Basketball miracles

Chapter 221 [What is a True Superstar?]

Puerto Rico has an astonishing number of fans, and the stadiums are packed.

Many people wore the 76ers' No. 3 jersey to watch the game, and you couldn't see anyone wearing a Heat jersey in the stands.

The Heat players came out first, but received little applause.

Playing in Puerto Rico for three consecutive years has been ineffective; the Heat lack big-name stars who make the game exciting.

Xiao Tu didn't have many fans. He hadn't played a formal NBA game yet, and local fans didn't know him. The Summer League wasn't broadcast, and those who had seen his news only thought of him as an arrogant second-round pick.

The idea that second-round draft picks are inherently unskilled is a stereotype.

Many people are waiting to see Xiao Tu get thoroughly dominated by Iverson today, hoping that Iverson won't hold back in the preseason either. Only when Iverson crushes his opponents will the rookies know what a true superstar is and understand the gap between the NBA and the NCAA.

The 76ers players received a standing ovation as they entered the arena, with Allen Iverson, "The Answer," being the last to step onto the court, receiving cheers from the entire crowd. He didn't need to smile or wave to the fans; his blank expression alone was enough to garner him adoration.

Even the Heat players were envious; that's what a real man should be like.

Last season, Allen Iverson and head coach Larry Brown had a serious conflict over training attitudes. Iverson repeatedly criticized the coaching staff in the media, leading to a breakdown in their relationship. Brown resigned after the season, but everyone knew he was actually forced out by Iverson.

This summer, Iverson publicly criticized the management again, expressing his dissatisfaction with the team's failure to acquire star players to support him. The 76ers' biggest signing was Glenn Robinson, who suffered a knee injury on the first day of training camp and will be sidelined for an extended period.

Unless the 76ers make a major trade mid-season, Iverson will have to lead the team alone again this season.

The 76ers' new head coach is white Chris Ford, and Iverson clearly doesn't think much of him, treating him with indifference.

Ford won an NBA championship as a player with the Celtics in 1981. His coaching career was not successful, with his only notable achievement being a winning percentage of over 50% when he coached the Celtics in the early 1990s.

Iverson was in a bad mood, partly because he lost a lot of money at Puerto Rico's biggest casino the day before; he had just had terrible luck. He only shook hands with Heat captain Eddie Jones, without even glancing at his fan, Dwyane Wade.

Dwyane Wade has publicly stated in interviews that he admires Allen Iverson and that he chose the number 3 jersey because of Iverson. However, due to the butterfly effect caused by Xiao Tu yesterday, he missed the opportunity to meet Iverson.

In a parallel universe, Wade went to a casino with Jones and was introduced to his idol. Iverson casually tossed Wade $1000 worth of chips—"Hey, let's play!"
After this meeting, Wade knew how Iverson would eventually go bankrupt.

After the players warmed up, the starting players from both sides took to the field.

The Heat's five players are: Dwyane Wade, Eddie Jones, Shawn Dwight Howard, Lamar Odom, and Brian Grant.

The 76ers' five players are: Eric Snow, Allen Iverson, John Salmons, Kenny Thomas, and Derrick Coleman.

Odom won the jump ball and accurately passed it to Xiao Tu in the backcourt.

Xiao Tu dribbled a bounce pass to Wade on the fast break. Wade received the ball comfortably, took three steps, ignored Iverson's defense, and forced a layup for a score. 2-0.

The two have a significant size difference. Iverson is said to be 183cm tall, but he doesn't look that tall and weighs only 75kg. Wade, who is 193cm tall and weighs 100kg, was already being lenient by not dunking on his idol.

Larry Brown is gone, but Ford's offensive tactics are no different from last season. The players spread out, Snow is responsible for passing the ball to Iverson, and then everyone watches Iverson dribble and attack one-on-one.

Four Heat players, following Riley's instructions, huddled near the paint to form a zone defense, while Wade primarily guarded Iverson on the perimeter.

Iverson wanted to give the rookie a hard time, so in the first round he used the "butterfly weaving flower" technique, dribbling between his legs to fake a drive to the right, but Wade was completely unfazed by the fake and quickly moved to block him.

Iverson held the dish with his left hand, faked a bow and then drove to the right, but Wade remained unmoved and blocked his path.

Wade and Xiao Tu went one-on-one, and Wade had been outmaneuvered by Butterfly Through Flowers countless times; he was all too familiar with that move.

Furthermore, Xiao Tu told Wade before the game that Iverson would definitely drive to his left side, so he only needed to defend that side and force Iverson to the other side. When Iverson went to the other side, he would mostly choose a pull-up jump shot, and his shooting percentage rarely reached 40%.

Xiao Tu defended Wade by preventing him from shooting from his high-percentage areas. When Wade had the ball in a low-percentage area, Xiao Tu would simply give him two steps. Wade learned this defensive method; he just needed to learn more about his opponent. It really worked. Iverson's failed drive led him to pass the ball, and his teammate lobbed it to veteran Coleman on the left low post.

Coleman, who is 208cm tall, was the number one pick in the 1990 NBA draft. He was an inside star from the start, averaging 20+10 in multiple seasons and also being able to facilitate the offense.

Karl Malone once said, "I'm not as talented as him. Such a talented person achieved rapid success in the NBA, but after only five seasons, he declined and became a negative example." That "he" refers to Coleman.

Coleman is now 36 years old and looks a bit overweight. He weighs much more than Xiao Tu, estimated to be around 120 kilograms, but he has a lot of fat that prevents him from being explosive.

Xiao Tu held off Coleman in the low post, and the latter, unable to break free, forced a turnaround jump shot towards the middle, barely managing to jump. Xiao Tu seized the opportunity, leaping up and delivering a solid block with his right hand, sending the ball to Odom.

Odom immediately launched a fast break. He is a point forward, and his draft comparison is Magic Johnson. He has good ball handling and passing skills.

After landing, Xiao Tu also rushed forward, effortlessly shaking off Coleman. Coleman was at the point where he should retire; even if he wanted to fight hard on the court, his body simply wouldn't allow it.

Odom dribbled past half-court and passed to Wade, but Iversonka's gamble on the pass failed, leaving Wade completely unmarked. Wade dribbled at full speed down the middle into the paint, ignoring Snow's help defense, and slammed the ball in with one hand! 4-0.

The Heat's counterattack was too fast; Xiao Tu and Jones ran forward together, but neither had a chance to receive the ball.

Iverson also noticed Wade's speed and overwhelming height and weight, which is why he gambled on a steal. He couldn't steal the ball, and even if he followed, he couldn't stop Wade from going for a layup.

When Brown was the coach of the 76ers, he always emphasized defense and stressed the importance of speed in getting back on defense, otherwise the defense would be unstoppable.

The 76ers attacked, and once again spread out to let Iverson go one-on-one.

Wade focused on defending drives but not shots, so Iverson opted to drive from the left. Just as Xiao Tu predicted before the game, Iverson quickly took a long two-pointer as soon as he got a little space.

The 76ers' roster lacks a three-point shooting option. Previously, Brown never allowed his players to practice three-pointers, believing it was the wrong way to play. Last season, the 76ers averaged 9.6 three-point attempts per game, with a 31.1% success rate.

Therefore, when facing the 76ers, the Heat could freely collapse their formation. Iverson's mid-range shot missed under Wade's slight interference, and Xiao Tu grabbed the defensive rebound and quickly advanced the ball after landing.

Today, Salmons was the main defender against Xiao Tu. He looked terrified whenever he saw Xiao Tu, having been thoroughly outplayed by him in the Summer League. He didn't dare to press forward for fear of being beaten, so he kept retreating to maintain his distance.

Xiao Tu easily dribbled to the three-point line, then pulled up at a 60-degree angle on the right side for a quick three-pointer. Salmons retreated too far back, and before he could jump to defend, Xiao Tu had already released the ball.

Swish! The ball goes into the net cleanly! 7-0.

Xiao Tu, a small forward, has the best shooting touch. After a summer of training, he is no longer limited to shooting three-pointers from the right corner and the middle.

He'll make a move as long as there's space; he doesn't need to fake anything.

The 76ers' offense followed the same pattern: Iverson's forced drive failed, and he dribbled to the right baseline for a mid-range jumper, which missed. Grant boxed out Thomas, and Xiao Tu easily grabbed the rebound.

Coleman didn't fight for the offensive rebound; he went straight back on defense.

The Heat employed a half-court offense, while the 76ers emphasized teamwork and tight defense in the paint. However, the 76ers lacked defensively gifted players this year, and Xiao Tu could easily spot their defensive weaknesses with a glance.

Instead of forcing a shot at Salmons or passing to Wade for a one-on-one against Iverson, he waved for a screen. Grant stepped out to the three-point line to screen Salmons, and Xiao Tu easily dribbled down the right flank, using a Euro step to get past Coleman who was switching on the screen, and scored a layup. 9-0.

Thomas, who came to help on the other side, also failed to block the shot. He is 201cm tall and weighs 118kg, just like Xiao Tu. He is only good at guarding and pushing against others, and he doesn't know how to block shots.

Xiao Tu didn't celebrate after scoring, but the audience started applauding him. All the fans realized that Xiao Tu was very strong, not just ordinary strong, but extremely conspicuous on the field.

The 76ers finished fourth in the Eastern Conference last season and reached the second round of the playoffs, losing 2-4 to the Pistons. Today, however, they were completely unable to defend against the Heat's second-round rookie…

(End of this chapter)