tired, nothing to worry about!"

Iverson stubbornly replied, but his hands betrayed him. Chen Mu glanced down and saw Iverson's hands trembling, clearly exhausted.

"This isn't going to work." After much hesitation, Chen Mu finally spoke: "The practice game is fifteen minutes without a clock stoppage. We still have fifteen minutes to go in the second half, and your stamina won't hold up."

"Don't forget, we have a long trip to Cleveland tomorrow. If you collapse, what will we do for offense??"

In the previous few games, Chen Mu and Iverson had developed good chemistry. Additionally, Iverson admired Chen Mu's tenacious and never-give-up attitude, so their relationship was quite good, surpassing the typical distance between a rookie and the team leader.

Faced with Chen Mu's frankness, Iverson nodded slightly. At thirty, he deeply understood that a player's strength has its limits.

"But look at our lineup. Except for you, the others are not good scorers."

Iverson pointed to the other white team players and continued: "Lee, Barnes, and Salmons are good at finishing when they get the ball, but their ball-handling and playmaking are lacking."

Iverson was always straightforward, and the white team players he mentioned didn't mind, only sighing and shaking their heads, seemingly dissatisfied with their own performances.

"And you, Chen." After a circle, Iverson turned to Chen Mu and continued: "I'll be blunt, you're also a finisher. As a playmaking big man, you're far from Chris!"

Chen Mu wasn't angry; he knew Iverson was telling the truth. Webber's playmaking ability was among the best in NBA history, so losing to him wasn't embarrassing. Even compared to other playmaking big men, Chen Mu's passing and playmaking skills were still weak.

If this continued, even with his solid mid-range shot and future development in post moves or perimeter attacks, Chen Mu could only be a scoring option, not a playmaking hub.

"Whether a player can playmake is the biggest difference between role players and stars."

Chen Mu was well aware of this widely circulated NBA saying. Playmaking isn't just about passing; it's about choosing when to attack, when to pass, and what actions to take.

This ability comes only from a deep understanding of the game and a comprehensive skill set. Although Chen Mu couldn't reach this level in the short term, his passing skills had undergone rapid evolution at an unknown moment.

"Allen, in the second half, can you give me the ball to handle in the first play?"

After much thought, Chen Mu finally spoke: "I want to try to get the other teammates involved in the offense!"

"Hmm...?"

Iverson frowned slightly, looking at Chen Mu thoughtfully: "Heh, the Chinese black hole, are you starting to playmake?"

"Beep"

The whistle for the second half sounded. Iverson stretched, stood up, and said to Chen Mu: "Alright, one play."

"OK...!"

Chen Mu excitedly stood up, ready to give Iverson a high-five, but Iverson held up a finger and shook it, continuing: "But just one play. If I'm not satisfied after one play, I'll keep the ball and control the offense!"

"…No problem."

Chen Mu nodded, smiling confidently: "Allen, watch my performance…!"

On the court, the black team started the offense. Korver found a good opportunity from the perimeter but missed. Chen Mu grabbed the rebound, passed the ball to Iverson, and quickly moved to the front court.

In the front court, Iverson, as agreed, passed the ball to Chen Mu, who was posting up in the paint.

"…Oh?!"

When Chen Mu received the ball, Webber, who was closely defending him, was surprised. He frowned, wondering: What's going on? Why would Allen pass the ball to a Chinese player who can't post up?

Webber checked his position, confirming it was fine, but remained puzzled.

"The Chinese player has a decent mid-range shot, but his post game is terrible and he can't drive. Receiving the ball in the post here is useless! What are Allen and the Chinese player up to??"

However, Chen Mu didn't look for a scoring opportunity. Instead, he glanced to both sides and shouted: "SCREEN & BACKDOOR!"

"Huh??"

Hearing Chen Mu call the play, all the players were stunned, not reacting immediately.

The Chinese player? The Chinese player is calling a play??

The play Chen Mu called was one of the simplest in the Princeton system: a post player receives the ball at the high post, and perimeter players move quickly to set screens and find backdoor cuts for easy baskets.

The play was simple, but Chen Mu, the non-passing big man and the so-called "black hole," could he handle the most challenging "post passing"??

Iverson and Salmons reacted first. They switched sides, with Salmons moving to the strong side where Chen Mu was, and calling for Lee to set a screen on the weak side.

"Bang"

A crisp pick-and-roll, Salmons cut to the basket, and Chen Mu, with a quick glance, sent a bounce pass. To the amazement of Webber and everyone else, the pass was perfectly accurate.

Salmons was also surprised by the pass, which was so comfortable in terms of force, angle, spin, timing, and speed, with no flaws.

"This pass is almost as good as Chris'!"

In his surprise, Salmons didn't forget his job and easily scored a layup over the returning Hunter.

"Hey."

Seeing this, Iverson was also surprised. He looked at Chen Mu, who was returning to defense, and said: "Not bad, you can pass after all!"

"Haha, just a little trick~"

Chen Mu laughed, not saying more. He knew from Iverson's eyes that he had earned Iverson's trust with that pass!

The next day, Cleveland, Ohio.

Quicken Loans Arena.

"YO, folks, welcome back to the T-N-T broadcast. Today we're in the most 'infamous' city in America, Cleveland, Ohio, for a game between the rising Cleveland Cavaliers and the surging Philadelphia 76ers!"

Unlike usual, Charles Barkley started the pre-game commentary, but was quickly interrupted by Kenny Smith.

"What, infamous! Don't ruin my job!" Kenny Smith laughed bitterly: "Please, Cleveland fans, don't take it personally. The above statement is Charles' personal opinion and does not reflect the views of this station!"

The two were still bickering, but on the court, the pre-game ceremony had ended. In front of the scorer's table, a player in a No. 23 jersey, with a well-built physique, was slowly clapping, white powder scattering in front of the table. Then...

"Whoosh!"

LeBron James raised his hands, and the powder soared into the air as the crowd erupted in cheers.

The new king was about to ascend the throne.

Not far away, on the 76ers' bench, a "king slayer" watched LeBron's powerful opening act with confidence, thinking to himself:

"LeBron, if we both post up in the high post, whose pass will be more penetrating, yours or mine...?"

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