It was the end of July, the beginning of August, in a time when there was no "Leo" around... Ah, no!
In this era of basketball, Su Feng couldn't help but feel that life had become slow yet full of meaning.
Whenever he thought of the future, a question lingered in his mind—where had all the time gone?
Philadelphia had become a city full of change, thanks in no small part to Kobe's arrival, which led Su Feng to temporarily "let go" of Ben Wallace.
Well...
Su Feng never truly "let go" of Big Ben, as Ben Wallace could only offer him 1500 iron points, while Kobe had 2500.
But the main concern? Every day, Su Feng looked at Big Ben's face and saw a man who wasn't waking up early to rush to the training hall. Su Feng grew worried that if he unlocked Big Ben's kaleidoscope, he wouldn't know what to do next.
"Come on, Kobe. It's time to win and lose," Su Feng said one day, feeling confident as he watched his friend.
"Wait a moment. I'll take a notebook and write it down," Kobe replied.
In recent years, Kobe had developed the habit of recording his thoughts before each game.
Yet, Su Feng noticed something strange. As the number of notes in Kobe's book grew, Kobe began to regret not taking more notes earlier. Why hadn't he started sooner?
It's worth mentioning that, apart from rotating with Kobe and Big Ben, Su Feng continued to focus on sprint training under the guidance of Mills every day.
Originally, Su Feng had been tough and muscular, intent on matching both strength and speed, but the loyal Mancias had refused his "unreasonable" request.
"Sue, you're almost 92 kg now," Mancias had warned him. "You know, I set your optimal rookie weight at 90 kg. I don't recommend you continue gaining weight until you've fully adapted to this one."
Mancias paused before adding, "What's more, you haven't fully developed your current strength. You know that weight doesn't always equate to better strength."
"Look at Ben," he continued. "He's only 110 kg right now, but his strength outmatches many of the NBA's big men."
It was clear: Mancias was proving his professional judgment, prioritizing long-term development.
Su Feng knew Mancias was right. In the future, Kobe would undergo a massive weight gain only to later "quietly" shed some of it, realizing that it hadn't been the best decision.
Mancias thought Su Feng's current training plan—focusing on speed, strength, and skill—was working well. "If you perform well this season," he said, "I'll prepare a training plan to get your weight up to 95 kg next season."
Su Feng nodded, silently praising his coach's wisdom.
In fact, Su Feng had noticed something intriguing: the initiative of his team, the "tool workers," was impressively high.
When Su Feng trained for speed, Fraser would coach Big Ben, while Mancias focused on teaching Kobe the proper use of his elbow. Mancias often expressed confusion over some of Kobe's moves, noting that his style seemed to be full of "black-tech" tricks.
Under Mancias's guidance, Kobe began to understand why Su Feng had been improving so rapidly. He realized that, when he returned to Los Angeles, he'd need to hire professional trainers to avoid getting completely outpaced by Su Feng.
As for Iverson, he had become a regular presence at Su Feng's training sessions. He now attended the gym religiously, arriving just in time to take advantage of Su Feng's expertise. Iverson even began to consider taking Su Feng's advice more seriously, much to the amusement of Alan Stan, who was always eager to prove his value by answering every training-related question.
Under Su Feng's "freedom initiative," Iverson started to realize he didn't need to throw as many long-range shots. Though Alan Stan wasn't known for his shooting accuracy, his advice was nonetheless helpful, especially with Iverson's focus shifting to mid-range shots and three-pointers.
Su Feng also incorporated a lot of jump shots and three-pointers into his daily training. In the 1990s, even though mid-range shots weren't always efficient, they were still a lethal weapon.
One day, Su Feng came into the training hall from one of their small parties, only to be greeted by an enthusiastic Iverson.
"I said, it's so boring just to train. How about we play a game?" Iverson proposed, a mischievous grin spreading across his face.
"Yes!" Kobe exclaimed, instantly agreeing.
"I think it's a great idea!" Su Feng added.
The other two nodded in agreement, and a race was soon underway.
"Have you ever run 100 meters before?" Iverson asked excitedly, bouncing on his toes.
The other three NBA players shook their heads, clearly intrigued.
"Let's have a race then!" Iverson suggested.
With that, four NBA stars appeared on the 100-meter track in Laurel. Fortunately, it was summer, or the security guards would have likely gone mad.
Mills, having heard the news of their impromptu race, couldn't have been happier. He was convinced that once they ran a few sprints, they'd fall in love with the feeling.
Su Feng tried not to upset Mills, who had Olympic dreams. He respected people who had dreams, after all.
At the starting line, Mills gave the signal, and Iverson and Su Feng shot off the blocks like lightning.
Unfortunately, Su Feng couldn't keep up in the second half. Iverson pulled ahead, and then Kobe surged past him.
Mills, timing the race manually, was nearly beside himself. He could hardly believe the results. "They... why don't they like sprinting?" he wondered, disappointed.
After catching their breath, Su Feng smiled, having already checked the timer. "Not bad," he said, though Mills was clearly frustrated.
"Iverson, you won, but Su Feng, you're no slouch. If you keep training, I'm sure you can break the 10-second barrier," Mills said, his frustration turning into admiration.
Though Su Feng didn't win, he was pleased to see Kobe so happy with his own performance.
Kobe, knowing that Su Feng had let him win, leaned toward his friend and whispered, "Did you just go easy on me?"
Su Feng nodded. "Running 100 meters is exhausting. If I didn't let you win, Kobe, you'd probably make me run with you all day. Can you imagine that?"
Iverson, still catching his breath, asked, "What should we race next?"
Kobe, already excited, couldn't wait for the next competition. "I'm ready for whatever comes next!"
Su Feng, enjoying the friendly banter, grinned. "How about a dribbling contest?"
The four players returned to the training hall, and the dribbling competition began. On the way there, Su Feng made sure to hand out sports drinks to everyone, knowing even NBA players could use the refreshment.
Mancias, watching from the sidelines, couldn't help but mutter to himself, "Are they all monsters?"
Though he didn't say it out loud, Mills had also quietly acknowledged that Su Feng seemed to be something special. And now, with Iverson consistently taking first place, his mood had lifted.
The final competition, a shooting contest, ended with Iverson taking first place once again, followed by Kobe, then Su Feng, and Big Ben, who remained at the bottom.
"Sue, you dribble better with your eyes closed than I do with my eyes open," Kobe joked.
Su Feng just stared at him.
But at that moment, Big Ben, always serious, turned to Kobe and said, "Kobe, I'm sure you can't shoot as well as Su with your eyes closed."
Kobe laughed, confused. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Su Feng quickly stepped in, silencing Ben with a firm elbow. "Shut up! If you don't speak, no one will think you're dumb!"
Kobe was amused, and they all prepared for the next challenge.
Finally, after several rounds, Iverson, clearly in a good mood, looked at the others and asked, "By the way, have you guys thought about your nicknames?"
Su Feng and Kobe both shook their heads, while Big Ben seemed to grow anxious. He wanted to prove himself with his bench press, but no one was paying him much attention.
Iverson, ever the creative force, offered to assign them all nicknames.
After some playful banter, Iverson settled on calling Su Feng "Lightning Man" because of his speed. Su Feng was both surprised and amused by the suggestion.
Then Iverson turned to Kobe. "How about you, Kobe? You were born in Philadelphia, right?"
Kobe nodded.
"And the most famous basketball player from Philadelphia is Wilt Chamberlain, correct?" Iverson continued.
"Yes," Kobe replied, curious where Iverson was going with this.
"So, what's your goal in basketball?" Iverson asked.
Kobe, a little shy but determined, said, "I want to be the greatest shooting guard in NBA history."
Without missing a beat, Iverson said, "I got it. I'll call you 'The King.'"
The other three players looked at each other, impressed by the nickname. But Kobe wasn't sure about it.
"I think I'm faster than Su Feng in today's race. Call me 'Lightning Man' instead."
"Really?" Iverson raised an eyebrow. "Well, if that's what you want…"
And so, the nicknames were set.
Su Feng, however, could only chuckle to himself. "Fine, I'll keep the title 'The King' for now... but who knows?"
Although Su Feng had always walked the path that others had carved, leaving no escape for those who followed him, he couldn't help but feel that, as someone with "Feng" in his name, he should one day become a great elder, someone who would reward others in the way they deserved.
But then, when Su Feng thought about how to refuse the nickname he had been given, he realized that Iverson and Kobe had already been conspiring together to trick him.
"I have an exclusive interview next week," Iverson said mischievously, "What do you think if I tell the media that I, in fact, was chosen to assist Su Feng?"
Kobe's face lit up with excitement. "That's a brilliant idea."
Both Kobe and Iverson knew that the media wouldn't take the joke seriously. They were merely looking for a way to have fun at Su Feng's expense, particularly with that nickname, "The King." It was a ridiculous name, and they both relished the idea of it sticking, if only for a while.
Iverson had always been someone who followed his own path, indifferent to what others thought. He liked Su Feng and, in his mind, it seemed only natural for him to act as a mentor to the younger player, teasing him as much as possible along the way. As for Kobe, he was eager for the nickname "Lightning Man," but poor Su Feng never imagined he'd be caught up in their scheme.
A week later, Su Feng, one of Philadelphia's "Iron Men," was missing from his usual routine. Iverson had happily gone off to an ESPN interview. At first, Iverson's agent was concerned he might oversleep, but to everyone's surprise, Iverson showed up ten minutes early.
When Su Feng learned of this, he could hardly believe it. "Why's Alan here today?" Su Feng asked in confusion, unaware that his old friends were already plotting their next move.
Meanwhile, Kobe was nearly bursting with excitement, a smug smile creeping across his face as he looked at Su Feng, who, unbeknownst to him, was already being set up. It seemed that Su Feng's rise to fame had begun, much to his dismay.
Two days later, headlines in Philadelphia blared: "Su Feng: The One Who Commands the Court!" It was an image that Iverson had jokingly constructed during his interview when he spoke about Su Feng as if he were the future leader of the 76ers. He had even claimed that he was chosen to assist the rookie—a statement that, though playful, was taken seriously by some fans.
Su Feng could only facepalm in disbelief. The nickname "The King" wasn't all that bad on its own, but the media twist about Iverson's supposed role in his rise to power had Su Feng contemplating how to defend himself. He could already feel his "hate value" soaring.
In a strange turn of events, what had begun as a joke in Iverson's interview began to take on a life of its own. Philadelphia fans, excited by the media frenzy, embraced the idea that the two players had a special bond. Even as the truth of the situation remained clouded, the narrative had taken hold. The fans were thrilled at the thought of these two talents, and their optimism seemed to fuel ticket sales for the next season.
But far beyond Philadelphia, in China, the buzz was even louder. Media outlets were quick to latch onto the "Su Feng phenomenon." Hu Weidong, during a televised interview, spoke highly of Su Feng's potential, calling him a player far superior to himself. Chinese fans who knew little about the NBA were soon swept up in the excitement, believing that Su Feng was already a star of the 76ers.
"Fengge Niubi!" Fans would chant in excitement. "See? The number one pick is assisting my brother Feng!" Some even declared their intent to skip school once the NBA season started, eager to watch the games unfold.
Su Feng, however, found himself caught in the midst of this storm of hype. He was trying to process the whirlwind of attention and responsibility that had been thrust upon him. But in the quiet moments, when the excitement of his fame died down, Su Feng couldn't help but wonder if he was being set up for a fall.
Meanwhile, in a gambling city far from Philadelphia, Michael Jordan, who had been in a rather sour mood, received a phone call from Pippen. After hearing the report, Jordan chuckled, amused by the antics of the younger players. He had already decided it was time to step up his training regime for the new crop of talent, Su Feng now included in his sights.
Back in Philadelphia, Klaus and Berlenberg—who were responsible for the business side of the 76ers—were also amused. They could see that Iverson's playful comments were exactly that—playful. Still, they recognized an opportunity to make the most of the media's fascination with the situation. After all, hype was something they could always leverage to their advantage.
Two days later, another round of rumors spread, claiming that the 76ers had indeed chosen Iverson to assist Su Feng. Fans who hadn't understood the joke now bought into it, and the story began to grow, feeding the excitement around both players.
Meanwhile, back at NBA headquarters, Commissioner Stern watched the situation unfold with a sense of bemusement. The rumors had already spread like wildfire in China, with TV stations and newspapers reporting on Su Feng's "dominance" over Iverson. Stern knew that this story was good for business, but he also recognized the potential danger if Su Feng didn't perform as expected.
In a meeting with his colleague, Mark, Stern said, "Su Feng is more popular than some of our biggest stars now. We'll need to keep an eye on this, but it's a golden opportunity."
"What if he doesn't live up to the hype?" Mark asked, concerned.
Stern waved off the worry. "The 76ers know what they're doing. If Su Feng can't live up to it, we'll find out soon enough."
At the same time, in China, Su Feng's impact had begun to make waves in unexpected ways. Yoshihiko Inoue, the creator of Slam Dunk, added a small nod to Su Feng in his artwork, illustrating the impact that the young player was already having on the world of basketball.
"Fengge is amazing!" fans would say, proudly proclaiming their admiration for the future star.
In the summer of 1996, before Su Feng had even stepped onto an NBA court, he had already become a symbol, not just for his talent, but for the hope of an entire generation of basketball fans.
And so, as the summer drew to a close, with Kobe back in Los Angeles and Iverson preparing for more interviews, Su Feng, now nicknamed "The King" by the media, wondered what he would do next. All he could think was, I really need to start preparing for the madness that's coming.
But at least one thing was certain—this summer, despite all the chaos, had been unforgettable.