Basketball miracles

Chapter 205 [Look me in the eyes and answer me!]

Wade took a deep breath, utterly shocked.

The two had only known each other for a day when Wade could tell that Xiao Tu was an ambitious and extremely confident person.

Apart from Xiao Tu, no other rookie this year would dare to say, "I don't think LeBron James is anything special." Yet, Xiao Tu displayed terrifying strength today, and Wade felt he was truly no worse than James.

Wade thought of a question and asked, "You just said you're the 'true core'... Are you referring to the core of the Summer League, or the Heat for the new season?"

Haslem, who had been eating with his head down, looked up. This topic was going too deep; it didn't seem like something three newcomers should be discussing.

Xiao Tu laughed and said, "Good question. I won't lie to you, I hope to get your support. In my rookie season, I want to become the Heat's leader and control the ball. Eddie Jones' individual ability is definitely not as good as mine. Also, my goal in my rookie season is to compete for the championship, not to compete for Rookie of the Year."

Haslem and Wade exchanged bewildered glances, having never seen such an arrogant young man before.

Xiao Tu is only 19 years old, much younger than the two of them, so why does he sound like an older brother as soon as he opens his mouth?

What's outrageous is that they also felt that Xiao Tu had the demeanor of an older brother, and that he wasn't just bragging; he really could carry his teammates.

Xiao Tu is confident that he can become the leader of the Heat. It's a sure thing. What is there to be afraid of?
He thought Eddie Jones was terrible, completely unfit to be a leader. Aside from catch-and-shoot threes, his other offensive methods were inefficient; his drives were poor, his playmaking was poor—what could this guy do?
When the Lakers first signed Shaquille O'Neal, Jones was their starting shooting guard, and his stats were similar to what they are now. Before Kobe Bryant became a superstar scorer, the Lakers were once down 1-4 in the playoffs and twice down 0-4, getting thoroughly thrashed. As soon as Jones was traded, the Lakers immediately went on to win three consecutive championships, establishing a dynasty.

In a parallel universe, the Heat's management signed Clippers forward Lamar Odom to a long-term, high-salary contract this summer, hoping he would orchestrate the offense.

Lamar Odom played small forward for the Clippers, never helping the team reach the playoffs, and was plagued by injuries for two consecutive seasons. Last season, he averaged 14.6 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 3.6 assists, with a field goal percentage of only 43.9%.

From any perspective, Odom was merely a role player. The Heat's management saw his good physical attributes and were willing to take a gamble, offering him a massive 6-year, $7170 million contract, even larger than Steve Nash's contract with the Suns.

The Heat's "lottery gamble" was mainly because Riley looked down on 32-year-old Jones, believing he was on the decline.

Xiao Tu and Riley were old friends in the 80s, so Xiao Tu could guess Riley's thoughts. At this point, he had to directly volunteer and eagerly take on the important task. Whoever was confident enough to step forward, Riley was willing to let him try.

Wade, who doesn't like to keep quiet, has stepped up because the Heat have no other choice.

While eating, Xiao Tu made grand promises. "I know it will be difficult to win the championship in the new season, but don't you want to give it a try? If the Heat win the championship, with three rookies in the starting lineup, how amazing would that be? Last season the team had the worst record, but because we joined, they have risen strongly this season."

Wade sighed, "You're oversimplifying the NBA. How many established stars do we have to beat? I admit you're very skilled and have strong individual abilities. But we've only just entered the NBA; we have no experience and no reputation. How can we win?"

Xiao Tu tilted his head and said seriously, "Look me in the eyes and answer me! Why can't a rookie compete for the championship?"

"..."

Xiao Tu laughed and said, "I wasn't very confident at first, the Heat's roster is too bad. I only became confident after I met you guys. Dwyane, you underestimate yourself. You are the fastest person I have ever seen, and your breakthroughs are sharp. The three of us together can definitely achieve great things."

Haslem asked incredulously, "You think I can contribute if the team wins the championship?"

"Yes, you have shooting talent and your defense is also good. But you're not tall enough, and your mid-range shots are easily contested. If you can improve your three-pointers from the middle and corners, you can play a bigger role on offense."

Haslem said with a wry smile, "Isn't that a bad idea? Inside players who shoot threes will be called soft."

"If I were playing power forward, I'd average more than five outside shots per game, and if I'm on a hot streak, I could take more than ten. I'm also prepared to play like that as a small forward, as long as Riley allows it. I believe that having shooting range is an advantage for any player, regardless of position."

Xiao Tu knew that interior players in this era generally didn't want to practice long-range shooting. It wasn't that they lacked shooting talent; they simply felt that shooting three-pointers was bad and would be criticized as being soft by the media and basketball experts.

In fact, when an inside player pulls out to set a screen and then receives the ball to shoot a three-pointer, it will give all opponents a headache.

Players like Amar'e Stoudemire, David West, Kevin Garnett, and Jermaine O'Neal all gave up opportunities to become better because they cared too much about what others thought. Udonis Haslem also falls into this category; during his peak season, his mid-range shooting percentage exceeded 45%, but he simply refused to shoot three-pointers.

His rookie season championship aspirations were ridiculously high, but Xiao Tu's confidence was so overwhelming that it deeply inspired the two rookies. Who doesn't want to achieve great things? Who doesn't want to be a star in the NBA? Who doesn't want to win a championship?
Xiao Tu's words resonated with both of them. Haslem, for the sake of the championship, didn't even care about money, taking two pay cuts.

Some people are born leaders. Even if they are temporarily reduced to selling straw sandals for a living, they are still descendants of Prince Jing of Zhongshan at heart.

Xiao Tu gives off that kind of feeling, exuding the aura of a leader.

If Xiao Tu had started his NBA career directly in 2003 after time-traveling, things would be very different now. He was much more low-key and lacked confidence during his time at Harvard.

Without the experience of traveling back to the 80s or 90s, Xiao Tu will definitely treat Wade with utmost respect. He will also maintain a low profile while with the Heat, steadily improving his skills step by step, waiting for his opportunity to prove himself.

Now, Xiao Tu has already won the championship and the Finals MVP with the Lakers in the 80s. In Japan in the 90s, he was an even more revered figure.

Environment shapes a person, and he unconsciously developed a great sense of superiority, becoming more confident than anyone else.

He believed he could succeed in this world, and he was not afraid of any difficulties he encountered, nor would he be driven away.

Wade isn't good enough. He just has the mentality of a high draft pick. For him, becoming a starter for the Heat in his rookie season is a success; he doesn't dare to dream of anything more. Even when the coach gives him the ball, he's afraid to take many shots.

Both of them were stunned by Xiao Tu. Wade was unconsciously led by Xiao Tu, feeling that following Xiao Tu would be very promising, and that he might really rise to become the leader of the Heat.

If Xiao Tu becomes the Heat's leader, Wade believes he will play very comfortably because the opponent will be willing to pass him the ball.

At this moment, Wade forgot that he was the high draft pick and the one who should be the focus of development, and only felt that Xiao Tu was like an older brother.

Xiao Tu thought so too; he had a peculiar sense of dislocation that he couldn't shake off for a while.

Even in a different world, Xiao Tu still felt like he belonged to the previous generation, much older than Wade and Haslem.

In the Lakers, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is his older brother, and Magic Johnson is his second older brother. How old are they now?

When Xiao Tu started playing in the NBA in the 1980s, LeBron James, who was born on December 30, 1984, hadn't even been born yet, and Dwyane Wade was just a two-year-old child.

In short, Black Americans also fall for the "Are kings and nobles born with special privileges?" mentality. Many have long faced discrimination, and for them, excelling in sports is one of the few ways to advance their social standing.

The three then discussed the tactics they would use in the Summer League. They had all secured their starting positions and could now engage in some simple combinations.

Xiao Tu shared some ideas, and Wade was even more impressed, thinking he understood basketball. With just a few simple tactics, they could execute them effectively in a game.

Wade was excited at the thought of the two of them playing with James tomorrow. James had been hyped up by the media to an extreme degree; the hype started as early as his junior year of high school and lasted for a whole year.

Rookies with NCAA experience all want to compete with LeBron James, wanting to know just how good this high school number one draft pick really is.

Everyone knows that beating LeBron James can boost popularity; his level of attention and exposure is so high that it's enviable.

Xiao Tu summarized, "Tomorrow, the Cavaliers will most likely play a positional game, and their mobility is not as good as ours. You guys need to be more aggressive on fast breaks; fast breaks are the key to winning."

Wade asked curiously, "You've never played in the NBA, and your record in the NCAA was just average. Why are you so confident?"

"That's because you don't know how bad my teammates were at Harvard, how many people I was double-teamed when I was on offense. My current teammates are ten times better than them. If I still can't win, I might as well find a wall and smash my head against it and die." Xiao Tu casually made up a story.

Harvard's players were indeed weak, but Xiao Tu wasn't particularly strong back then either.

The two, however, believed Xiao Tu was telling the truth. Harvard's basketball team had always been a bottom-tier team in the NCAA, and Xiao Tu's ability to stand out from that school and enter the NBA was already quite impressive.

(End of this chapter)