Chapter 44

In Cleveland, Ohio, at the Quicken Loans Arena.

Inside the arena, the crowd was in a frenzy, with fans shouting and cheering for their heroes.

For a city that has a poor reputation across the United States, the Cavaliers are the most sacred presence in the hearts of its residents. Although they have never won an NBA championship, this team, which has gained prominence in recent years, is the pride of Cleveland.

As early as the late 1980s to the early 1990s, the Cavaliers, led by legendary point guard Mark Price, had a standout performance.

This white player, who once held the title of the best free-throw shooter in NBA history (now surpassed by Nash), was known for his precise shooting, calm demeanor on the court, and meticulous offensive organization, with almost no flaws.

With the help of players like Larry Nance, Doherty, and Ron Harper, the Cavaliers began to revive, making consecutive playoff appearances and becoming a formidable team in the Eastern Conference.

However, just as the Cavaliers were about to reach their peak, that person appeared.

In the 1988-89 playoffs, the Cavaliers, who had faced the Chicago Bulls for two consecutive years, once again encountered a nightmare.

The Cavaliers, who had the best record of 57 wins and 25 losses at the time, watched helplessly as Michael Jordan hit the famous game-winning shot from 16 feet away in the decisive Game 5 of the first round, suffering another bitter defeat.

In historical footage, Jordan is seen excitedly punching the air in celebration, while the Cavaliers players are shown lying on the sidelines, covering their faces in despair. This moment has become a classic in NBA history, replayed countless times.

This shot is famously known as "THE SHOT."

After that, the Cavaliers began to slowly decline from their peak. In the following years, the team underwent a painful transformation, with frequent personnel changes.

By the end of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st century, the Cavaliers, led by Andre Miller, the aging Shawn Kemp, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Carlos Boozer, and the NBA journeyman Dahveon Wagner, who once scored 100 points in a high school game, did not achieve remarkable results and gradually fell into a slump.

It wasn't until the 2003 draft, when a 23-year-old prodigy descended, that everything changed.

"Whoosh!"

Talcum powder scattered in the air, like a white powder fountain, creating a sense of ritual, as if a volcano had erupted.

LeBron James, the genius who carried the hopes of all Cleveland fans, led the Cavaliers on the path to revival.

Soon, the game began.

"BAM! LeBron James, a powerful dunk for the score!"

"WOW! Allen Iverson, with his incredible speed, is truly a wizard on the court, a beautiful fadeaway jump shot!"

"Chris Webber, despite his aging legs, still has a precise one-handed jump shot! A veteran never dies, he just fades away!"

"Wow! Charles, did you see that? LeBron's layup was simply amazing!"

In the commentary booth, Kenny Smith was extremely excited, and Charles Barkley was also very enthusiastic. Both are fans of LeBron James and have always praised this superstar, who has the power to change the league's landscape, since his debut.

Although the pace of the game between the 76ers and the Cavaliers was not fast, the scenes were exceptionally exciting, with the stars engaging in intense battles, drawing continuous cheers from the fans.

"Light of Cleveland! KING JAMES! Give the 76ers a good beating!!"

The fans shouted loudly. This city, which is often misunderstood across the United States, desperately needed a hero to lead them out of the shadows.

"Beep"

The exciting game paused temporarily as the first quarter's official timeout arrived. Chen Mu stood up and listened carefully to the coach's tactical instructions while still warming up, preparing to enter the game.

"Half a quarter has passed, and the defense has been decent. After all, LeBron is hard to stop, so it's not your fault."

Coach Cheeks glanced at the large screen above the center of the court, which showed that LeBron had already scored 8 points, grabbed 2 rebounds, and dished out 2 assists in the first half of the quarter.

"However, there are still some issues on the offensive end. The ball movement is poor, and the involvement of players other than Allen and Chris is far from enough."

While drawing on the tactical board, Cheeks frowned and said, "The ball needs to move, and everyone needs to move. J.J. Redick and Andre Iguodala, you two can shoot and drive, but I don't see your impact on the offensive end."

"Hunter, take a break, Chen, you're up!"

"YESSIR~!"

Chen Mu had been waiting for this moment for a long time, and he was already itching to show his skills. With his passing skills, he had only demonstrated them in training, and no one on the real court knew that Chen Mu had become a ball-distributing pivot in the paint.

"In the second half of the quarter, Iguodala, you need to focus on defending LeBron and prevent him from easily penetrating the paint. We need to find a way to open up our offense and try to regain the lead!"

The current score was 14-11, with the 76ers trailing, but Cheeks was confident that with Chen Mu, the team's offense would improve.

"In the next part, we will run more backdoor plays, the Princeton offense. Chris, you know this system well, right?"

Cheeks looked at Webber, who nodded and said, "With me and Chen as the two pivot points, we can run the purest Princeton offense!"

"Allen, reduce your ball handling for now and conserve your energy. Your scoring consistency is crucial in this game," Cheeks said to Iverson, adding, "In the later stages, your offensive efficiency will determine the outcome of the game!"

Iverson didn't respond but nodded, with a fiery look in his eyes.

"Beep"

The timeout ended, and the game resumed!

"The 76ers have made a substitution, taking out Hunter, who has no offensive ability, and bringing in our old friend, the undrafted rookie who has played for two teams this season, the Chinese player—Chen!"

Kenny Smith recognized Chen Mu and said with a smile, "We haven't seen this kid since he joined the 76ers, right, Charles?"

"Um, that's right."

Barkley nodded and said, "I've seen some footage. The Chinese player has risen in the 76ers' offensive system, showing a significant improvement in his mid-range shooting and scoring ability."

"Based on the 76ers' current lineup, they are clearly trying to speed up the game in the second half of the first quarter, using the Chinese player's mid-range shooting and dunks to ignite the crowd!"

"However, we all know that the Chinese player is a notorious black hole on the court, like the fat guy Zach in Portland. When he gets the ball, he only focuses on his own offense, with very few assists. His long passes to the backcourt are also unreliable."

"For the Cavaliers, the defensive strategy doesn't need to change much. They just need to focus on the Chinese player's mid-range shooting and fast breaks, and cut off the ball distribution from Allen and Chris to suppress the 76ers' offense!"

"Smack!"

On the court, Chen Mu grabbed the defensive rebound. Just as everyone expected him to make a probing step to create space and pass the ball to Iverson to organize the offense, something surprising happened:

On the court, the other four players, except Chen Mu, were sprinting quickly, like wound-up rabbits, rushing to the front court.

"Hmm...? No one is coming to support the Chinese player??"

Barkley was taken aback, and the Cavaliers' players were also caught off guard. The starting power forward, Drew Gooden, quickly reacted and rushed to pressure Chen Mu.

"Here he comes?"

Seeing the opponent approach, Chen Mu smiled slightly, his eyes scanning the court like radar, instantly memorizing the direction and speed of all his teammates' movements.

"Let me show you what a paint magician can do...!"

Chen Mu's eyes quickly scanned the court, and everything seemed to return to the virtual training camp, with all the teammates' and opponents' movements as clear as virtual images.

The audience's cheers, the commentator's surprise, the DJ's shouts, and the agitated music were all instantly blocked out by Chen Mu.

In his eyes, there was only the purest basketball.

As Gooden approached, Chen Mu extended his arm and threw a long pass. The basketball, like a sprite, darted under Gooden's legs, then hit the ground halfway across the court, and quickly bounced up, landing perfectly in the hands of the sprinting Iguodala.

"Bang!"

Before the Cavaliers' players and fans could react, Iguodala had already caught the ball and scored with a powerful dunk!

"This...?!!"

Chen Mu's incredible pass instantly silenced the entire Quicken Loans Arena. Everyone's mouths were wide open, unable to believe what they had just seen, as if it could only happen in a video game.

"Long... long pass! And a between-the-legs, off-the-ground, super long pass!! WOW!!"

Barkley couldn't help but shout, his eyes full of surprise, and he looked at Chen Mu, who was calmly starting to defend, and shook his head, saying, "The Chinese player has evolved...!"

"Don't get discouraged, keep attacking!"

On the offensive end, LeBron remained calm, passing the ball to the tall center Zydrunas Ilgauskas after a screen, who then hit a mid-range shot.

"Chen, double pivot in the paint!"

Iverson, while handling the ball, loudly reminded Chen Mu of the next play. Chen Mu gave a thumbs up and quickly positioned himself in the front court, receiving the pass from Iverson.

"MOVE! MOVE! MOVE!"

Webber shouted, and the 76ers' perimeter players began to run quickly. J.J. Redick cut through the double screen set by Iguodala and Webber, just reaching the weak side corner, and as he looked up, a pass came flying from an unknown direction, landing perfectly in his hands.

"How did that pass... get there...?!"

Redick caught the ball, and it seemed to carry a burst of energy. Without hesitation, he jumped and shot a three-pointer, with the Cavaliers' defender watching in despair.

"Swish!"

The ball went through the net.

"Wha... how did that pass get there?!"

Kenny Smith was shocked, turning to Barkley and shaking his head with a smile, "Was that the Chinese player? I didn't see it wrong! The Chinese player is a paint magician!!"