The Summer of 1996

The NBA was in a turbulent era. A young man named Li Ze Yu stood outside the sacred temple of basketball—the Chicago Bulls' training facility. Though he was just a Chinese-American who had grown up in the United States, his talent for basketball had never been limited by his race or background. At this moment, he was about to face a life-changing opportunity.

Ze Yu never imagined he would time travel after a sudden car accident. Now, he found himself in this legendary period—when Michael Jordan was still at his peak, the Bulls' dynasty was in full swing, and rising stars like Shaquille O'Neal and Karl Malone were making their mark. He knew this was both an opportunity and a challenge.

He wasn't originally from this era. With modern basketball knowledge and glimpses of the future, he had a unique advantage. But at the same time, he faced intense competition and countless uncertainties.

The world before him might be a new beginning, but it was also filled with obstacles and choices.

Taking a deep breath, Ze Yu whispered to himself, "The future of NBA will never be the same."

He grabbed his backpack, pushed open the doors of the United Center, and stepped inside.

Meeting Allen Iverson

Inside the gym, players were warming up. Among them, one stood out the most—Allen Iverson, the fearless young guard who, in the future, would challenge even Kobe Bryant.

Ze Yu's arrival caused a small commotion. At this time, Yao Ming had not yet entered the NBA, making the appearance of a Chinese player a rare sight. Some players looked at him with curiosity, while others had a hint of disdain in their eyes. But Ze Yu ignored them. He set down his backpack and joined the warm-up.

Before stepping onto the court, he whispered in his mind, "System, open my stats panel."

As a time traveler, Ze Yu possessed a system. However, its capabilities were limited. Soon, a stats panel appeared before his eyes:

(High School Level)

Mid-range shot: 85

Three-point shot: 80

Dribbling: 87

Jumping: 84

Speed: 89

Height: 6'5" (197 cm)

Wingspan: 6'10" (209 cm)

Overall rating: S-

Ze Yu smiled. He knew that while he might not be able to defeat top stars like Iverson, he could easily dominate ordinary players.

Out of curiosity, he checked Iverson's stats.

"Overall rating: S+ (Max)."

Ze Yu, who had played on countless courts, had always been confident in his skills. But now, even he was a little stunned.

"No wonder he was the No. 1 pick," he thought.

But Ze Yu was never one to stay low-key. As the players around him watched, he suddenly sped up, took two powerful steps, and soared into the air. Mid-air, he switched hands and threw down a spectacular dunk.

The gym fell silent. Even the scouts observing the tryout were momentarily stunned.

Iverson,who always competitive, grinned and walked over.

"Hey, man. One-on-one? First to seven points," he challenged.

Ze Yu shook his head. "Nah, the tryout is about to start."

Iverson raised an eyebrow but shrugged. "Your loss."

With that, he turned and walked away, laughing with his friends.

The Tryout

A few hours later, the tryout ended.

Surprisingly, the best performance didn't come from Iverson. Instead, it was an unknown Canadian player—Steve Nash.

At the time, most people saw Nash as just another decent point guard from Canada. But Ze Yu knew that in the future, Nash would win back-to-back MVPs and become a Hall of Famer.

Though… his coaching career wouldn't be as successful.

That night, Ze Yu went to a nearby basketball court to practice. He felt a bit uneasy.

During the tryout, a Black player had approached him and whispered, "I know where you're from."

Ze Yu's heart skipped a beat.

"Does he mean my home address? Or… does he know about my time travel?"

When Ze Yu turned around, the player had already disappeared into the crowd.

Strangely, when he tried to check that player's stats, nothing appeared.

With no answers, he decided to focus on training. After all, the draft was just around the corner.

The Night Before the Draft

June 25 arrived—the day before the NBA Draft.

To relax, Ze Yu gathered some friends and returned to his high school gym for a game.

After an hour, all of his opponents had lost their confidence. Ze Yu was simply too dominant.

His best friend, John, grinned. "So, which team do you wanna play for? Leaving L.A.? If you do, you won't see your crush anymore~"

Ze Yu laughed. "I don't know. I'll let fate decide. The NBA is full of talent. This draft class is crazy. I have to work even harder if I want to keep up."

John nodded. "Yeah, man. You gotta push yourself. The NBA isn't for just anyone. Just look at Michael Jordan—he's ruling the league. I don't see anyone stopping him."

Ze Yu smirked. "Jordan, huh? I'll give him a surprise. Trust me, the NBA is about to get crazy."

Suddenly, memories of his past life flashed through his mind.

Back then, he had also believed in himself. He had worked hard for years, but no matter what he did, he never made it to the big stage.

Now, he had a second chance. He wasn't going to waste it.

"The NBA is never short on talent."

The Midnight Challenge

That night, Ze Yu returned to the outdoor court.

Suddenly, a ding sounded in his mind.

"An SSS-level player has been detected nearby. If you lose by five points or less in a one-on-one, you will receive a random advanced skill."

Ze Yu's eyes widened. He scanned the area and spotted a tall man jogging in the park. But because of the distance, he couldn't see who it was.

"Check his rating," Ze Yu ordered.

A moment later, a glowing text appeared above the man's head.

"Overall rating: SSS."

Ze Yu's heartbeat sped up. He called out, "Hey! Wanna play a one-on-one?"

The man turned around.

It was Larry Johnson, the No. 1 pick of the 1991 NBA Draft.

At this time, Johnson was the second-best player on the Charlotte Hornets, a strong, explosive forward known for his raw power and athleticism.

Johnson grinned as he walked over. "Haha, kid. Who are you? You think you can take me on?"

Ze Yu smirked. "Me? I'm the man who's going to shake up the NBA."

Johnson cracked his knuckles. "Interesting. Let's go."

He grabbed the ball and stepped to the center of the court.

Ze Yu exhaled slowly and followed.

"First to 11. Make-it-take-it."

The Showdown

As the ball was checked in, the intense one-on-one battle officially began. Ze Yu had the first possession.

He started with a hesitation move, and the moment he noticed the tension in Johnson's calf muscles, he knew his opportunity had arrived. With a quick step-back three, the ball swished through the net—first blood.

A move like this was incredibly rare in the basketball world at the time, and Johnson couldn't help but feel a little surprised.

Being a seasoned veteran, he quickly realized that if Ze Yu was shooting with such confidence, his jumper must be lethal.

So, as the second possession began, Johnson became even more cautious.

For a moment, Ze Yu found himself at a loss. After several hesitation steps, he decided to dribble and look for an opening.

However, as soon as he put the ball on the floor, Johnson nearly stripped it away, making Ze Yu's heart skip a beat. Adjusting his rhythm, he used a series of drag steps to manipulate Johnson's movements.

Finally, spotting an opening, he exploded to his right. With half a step ahead, he went for a layup—only to be met with a thunderous block from Johnson, swatting the ball out of the air.

Now in possession, Johnson wasted no time.

He drove aggressively, and with a single bump, he knocked Ze Yu back half a meter. Fortunately, Ze Yu had anticipated this and quickly recovered to chase him down. But an elite NBA player wasn't about to squander such an opportunity.

With a smooth mid-range jumper, Johnson extended the score to 2-1.

After a fierce battle, Johnson reached match point at 10-8.

Six of Ze Yu's eight points had come from beyond the arc, which had rattled Johnson more than once.

For the final possession, Johnson dribbled slowly, then suddenly exploded forward, initiating contact before pulling back into another drive.

Outmatched in athleticism, Ze Yu lost his positioning, allowing Johnson to power into the lane and throw down a vicious dunk to seal the game.

As Johnson grabbed his bag and put his headphones back on, the system's voice rang in Ze Yu's mind:

"Challenge successful. Reward: Jamal Crawford's signature behind-the-back move. Dribbling stat increased to 92."

Ze Yu grinned. He knew how deadly Crawford's move was.

Packing up his things, he headed home, momentarily forgetting that tomorrow was the day that would decide his future.