Wall, holding the ball at the top of the arc, faced off against Carter. The NBA Draft's first overall pick of the year had to decide how to attack. He feigned to the left, crossed over in front of his body, accelerated, and wow—blew past Carter in one swift move. His speed was just too much!
He dashed inside the free-throw line, propelled off the ground, arm extended as if reaching for the heavens. The Suns' center Channing Frye didn't even have a chance to jump before Wall detonated a ferocious dunk, shattering the rim with force.
In the arena out West...
ESPN's renowned commentator Van Gundy was animated and excited as he described the play.
"Impressive!"
"Terrifying speed, extraordinary burst, astonishing power, and arm length. This year's NBA Draft's first overall pick, Wall, truly possesses exceptional talent. With that dunk, he has already accumulated over 14 points tonight, and there are still 3 minutes and 17 seconds left in the half. At this rate... Wall is on track to score 30+ points tonight!"
His fellow commentator Mike Breen also spoke with admiration, looking at the relatively inexperienced Wall on the court, his eyes full of praise.
"Beep beep!"
Suns coach Alvin Gentry called for a timeout.
With a 17-point deficit, failing to take a timeout to regroup could lead to trailing by 20+ at the half, which would be a terrible situation for a team that finished third in the Western Conference last season and made it to the Western Conference Finals.
On the Suns' bench...
Coach Gentry gathered his players, took out the tactical board, and urgently began to devise a strategy to limit the unstoppable offense of the NBA Draft's first overall pick, Wall.
Meanwhile...
Beside the bench's water cooler...
A player wearing jersey number "0," whose height clearly marked him as a center, listened to the tactical discussion, but his occasional glances towards the stands indicated his mind was elsewhere. This player was Carlos.
He was a time traveler.
Three days ago...
Carlos found himself in the extraordinary year of 2023, playing street basketball when he was mistakenly killed by drug dealers. He traveled to a parallel game "2K22", time rewinding to the year 2010, becoming a benchwarmer for the Phoenix Suns, signing a short-term 10-day contract.
In his past life, he was just a basketball enthusiast standing at 180 centimeters. Now, he stood at a towering 215 centimeters.
"Second row, left-hand side, seventh seat, there you are... Allen Iverson, I've set my sights on you tonight. I won't let you disappear from my sight for a second."
Confirming Iverson's location, Carlos narrowed his eyes.
Back at the commentating booth...
Van Gundy continued, "The Wizards have had poor results in recent seasons. The arrival of this year's number one draft pick, Wall, could potentially lead to a rapid rise of the team. As for the Suns, after letting go of 'Stat' Amar'e Stoudemire, their strength fell like Waterloo, quick and steep. Ten games into the season...
2 wins and 8 losses...
Ranking third from the bottom in the Western Conference, another loss tonight would mean a six-game losing streak. Honestly, for a team that finished third in the West and made it to the Conference Finals last season, such a record is hard to believe."
"There's no helping it!"
Mike Breen adjusted his mic, "Stat was the core of the Suns, and with Nash getting on in years, his passing prowess is still there. But without a star like Stat to collaborate with, it's futile. With Stat gone, Nash's ability to distribute the ball can't be maximized, and the Suns' combat strength has understandably plummeted."
"That's true..."
Van Gundy nodded, adding, "Let's hope the Suns can make some adjustments after this timeout and contain the explosive NBA Draft's first overall pick, Wall. That's the top priority."
The commentators shared their thoughts.
The timeout ended...
Both teams' starters returned.
The game continued, but the Suns still seemed to have no answer for Wall. Whether he was facing Nash or Carter, Wall had the ability to dominate one-on-one. Such is the power of raw talent.
Whenever he faced a double-team, he could distribute the ball effectively, finding his open teammates. As this year's NBA Draft's first overall pick, John Wall was indeed living up to his name.
With just 3 minutes and 17 seconds left in the second quarter, the Suns failed to close the gap. By halftime, the deficit had ballooned to an astonishing 21 points. It was a mere rookie who seemingly defeated the Suns single-handedly!
"Strong!"
"Wall is truly impressive!"
"I have a feeling that John Wall will become a superstar in the league in a short period of time, becoming a formidable opponent for countless players and stars!"
With a halftime stat line of 17 points, 3 rebounds, 5 assists, and 1 steal, Wall garnered praise from a host of fans.
"It's gone!"
"The Suns have lost their shine this year!"
"Ah, I can't understand why they let 'Stat' go. They had a lineup that could have contended for the championship, but now they've become bottom-feeders, even a tanking team."
The Suns fans were resigned to their fate.
Whether it was the praise for Wall or the lament of the Suns fans, none of it mattered to Carlos.
As the half came to a close, Carlos quickly made his way to the seventh seat in the second row on the left-hand side to find... Allen Iverson.
"Hey, Allen, can I get an autograph?"
Carlos presented paper and pen without waiting for a response, and with a slight startle followed by a smile, Allen signed his name for Carlos.
"Done!"
On his way back to the locker room, Carlos flicked the paper with Iverson's signature, feeling great.
[Ding! Congratulations to the host for obtaining Iverson's autograph, completing the task, and about to activate the system!]
The system notification sounded.
[Ding! The Super Basketball System is now integrating... 1%... 15%... 50%... 75%... 100%, installation complete. Congratulations, your body has been equipped with the Super Basketball System.]
"Finally here!"
Three days ago...
Carlos obtained the system immediately upon crossing over but required Iverson's signature to activate it. After asking around, he finally found his opportunity tonight.
"Super Basketball System?"
[Ding!]
As if knowing what Carlos was thinking, the system notification sounded again.
[Ding! Dear host, this system is designed to transform the host into the strongest center, and it's not just any system; it belongs to... the Super Basketball level!]
"How do I become stronger?"
[Ding! The host just needs to complete randomly issued tasks by the system to receive corresponding rewards, which will enhance your abilities.]
"Uh... Besides tasks, shouldn't there be a rookie gift pack?"
Having read many fantasy novels, Carlos, now accustomed to the fact of crossing over, proactively inquired.
[Ding! Yes, the host has two rookie gift packs available. Would you like to open them now?]
"Of course, open the first rookie gift pack!"