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The "Emergency Stop Master" badge is a typical guard badge that greatly enhances a player's dribbling and breakthrough abilities. For Wang Chong, who already possessed decent dribbling and offensive skills, this badge added to his arsenal of offensive tools, boosting his overall effectiveness on the court. However, Wang Chong was more interested in the 2,000 points he had accumulated.
Even though Wang Chong's current ability rating was already 91, the higher one climbs in skill, the slower progress becomes. Yet, with as many as 2,000 points, he knew he could push his overall rating to an even higher level.
"System, initiate template fusion," Wang Chong commanded after entering the data panel.
The 2,000 points immediately began to dwindle, and soon they were reduced to zero. When Wang Chong checked his data again, the corners of his mouth curled into a satisfied smile.
Overall ability rating: 93!
The 2,000 points had bumped his rating by two points, bringing it up to 93.
Now, Wang Chong was just four points behind Kevin Durant's peak overall rating of 97. Of course, the system made it increasingly harder to improve ability values at higher levels, so the next four points would likely require tens of thousands of points. Based on the number of missions and points available each season, it would probably take another one or two seasons to reach Durant's level.
Even so, his progress was extraordinary. In the current league, perhaps only LeBron James and Dwyane Wade—who would soon lead their team to a championship—were capable of keeping up with Wang Chong's rapid rise. In 2K simulations, both players reached an overall ability rating of 97 in their fourth season, joining the ranks of top-tier superstars.
Wang Chong's rise to a 93 rating this time mainly came from improvements in his offensive capabilities and awareness. His close-range shooting jumped from 93 to 95, three-point shooting increased from 90 to 91, free throws reached 91, and both post-up hooks and fadeaways rose to 84 and 85 respectively. Additionally, his ability to draw fouls rose from 88 to 92, and his catch-and-shoot ability surged from 91 to 95.
Wang Chong's mid-range shot—his most lethal weapon—improved from 95 to 97. While not the biggest jump compared to other skills, it was now his highest-rated attribute. Few players in the league could match a 97 mid-range shot; even Kobe Bryant at this stage probably didn't have that rating.
The improvements weren't limited to offense. Wang Chong's mental attributes saw gains as well: offensive awareness hit 95, defensive awareness 82, passing awareness 75, help defense 81, anti-interference 94, and stability 95. These boosts may seem less visible on paper, but they were crucial for distinguishing top superstars from regular stars.
A lot of players can train their shooting abilities to high levels, but not everyone can perform under pressure. Defenders, external distractions, and the immense psychological strain of the game all impact a player's performance. This is where mental attributes like offensive awareness, anti-interference, and stability become key.
Top superstars always have high mental ability ratings. For comparison, Kobe's offensive awareness peaked at 97, his stability at 99, and his anti-interference rating at 97. Wang Chong's template, Durant, maxed out at 98 for offensive awareness and stability, and 97 for anti-interference.
With Wang Chong now at 95 for offensive awareness, 94 for anti-interference, and 95 for stability, combined with his superior shooting skills, few players in the league could surpass him in offensive efficiency.
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After the All-Star weekend, where Wang Chong clinched both the Three-Point Contest Championship and the All-Star MVP, the hype started to fade. The fans' attention shifted back to the regular season, which was entering its final stretch.
For the Los Angeles Lakers, there was little reason for concern. Their high winning rate in the first half of the season left them comfortably in third place in the Western Conference, practically securing a playoff spot. However, securing a better seed was still crucial for playoff matchups and home-court advantage.
Kobe Bryant had returned from injury, and Wang Chong was in great form, having come off a stellar All-Star weekend. Many expected the duo to continue dominating, but the reality was far different.
The Lakers managed only a 2-3 record in their next five games. Of those losses, the defeat to the Pistons was understandable, but losses to the New York Knicks and Toronto Raptors—teams outside the Eastern Conference's top ten—were less excusable.
Kobe's return saw him putting up over 30 points per game, but his shooting efficiency was just above 40%. More troubling, Kobe and Wang Chong seemed to be playing in isolation from each other, with minimal cooperation on the court. Kobe's ball dominance caused Wang Chong's scoring average to drop from over 30 points during Kobe's injury to 25 points, while Kobe's own scoring average went up.
It was clear Kobe didn't want Wang Chong to outscore him. Kobe was, after all, the face of the Lakers and wasn't ready to cede the spotlight to a rising star. His approach of taking over 25 shots per game hurt the team's chances. Despite explosive scoring performances, his inefficiency and unwillingness to share the ball with Wang Chong led to losses in games that could have been wins.
Lakers head coach Phil Jackson didn't mince words after a recent loss: "Some people are being too selfish, prioritizing personal stats over the team's success." Though he didn't name names, it was clear the comment was directed at Kobe.
When asked about the criticism, Kobe remained defiant, stating, "Offensive scoring is my job. I'm doing what I've always done to help this team win."
Wang Chong, meanwhile, remained calm. He understood that Kobe, after being sidelined by injury, felt immense pressure to reassert his dominance, especially after Wang Chong's stellar performance during the All-Star break. Yet, Kobe's behavior disappointed Wang Chong. What had once been a harmonious partnership had turned into a competition.
By March 2, 2005, the Lakers lost their fourth consecutive game, a 101-104 defeat to the Boston Celtics, dropping the team from second to fourth in the Western Conference standings.
Kobe and Wang Chong were clearly at odds, with no synergy between them on the court. The Lakers' management could see the writing on the wall. General Manager Mitch Kupchak and Phil Jackson knew the situation had to be resolved, and they decided to approach Wang Chong to ask him to step back.
Kupchak and Jackson invited Wang Chong to a private meeting. Kupchak asked him to reduce his shot attempts and make it clear that he wasn't trying to challenge Kobe's leadership. Kupchak spoke of the team's long-term plans, suggesting that Wang Chong's time would come and that he should defer to Kobe for the sake of the team's success.
Wang Chong, however, was not a rookie who could be easily swayed. He refused to accept a role as Kobe's sidekick and indicated that he would rather be traded if the situation didn't change. He calmly stated that he would continue to play his game but had no intention of taking a back seat to Kobe.
Kupchak was stunned by Wang Chong's bluntness, and even Phil Jackson was taken aback.
Wang Chong left the meeting with a sense of relief. He had made his stance clear: he would not be content to live in Kobe's shadow. The Lakers would either have to find a way to coexist or move on from one of them.
The Lakers management, however, had other ideas. They weren't ready to sideline Wang Chong, as his trade value would only rise if he continued to perform at a high level. Thus, Wang Chong continued to play significant minutes, and the Lakers started to win games again.
Yet, behind the scenes, the team was already exploring trade options for Wang Chong, setting the stage for a major offseason move that could change the future of the Lakers—and Wang Chong's career trajectory.
End of this chapter
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