Slam Dunk: Muguro

Chapter 277 Never underestimate the heart that wants to defeat a superstar!
Kogure checked the notification immediately!
Surprisingly, it wasn't one hint, but two!

[Special title detected - King of Pretentiousness, progress 3%]

Tip: Observe Bird's step-back jump shot, and your step-back jump shot proficiency will increase by 30!

When Bird is mentioned, most fans' first impression is that he only focuses on his trash talk and showing off.

Kogure doesn't know the effect of this title, but looking at Bird's life, it's definitely related to trash talk and showing off.

Given that a 3% progress is gained in one go, this means that as long as Bird shows off 33 more times, he can obtain this special title.

As for the second tip, it was a complete surprise.

This shows that Bird's step-back jump shot was of a very high level, at least higher than Mullin's or Drexler's.

Mullin and Drexler both used step-back jumpers in front of Kogure, but Kogure did not receive any corresponding feedback.

It's clear that Bird's step-back jump shot was above both of theirs, and might even have been at its maximum level.

With Bird's physical attributes, he was able to make a name for himself in the NBA, especially winning three consecutive MVP awards, which can be considered the pinnacle of his skills.

Technically speaking, many of his skills are even better than Jordan's.

If Bird didn't rely on skill, how did he manage to win three consecutive MVPs with his physique?

This tip also led Kogure to a way to quickly improve his step-back jump shot.

Of course, there is a prerequisite: that Bird is willing to keep demonstrating.

In this way, his step-back jump shot can quickly advance to the next level.

"I do not believe!"

Kogure pretended not to believe it, mainly to let Bird show off more.

Those who show off the most get the worst beatings!
For some reason, whenever Bird was showing off, Kogure felt an urge to punch him.

You'll see them in a minute!

Bird's face was full of confidence as he spoke.

He's shown off so many times in the NBA and has almost never failed.

Don't ask why I said "almost," because he got beaten up.

After receiving the ball, Kogure began dribbling.

His dribbling rhythm is so good that it's impossible to defend against him.

Suddenly, Kogure changed direction in front of him.

Bird immediately shifted his feet to the side, and Kogure changed his rhythm, suddenly accelerating with a crossover step, catching Bird off guard.

Bird attempted to turn and chase after Kogure's change of direction, but his movements appeared clumsy and slow.

Bird wasn't fast or high-jumping to begin with; his physical abilities could only be described as mediocre.

In addition, although his back injury has improved a lot, it is still aching, and coupled with the fact that he has not touched a ball for a year, his speed and explosiveness are not as good as before.

However, Bird's defense was not bad.

Bird's physical attributes were among the best in his position.

His long wingspan and broad shoulders give him a significant advantage in positioning and establishing himself in the paint. A white player can average 10 rebounds per game in his career.

What does it mean for a white small forward to average more than 10 rebounds per game in his career?
Besides rebounding, Bird averaged 1.7 steals and 0.8 blocks per game in his career.

As a defensive stalwart, Kawhi Leonard has averaged 1.7 blocks and 0.6 blocks per game throughout his career.

As for G0at, these two data points are 1.5 times and 0.8 times.

If you include rebounds per game, the difference is even greater.

Just like the first attack, Bird couldn't catch up and watched helplessly as Kogure scored another layup.

2: 1!

After Kogure scored again, the players started talking amongst themselves.

Many players looked at Kogure with admiration, after all, he was Larry Bird!

"Crossing you is like crossing the street in the early morning!"

After scoring, Kogure responded to Bird.

"Good boy!"

Bird raised an eyebrow, but didn't refute it; instead, he found the trash talk quite amusing.

This trash talk from Payton hasn't even been uttered yet.

With so many American players present, barring any unforeseen circumstances, this trash talk will become Kogure's trademark.

At this moment, Kogure passed the ball to Bird.

The moment Bird received the ball, Kogure immediately rushed forward and unleashed his Death Coil.

However, Bird is not only tall and has a long reach, but his physical strength is also far superior to Kogure's.

After a reasonable collision, Kogure couldn't help but take a step back.

Bird is 206 cm tall and weighs 100 kg, with a very solid lower body, which is the main reason why he was able to grab so many rebounds.

After knocking Kogure back, Bird swiftly launched a three-pointer.

Before he could regain his balance, Kogure immediately jumped up in an unorthodox manner.

At this moment, Kogure was multitasking.

He raised his right hand high and slapped the basketball, while his left hand blocked Bird's face, trying to obstruct his view.

This time, Bird clearly raised the height of his shot.

The basketball leaped over Kogure's fingertips and flew towards the basket.

The moment he landed, Kogure immediately turned around.

shuh~
The basketball went straight through the rim.

2: 2!

"I told you, I'll still hit three-pointers here!"

Bird shrugged, looking completely nonchalant.

Hint: King of Cool is 6% complete!

"Do you think I can make this shot?"

"You're not going to score that ball, I told you!"

After making his assurances, Bird became even more focused.

In order to avoid being proven wrong, he had to defend against this shot.

Hint: King of Cool is 9% complete!

Beyond the three-point line, Kogure adopted a triple threat stance.

In an instant, he feinted, then leaned forward, trying to use explosive force to shake off Bird.

Bird anticipated Kogure's intentions and quickly adjusted his pace, staying close to Kogure's body and not giving him an easy chance to break through.

To stop Kogure, Bird not only exerted contact but also made small gestures like pulling on his jersey.

On the sidelines, Sonny Vaccaro muttered to himself, "Larry's serious!"

He had known Bird for many years and knew his character very well.

On the court, feeling the pressure from Bird, Kogure's movements became somewhat distorted.

In terms of physical confrontation, Bird was on a completely different level than him; his physical confrontation was even stronger than Mullin's.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Bird intensified the confrontation, and his left hand reached out nimbly towards the basketball.

Under Bird's pressure, Kogure had no choice but to take the ball with both hands and forcefully shoot over Bird's defense.

The two jumped up at the same time, and Kogure used a fadeaway jump shot to avoid Bird's block.

However, he was still inevitably disturbed.

bang~
The basketball hit the rim, making a crisp sound.

Unfortunately, the ball didn't go into the net; it bounced back.

Upon landing, a flicker of disappointment crossed Kogure's eyes. However, he quickly composed himself.

"This guy's mouth is like it's blessed! His words become law? The law of cause and effect?"

Kogure shook his head helplessly, inwardly grumbling.

"Boy, watch!"

The moment he received the ball, Bird made a move to drive to the basket.

He is of average speed, but has solid fundamentals and exceptional mental fortitude; he seizes opportunities as soon as they arise.

Bird didn't make any flashy breakthroughs; his style was mainly simple and fluid.

However, his sense of rhythm is excellent.

Bird is arguably one of the players with the best offensive rhythm in history, always able to draw fouls and create scoring opportunities despite the opponent's defense.

The key is that he knows how to make good use of his advantages.

Kogure immediately went to meet him and used Death Coil again.

Bird clearly knew something about Kogure and immediately switched to a back-to-the-basket style of play.

bang~
Kogure trembled violently and couldn't help but take a step back.

bang~
After knocking Kogure back once again, Byrd's shoulders twitched, and he seemed to be turning to the right.

Kogure subconsciously shifted his feet to the side, but unfortunately, this was a feint by Bird.

Bird immediately broke through to the left. He is ambidextrous and once scored a 40+ triple-double with his left hand.

Like Kogure, the term "non-dominant hand" was completely foreign to him, which was also part of Bird's talent.

After breaking through Kogure, Bird didn't go straight to the basket because he knew Kogure would likely catch up.

He was very self-aware and knew very well that he ran very slowly.

Bird then leaned forward and threw the ball toward the basket with a floater.

shuh~
The basketball pierced the hoop again, the white net ripples swirling in the air.

2:3
After making that shot, Bird came from behind to take the lead.

Bird's finishing ability was primarily based on shooting; he possessed excellent three-point and mid-range shooting skills and was one of the best shooters in NBA history.

"Kid, you can't beat me. You'd better just admit defeat. Giving up isn't shameful, because standing in front of you is Larry Bird!"

Byrd shrugged and unleashed another torrent of profanity at Kogure.

Hint: King of Cool is 12% complete!

The King of Pretenders is still pushing hard, and the progress is accelerating at an astonishing rate!
"Larry, never underestimate the heart that wants to beat a superstar. This might be my only chance to beat you!"

Kogure retorted, his eyes more serious than ever before.

He didn't know how much of Bird's potential was left, but he was certain that even after retiring for a year, Bird's ability was still superior to his.

It's worth noting that Bird's performance in his retirement season was even better than Goat's much-discussed rookie season.

Retired Bird: 20.2 points, 9.6 rebounds, 6.8 assists, 46.6% field goal percentage, 40.6% three-point percentage, 92.6% free throw percentage, and 2.8 turnovers!
新秀G0at：20.9分5.5篮板5.9助攻，投篮命中率41.7%，三分命中率29%，罚球命中率75.4%，以及3.4失误！

Surprisingly, Bird almost made it into the 180 Club during his retirement season!
He truly deserves to be called the strongest white man!
"I admire your courage."

Bird casually passed the ball to Kogure outside the three-point line.

As soon as he received the basketball, Kogure immediately used the "Kogure Kiminobu Crossover".

Although Bird was prepared for this move, he subconsciously assumed that Kogure would use his opposite foot to break through.

However, Kogure used a same-side foot breakthrough technique, catching Bird off guard.

However, Bird was not completely outpaced by Kogure.

Without hesitation, Kogure used his LV9 Euro step.

He first took a step to the right, seemingly about to break through in that direction, but Bird immediately adjusted his center of gravity to prepare to block him.

Kogure changed his footwork and suddenly changed direction, using his excellent ball control skills and body coordination to quickly switch the ball to his left hand, while his body also leaned to the left.

This series of actions caught Bird off guard, and he was completely outmaneuvered by Kogure.

Despite his experience, Bird's balance was still affected by Kogure's sudden change of direction.

Taking advantage of this opening, Kogure quickly cut into the paint and sent the ball into the basket with a beautiful layup.

3: 3!

At that moment, the players watching erupted in enthusiastic applause and cheers.

In their view, it was already quite remarkable that a 16-year-old boy could fight Bird to such an extent.

"Kid, you've successfully piqued my interest!"

Bird clapped his hands; his admiration for Kogure had only grown.

At the same time, it further solidified his idea of ​​coaching his hometown team.

Between the Celtics and his hometown team, the Pacers, he would undoubtedly prefer the latter, because there was no Red Auerbach there.

Bird knew Auerbach's personality very well because the two were almost the same kind of people.

At this moment, Kogure passed the ball to Bird.

This time, Bird surprisingly refrained from trash talk.

The moment he received the ball, Bird lowered his center of gravity and immediately started his back-to-the-basket move.

Kogure immediately went to meet him. Despite being pushed back by Bird time and time again, he gritted his teeth and did not back down. He went to meet Bird again, not giving Bird a chance to get close to the basket.

Just as Bird was about to imitate Barkley, he suddenly frowned and felt a dull pain in his back.

Bird's forehead began to bead with sweat; he knew he had to make adjustments, or his back injury might flare up again.

The next moment, Bird changed his playing style.

His shoulders swayed slightly, and he suddenly turned around, trying to get rid of Kogure's defense.

However, Kogure reacted much faster than he had expected.

With his MAX reaction attribute, Kogure quickly moved to the side and closed in again, giving him no chance to make an easy move.

Bird charged left and right, but couldn't break through Kogure's defense.

Seeing that no opportunity had presented itself, Bird had no choice but to turn and jump, throwing the basketball toward the basket.

Perhaps due to his back injury, Bird's shot was subpar, barely grazing the rim and almost resulting in an airball.

After landing, Bird appeared somewhat frustrated.

As a result, both sides conceded a goal, resulting in a temporary tie.

At that moment, Kogure heard another notification.

Tip: Observe Bird's turnaround jump shot, and your turnaround jump shot proficiency will increase by 30!

Judging from the hints, Bird's turnaround jump shot was in no way inferior to his step-back jump shot.

"You seemed a bit off just now. Did your back injury flare up again? I don't want to win unfairly!"

Kogure hesitated as he looked at Bird. He didn't want to defeat Bird like this; it would make him feel unfulfilled.

"Back injury? No, that's not true."

Bird immediately denied it.

As everyone knows, Bird's whole body was soft except for his mouth.

"Come on, watch how I defend against this shot!"

Bird tossed the ball to Kogure and beckoned to him.

His movements appeared frivolous, but his eyes were unusually focused, as if he were on high alert.

Off the field, the players watched in silence, focused intently on the ball.

Without realizing it, Dampier forgot about running and just stopped.

In this way, Dampier's previous efforts were in vain, and he had to run it all over again.

The importance of this shot goes without saying; if he makes it, Kogure will be invincible.

(End of this chapter)