NBA: The Dynasty Crasher

In the early hours of the morning, Zhao Dong and several substitute players returned to the Knicks' training base on the bus.

The training base was located in North New York, near Long Island, more than 40 kilometers from Madison Square Garden. The commute was inconvenient, and it ate up a lot of time. As a result, some of the substitute players opted to live at the base, making it easier for them to attend training sessions.

The base was basic—nothing fancy—offering double rooms. Zhao Dong, having just arrived, currently lived alone.

His first order of business was to call his girlfriend, Alice.

It had been a week since his rebirth, and Zhao Dong had already adapted to his new identity from 25 years ago. His mindset felt like it had returned to his younger years, and it was like he'd slipped right back into his old self. The process of adaptation had been surprisingly quick, probably because he'd always longed to turn back time.

"Hey, Alice, you alone?" he asked.

"Why? You planning to join the party?" she shot back, teasing him.

"Heh, nah. But I'll be seeing you in a few days. Anything you want me to bring?"

"A safe. The big one."

"Wait, what?"

"Lock me in it, in case any wild dogs try to steal my swan."

"Alice, chill, I'll order the biggest safe I can find," Zhao Dong laughed.

"Fuck off! Someone's already breaking into your safe."

"Yeah, yeah. I'll be over soon. You're too hot-headed, you know that?"

After some playful teasing, Zhao Dong dialed the next number. He wanted to catch up with his former teammates from Stony Brook University Seawolves. Tonight had been a big night for him, and it was time to show off a little.

The phone rang a few times before someone finally answered, their voice irritated.

"Who the hell is this?" the guy snapped.

"Yo, Tom, you busy with a girl in your bed or what?" Zhao Dong grinned.

"Zhao Dong? Haha, you guessed it. I'm with Keisha, and that last piece of fat you had is currently on my bed. But I'm hanging up now. Don't call again, I'm not wasting time on you," Tom said, not even trying to hide the amusement in his voice.

"Fucking bastard, are you really still that obsessed with the leftovers? Hope you get a taste of Via* brother soon," Zhao Dong muttered, hitting redial.

After a few more rounds of trash-talking with his teammates, Zhao Dong finally lay back on his bed, his back still a little sore.

He pulled up the system interface and checked his profile.

"Host, do you want to update your current jumping talent with Kobe Bryant's?" A prompt appeared.

"Any side effects?" Zhao Dong asked.

"None."

"Do it," Zhao Dong ordered, excitement building.

"Updating…"

"Update complete. Your jumping talent has been enhanced. The effects are as follows: Jumping level increased by 33 levels, internal defense increased by 3, external defense by 1, rebounding by 5, and blocking by 10."

"Holy shit! Hell yeah!" Zhao Dong couldn't contain his excitement.

Host: Zhao Dong

Physical Fitness:

Stamina: 80

Coordination: 70

Balance: 72

Flexibility: 75

Injury Resistance: 86

Strength: 80

Speed: 76

Jumping: 95

Tips:

Levels 95 and above: Super Elite

Levels 90 and above: Elite

Levels 80 and above: Skilled

Levels 70 and above: Average

Technical Grade:

Basic Skills: Passing and Receiving: 85, Ball Handling: 85, Shooting: 85

Offense: Low Post Moves: 80, Ball Dribbling: 70, Spot Jumpers: 75, Pull Up Jumpers: 70, Small Hook: 75, Small Floater: 75, Straight Arm Jumper: 70, Rebound Jumper: 60, Turnaround Jumper: 60, Step-back Jumpers: 55, Turn-back Step-back Jumpers: 75, Open Cuts: 75, Running Positions: 75

Defense: Perimeter Defense: 71, Interior Defense: 83, Rebounds: 85, Blocks: 85, Steals: 70

Organization: 70

Gold Medal Skills: None

Quality Points: 0

Skill Points: 0

Zhao Dong grinned. This boost was insane. His jumping, once mediocre at level 62, had now shot up to level 95. His vertical jump went from 62 cm to a solid 95 cm, putting him on par with some of the best jumpers in the league.

His 220 cm wingspan was now even more dangerous with this improvement. His offensive and defensive power had just been taken to another level.

He couldn't resist. He jumped out of bed and leaped as high as he could. It felt like he had springs attached to his feet. He soared so high that his head nearly brushed the three-meter-high ceiling.

"Shit, this is wild!" Zhao Dong laughed, feeling the rush.

He jumped again and again, noticing that not only had his jump height increased, but the speed of his leaps was just as insane. This was the real game-changer. A faster jump meant faster blocks, rebounds, and even quicker shots. In basketball, speed often mattered more than height, and now his vertical leap, combined with his speed, made him nearly unstoppable.

The next day, New York's media was buzzing about last night's game. Zhao Dong's block on Kobe Bryant, sending him flying, was now one of the top five plays of the league. He was trending, and quickly gaining recognition.

His fame spread across the globe, even reaching China, where it kicked off heated debates.

Before, the domestic media hadn't paid much attention to him. Even though he had entered the draft this year, most people thought he was just another flashy player, someone like Ma Jian from the previous year. He went undrafted, just like many expected.

But after that performance, the Chinese media was now buzzing about his chances of officially signing with an NBA team.

"Mr. Sun, don't you need to report to Taili?" Zhang Lili asked excitedly from a hotel in Los Angeles.

"Yeah, we ignored him, and then he blocked Kobe twice. That was the No. 13 pick in the first round! We need to keep an eye on him. This could be our NBA No. 1 from China!" Zhang Lili said, barely containing her excitement.

"I'll contact Taili immediately. We should send someone to follow him," Sun Zhenping replied, just as pumped.

"Based on his performance last night, there's a real chance he could get a guaranteed contract. The Knicks aren't short on money, and with Larry Johnson's injury, they need someone inside. Zhao Dong could actually stick with the team," Zhang Lili said, analyzing the situation quickly.

That season, CCTV began broadcasting one game per week live, with Sun Zhenping as the lead commentator. Zhang Lili, fluent in English, was temporarily hired to join as well.

They had reported on Zhao Dong before, and even interviewed him during the summer league. But after he left the Bulls, they got busy with the game broadcasts and hadn't kept in touch. Now, the Knicks were on their radar.

At noon, the Knicks' charter flight took off, headed for Golden State. They had three away games ahead, including a back-to-back with the Clippers.

General Manager Neil Grant was traveling with the team as well. He sat down with Coach Van Gundy to discuss a few things.

"Jeff, give him some playing time. We need to see more of him," Grant said quietly.

Van Gundy, who had been coaching for years, was known for not trusting bench players. This was why Grant was pushing him to play Zhao Dong.

"Neil, you think we should sign him? Larry Johnson's out for two weeks, and we really need someone inside. I'll give him a shot," Van Gundy said, considering it.

Grant nodded. "He's definitely worth a look. But you know, Jerry Krause wanted to offer him a 1+1 contract, but Jordan stopped him."

Van Gundy raised an eyebrow. "Jordan said that?"

"No, it was the media," Grant replied with a chuckle. "They broke the news before the team boarded the plane."

"One or two good plays don't mean much, but the kid plays hard. I hope he keeps it up," Van Gundy said.

Grant smiled. "He's lucky. Larry Johnson excels at low-post moves, and so does Zhao Dong. With Johnson out, Zhao Dong's got a real chance to prove himself."

"Here's his physical data, take a look," Grant said, pulling a document from his briefcase and handing it over.

Born in June 1977, aged 19 years.

Height: 205 cm.

Weight: 115 kg.

Wingspan: 220 cm.

Palm length: 27 cm.

Palm width: 28 cm.

Standing reach: 275 cm.

Vertical jump: 62 cm.

Run-up jump: 75 cm.

3-second sprint: 12.58 meters.

Full-court sprint: 13.21 seconds.

Back-and-forth in the penalty area: 185 seconds.

Weight: 27 pounds for…

150 consecutive repetitions, and the maximum bench press is [150] kg.

"The static talent is good, the dynamic talent is average, and his speed is a bit slow, but for inside play, it's enough," Van Gundy remarked, glancing over the numbers.

The next day, the Knicks were set to face the Warriors at the Oakland Arena. In the visiting team's locker room, Zhao Dong was staring at the system. The system had issued two tasks: one for a Champion-Level Sniper and the other for Continuous Matches.

Champion-Level Sniper Mission:

"Task options for this game:

1. Limit Joe Smith's scoring to single digits.

2. Score 20+ points on Joe Smith and keep the shooting percentage above 30%.

3. Block 3 shots in a single quarter.

4. Dunk [5] times.

5. Record double figures in rebounds.

Each time the host completes one of these objectives, a quality point or skill point will be randomly rewarded. If all are completed, a blank gold medal skill template will be rewarded."

Continuous Match Task:

"Achieve 20+5+5 or 20+10 stats in three consecutive away games. Reward: Lin Crazy Explosion Card."

Zhao Dong analyzed the tasks. The system seemed way too advanced, almost like it could predict the future. This meant he'd probably get some playing time today and would be facing Joe Smith.

Joe Smith, the No. 20 pick from the previous year, stood at 208 cm with shoes on, matching Zhao Dong's height. Joe weighed 115 kg and had solid stats: 8.7 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 1.6 steals, 1.7 blocks, 2.7 turnovers, and 46 fouls per game, with a shooting percentage of 43.4%. Both were well-rounded players who excelled in offense and defense.

Zhao Dong had always been a bit behind Joe in terms of athleticism, but now, with Kobe's jumping ability added to his, he felt confident. The only thing that might be a problem was Joe's speed—his lighter weight gave him a quicker step.

"The rewards are weak as hell," Zhao Dong thought to himself, frowning.

The rewards from two days ago were probably because it was his first official game, so the system gave out something special. But today? Nothing too overpowered.

The five task options were all tough. Completing all of them seemed near impossible, especially when he wasn't sure how much playtime he'd get. His goal for today was to at least complete one of these tasks as best as he could.

"System, what's this blank gold medal skill template?" he asked in his mind.

"A skill above level 95 is considered a gold medal skill. The system will provide a gold medal special effect for the skill. You can designate any skill as a gold medal skill. The level can't be increased, but the gold medal special effect can be activated beforehand," the system explained.

"This sounds like a good deal! Shame I'm not strong enough to earn it yet," Zhao Dong thought, sighing.

As for the second task, it made him think he'd be getting a decent amount of playing time over the next few games. Otherwise, the system wouldn't have assigned such a task.

The Lin Crazy Explosion Card probably let him use Lin Shuhao's explosive gameplay after activation.

Just then, Van Gundy walked in, calling out the starting lineup.

"Ewing, Oakley, Alan Houston, Charlie Ward..."

He paused after reading the first four names, glancing around at the players. Both John Wallace and McCarty were waiting expectantly. One was the No. 18 pick, the other No. 19, both forwards with a shot at starting.

The two veteran big men didn't even look up.

"... Zhao, you're in," Van Gundy said finally.

"Understood, coach," Zhao Dong replied, fist-bumping the air in excitement.

"Humph!" Both John Wallace and McCarty snorted in unison, shooting Zhao Dong dirty looks, clearly pissed off.

"Zhang, you'll play the low post. Watch Joe Smith—he's athletic, so you'll have to use your strength and size to push him out of the paint," Van Gundy said.

"Got it, coach," Zhao Dong answered with enthusiasm.

Van Gundy gave a nod, pleased. He knew exactly why he'd chosen Zhao Dong over the other two rookie forwards.

John Wallace, despite his high draft pick, lacked low-post offensive skills. His mid-range game was nothing special, and he couldn't handle tough defenses. He wasn't big enough, didn't rebound well, and his defense sucked—he wasn't what Van Gundy needed.

McCarty, on the other hand, was the kind of forward who only relied on the occasional three-pointer. His shooting was decent, but not impressive enough to earn a starting spot. He didn't fit what Van Gundy was looking for either.

What Van Gundy needed was someone like Zhao Dong—someone who played gritty defense and thrived in the low post.

Meanwhile, at the Chicago Bulls' home court, some reporters were allowed into the locker room.

"Michael, do you remember the Zhao Dong who played for the Bulls during the summer league and preseason?" a reporter asked.

"We met after the preseason. What do you want to know?" Jordan replied, cool and composed.

"Some media say you stopped the Bulls from signing Zhao Dong. Is that true?" the reporter pressed.

"I don't get involved with management's decisions," Jordan answered with no hesitation.

He couldn't admit to interfering, not even if he was the top player in the league. It was an unwritten rule—interfering with management was a big no-no.

"So, do you think Zhao Dong deserved a contract with the Bulls?" another reporter asked.

"I don't really know him," Jordan said, keeping it neutral. "I've only met him once, and we didn't even talk. I get what you're trying to ask, but I'll be blunt—I don't think he has the skills. I think Jerry made the right call."

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