Slam Dunk: Muguro

Chapter 278 This boy has the potential to become an emperor!
According to the rules, each person is limited to five balls, and the person with the highest score wins.

Now that both sides have conceded a goal, 4 points is theoretically the highest possible score.

After receiving the ball, Kogure dribbled it steadily.

In an instant, the cross-step began again.

Bird desperately tried to stop him, wanting to go up and fight.

He plays very intelligently and is extremely good at utilizing his strengths.

He had to stop that shot no matter what.

The LV10 crossover step is extremely deceptive; even the experienced Bird was shaken off balance by it.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Kogure used a man-ball passing strategy, relying on his powerful explosiveness and reaction speed to overpower Bird.

As he slapped the ball away, Kogure immediately circled around to the other side.

"Oops!"

Bird's expression changed drastically. Despite the throbbing pain in his back, he desperately turned around and gave chase.

This time, Bird really went all out.

He didn't want to be defeated by the youngsters; a draw was unacceptable!

In short, the "King of Pretending" still cares a lot about his reputation.

This is also the main reason why Bird retired as soon as he fell from his peak.

If this were G0at, he would definitely abandon defense and focus all his energy on fast breaks, free throws, and defensive rebounds, giving the impression that he is still very strong.

In reality, G0at has long been all bark and no bite.

The moment Kogure received the ball, Bird finally caught up and blocked his way once again.

At this point, the two had already entered the paint area.

Without hesitation, Kogure raised his hands and used the Sikma step to create some space.

Kogure then braced himself on his left foot, bent his right knee, and adopted a one-legged stance to further widen the shooting space.

Bird instinctively rushed forward, but at the last second, he stopped in time, narrowly avoiding a 'futile' attack.

But in doing so, Bird has already lost the initiative.

Kogure jumped on one foot, leaning back slightly, and shot the ball toward the basket.

Bird didn't have time to jump; he could only raise his hands and watch helplessly as the basketball flew toward the basket.

shuh~
As expected, the basketball went in cleanly.

4:3
"yeah!"

Kogure swung his arm forcefully and roared, full of passion.

He knew very well that the main reason he was able to make that shot was because Bird didn't know him well enough.

The players watching were even more stunned. They could clearly see that even though Bird had tried his best, he still couldn't stop that shot.

After scoring that goal, Kogure was now in an unassailable position.

Even if Bird had hit the last shot, it would have been a tie.

"Good lad, I didn't expect you to know the Sikma step. It was just that the move you just made was too dangerous, but it was also a kind of innovation."

Bird looked terrified; if he hadn't stopped, it would have been a complete disaster.

Meanwhile, Bird was extremely frustrated, as if to say, "Why didn't I ever think of shooting like this before?"

Bird was naturally familiar with the term Sikmabu.

He and Jack Sikma were players from the same era, with the latter entering the draft a year earlier than Bird and even retiring a year earlier.

At the same time, Jack Sikma is a white player, a future Hall of Famer, and will also serve as Yao Ming's center coach in the future.

This is a legendary center who is extremely adept at creating space.

For a player like Bird who primarily relies on shooting, he naturally wouldn't miss out on a highly cost-effective shooting technique like the Sikma step.

At this point, Bird changed the subject: "Well, it seems this duel is going to end in a draw! After this duel, you'll definitely become famous throughout America because you've tied with the great Larry Bird!"

Kogure felt a chill run down his spine, because Bird was showing off again.

Whenever this guy tries to show off, nothing good ever comes of it.

The title of "King of Pretentiousness" is not just a figure of speech.

Bird successfully outshone superstars like Jordan, Miller, Drexler, Dr. J, and Rodman every time.

This guy's mouth is like it's blessed; his words carry divine power, even more effective than the monks in the temple.

Of course, this is only for showing off!
"How will you know if you don't try? Come on!"

Kogure passed the ball over.

The moment Bird received the ball, Kogure immediately rushed to meet him.

He kept a half-step distance from Bird, mainly to defend against his shot.

Bird immediately turned around and, with his backside sticking out, attacked him again.

bang~
Kogure was knocked back a step, but he immediately rushed forward again.

Despite Hodg's relentless defense, he struggled for a long time but couldn't advance much.

"How come this guy still has so much energy!"

Bird was completely baffled.

He saw it clearly: Kogure had not only raced against Hamilton, but had also been punished by him with a hundred laps.

Kogure isn't Zhang Dashuai, how could he possibly have such abundant physical strength?
At this moment, Bird put on his mask of pain again.

He felt a cramp in his back.

This is why Kogure knew that Bird had a serious back injury; otherwise, he would have secretly given him an elbow.

In this situation, Bird did not proceed further.

He had to grit his teeth and endure the pain to turn over and jump shoot.

Bird possessed a soft shooting touch, excellent balance, and core strength, which allowed him to remain stable even with such movements.

Kogure jumped up with all his might to block, and just as Bird released the basketball, he raised his right hand high.

As soon as he landed on the ground, Bird's heart skipped a beat because Kogure was beaming with a bright smile.

bang~
The sound of the basketball hitting the backboard rang out, and it flew out of the air, leaving Bird with not a single thought.

Lost!

Bird stood with his hands on his hips, staring blankly at Kogure.

Meanwhile, the players watching were swept up in a frenzy.

To everyone's surprise, Kogure actually beat Bird.

That's Bird!

In an instant, Kogure's prestige in the training camp soared to unprecedented heights, becoming unstoppable.

These players will surely spread the news, and it probably won't be long before legends about Kogure spread throughout America.

Not far away, Sonny Cavallero looked shocked: "To beat Bird at 16 years old, even after Bird retired, that's something not just anyone can do!"

In the season he retired, Bird was at least at an All-Star level.

Even though his level has declined further after a year of retirement, it shouldn't be to the point where he can't even reach the starting level.

"This child has the potential to become an emperor!"

Sonny Cavallero sighed and gave Kogure extremely high praise.

The "great potential" mentioned here does not refer to Wang Teng, but to Chamberlain.

What, G0at?

Don't you dare insult me!
On the court, Bird kept a close eye on Kogure.

The cheers inside the stadium quickly subsided, and you could hear a pin drop.

"Did you touch the ball just now?"

Bird spoke with certainty.

“You touched it a little!” Kogure extended his right middle finger, not as an insult, of course.

Even though it was just a light touch, the basketball inevitably changed its flight trajectory.

"I must say, you're amazing! At your age, I'm afraid I'm no match for you."

Aside from lamenting his own rapid decline in skill level, Bird wasn't angry; on the contrary, he greatly praised Kogure's performance.

"Where there!"

At that moment, Bird seemed to have made up his mind and said, "No, we have to play another game! If I don't win, I definitely won't be able to sleep tonight!"

Like Jordan, Bird was also extremely competitive.

"Let's play another round!"

Kogure, of course, wouldn't let such an opportunity slip by.

This not only increases the progress of title acquisition but also quickly improves proficiency in certain skills.

After a short rest, the two continued their one-on-one duel.

This time, Bird was clearly in better form than in the previous game.

Even though Kogure used all his might, Bird still managed to turn the tide.

"I feel better now!"

"You're comfortable now, but I'm not, so let's play another round!"

Kogure casually came up with a reason that forced Bird to accept the challenge.

"It's a deal, this is the last round!"

Bird hasn't been exercising properly for too long, and his body is starting to give out.

"Row!"

He must win this game.

If we win another game, it will be a best-of-three series.

The two were back in a one-on-one match, and at first, Bird had the upper hand.

By the third ball, he clearly felt the strain, and his stamina was affected.

Kogure seized the opportunity to catch up, and the game ended in a draw.

One win, one loss, and one draw!
Come again tomorrow!

Bird was very dissatisfied with his performance just now and took the initiative to challenge Kogure to a duel.

Fearing there would only be one game, Kogure quickly asked, "Want to play three more tomorrow?"

"Ok!"

Bird did not object; he decided he would definitely teach Kogure a lesson tomorrow.

Before that, he had to take on the responsibilities of a training camp coach and organize the players' training.

As soon as Bird arrived at the sidelines, he saw Dampier grinning foolishly.

Dampier's smile seemed to carry a hint of mockery, which greatly displeased Bird, who felt that the other party was laughing at him.

He immediately strode toward Dampier, his eyes filled with anger.

"Eric, are you done running?"

"Larry, he's 15 laps behind!"

Meanwhile, the assistant coach started stirring things up.

This fueled Bird's anger even more, as Dampier not only failed to complete the training but also seemed to show him some contempt.

Can this be tolerated?
"Then let's run 100 laps again!"

Bird made his decision without hesitation.

Dampier's smile vanished instantly, replaced by a look of utter despair.

For Dampier, this was a devastating blow.

Thank goodness, he really didn't openly question Bird.

However, he dared not disobey Bird's orders, so he silently turned around and continued to run laps with heavy steps.

Seeing this, the other players silently lowered their heads, afraid of angering Bird, who had a bad temper.

While Dampier was running laps, Bird began to systematically organize the players for training.

He would divide the players into several groups based on their individual characteristics, with each group responsible for different training programs, such as physical training, shooting practice, strength training, defensive training, and so on, to ensure that each player could receive targeted guidance and training.

The training camp is not only to enhance the influence of the two major brands, but also to further observe the players and lay the groundwork for the future.

Kogure listened intently to Bird's explanation, carefully memorizing the training details and techniques.

As a basketball player, theoretical knowledge is also important, as it can help players better understand tactics during games.

In addition, he also wanted to learn from the training camp's methods, make some modifications after returning, and improve Shohoku's training efficiency.

Throughout the training session, Kogure remained focused, leaving Kobe, Hamilton, and others speechless.

Keep in mind that Kogure starts training at four in the morning.

During that time, he went toe-to-toe with Kobe countless times, raced Hamilton, was punished by Bird with 100 laps, and finally went toe-to-toe with Bird for three games.

This is simply...inhuman!

After training, Bird organized another scrimmage to test the effectiveness of the training.

In this match, Kogure's performance was once again outstanding.

He performed with ease in both offense and defense.

Unfortunately, the island nation's team ultimately lost the match.

After yesterday's game, the American team is on guard and has made targeted preparations.

Instead of targeting Kogure, they intensified their efforts against the other players.

In terms of physical attributes, American players clearly have an advantage, especially in physical confrontations.

Kogure's teammates struggled against his muscular defense, making numerous mistakes and struggling to score.

In this situation, Kogure found himself isolated and helpless, and had no choice but to increase his one-on-one play.

However, such a strategy is tantamount to drinking poison to quench thirst.

When Kogure's stamina was exhausted, the American team took the opportunity to widen the score gap and easily won the game.

Kogure scored a whopping 58 points in this game, but his teammates' performance was so poor that they were still unable to prevent the defeat.

After the game, Bird provided appropriate feedback on the players' performance and offered suggestions for improvement based on their strengths.

When commenting on Wright, Bird casually remarked, "Lorentz, you're quite lucky. Kogure's guidance will save you a lot of trouble!"

Hearing Bird say that, Wright looked at Kogure with gratitude in his eyes.

He made a decision: he was determined to cling to this powerful patron.

……

Time passed by unnoticed. During this time, Kogure often approached Bird to ask him for advice on shooting techniques, such as pull-up jump shots, turnaround jump shots, and step-back jump shots.

Kogure can learn proficiency in all three jump shots from Bird.

Bird had a high opinion of Kogure, so he naturally didn't refuse and comfortably started giving Kogure extra help.

Seeing this, other players also sought coaching advice from Bird.

However, it was all for naught. Bird looked down on them and rejected them without hesitation, citing their technical skills.

Bird believed that, including Kobe Bryant, their skills were not on the same level as Kobe's at all.

After all, once you're used to eating fine grains, who would want to eat coarse grains?

Under Bird's tutelage, Kogure's shooting proficiency improved rapidly.

In addition, he would occasionally have one-on-one matches with Bird.

Before the end of the training camp, Kogure successfully advanced to LV9 with his step-back jump shot, and also gained a lot of proficiency with his turnaround jump shot and pull-up jump shot.

In addition, he also filled in the progress of the King of Pretenders and the Undying (Crippled) King.

(End of this chapter)