allendalepharm Chapter 31 All-Star Game Concludes! System Upgrades to A-Rank Talent
Chapter 31 All-Star Game Concludes! System Upgrades to A-Rank Talent
On a private plane flying from Atlanta to Oakland, the clouds outside the window churned with the golden light of a California afternoon.
Lin Hao leaned back in his chair, his fingertips gently tracing the pair of retired basketball shoes autographed by Michael Jordan at his feet. On the inside of the shoe, a line of words Jordan had written in black marker was still clearly visible: "Never stop moving forward. The future of the league is in your hands."
Zhao Dabao, sitting next to him, was frantically scrolling through his phone, his Northeastern accent booming like a machine gun, spitting almost onto the screen: "My dear brother! You're really on fire right now! You're in six of the top ten trending topics on Weibo, and your video of you paying tribute to Jordan with a suona has over a billion views! Fans across the country are practically bombarding our Xinghuo Youth Training Camp's registration hotline!"
Sitting across from him, Harris adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses. His tablet was covered in emails, and even his professional business tone couldn't hide his excitement: "Lin, congratulations on completing the most legendary All-Star Weekend in NBA history. Now, top endorsement contracts from Nike, Adidas, Coca-Cola, and Gatorade are all piled up in my hands. The lifetime contract framework offered by Nike has already matched that of Kobe Bryant at the same stage. This is unprecedented treatment for an NBA rookie."
Lin Hao smiled upon hearing this, casually unscrewed a can of yellow peaches, forked a piece of peach, and popped it into his mouth. The sweet juice melted in his mouth, and most of the fatigue he had felt in Atlanta over the past few days instantly dissipated.
From being isolated by all the league's stars and ridiculed by the media as a "celebrity vote king" when he first arrived in Atlanta, to scoring 42 points in the rookie game to lock down Stoudemire and win the MVP, to being benched in the final quarter of the game and then coming back to score 18 points in 6 minutes to tie the game against Jordan, and finally paying tribute to the god of basketball with a suona, he received the legacy personally recognized by Jordan.
This All-Star journey was fraught with challenges, yet each step was also a success.
"You take the lead in vetting the endorsement deals," Lin Hao said calmly but firmly, chewing on a piece of peach. "Prioritize brands that can be linked to youth basketball and domestic youth training. Put aside fast-moving consumer goods that are just about making quick money. I'm not playing in the NBA to make quick money; I'm playing to encourage more Chinese kids to pick up a basketball and dream of playing in the NBA."
Harris paused for a moment, then nodded emphatically: "I understand what you mean, Lin. I will screen according to your requirements and will absolutely not go against your original intention."
Zhao Dabao slapped his thigh, his face beaming with pride: "Absolutely! What kind of vision does our Brother Hao have? He's not one of those people who get cocky after making a little money! By the way, the Xinghuo Youth Training Camp in Fengtian has already signed the contract for the venue and found a coaching team, all of them retired provincial team coaches. We're just waiting for you to go back and finalize the training syllabus!"
Lin Hao's eyes lit up as he gently stroked the cover of the youth training notebook with his fingertips. The phrase on the cover, "Chinese basketball, one day," had been polished smooth by his countless touches.
In his past life, he was confined to a youth training camp in a county town, leading a group of children in shuttle runs on a concrete surface, his biggest dream being to help more promising young basketball players emerge in China. In this life, he stands on the NBA stage, finally having the ability to gradually turn this dream into reality.
It was already evening when the plane landed at Auckland International Airport.
As soon as Lin Hao pushed his luggage cart out of the arrival gate, he was immediately enveloped by deafening cheers.
The entire airport arrival hall was packed with fans wearing Warriors No. 1 jerseys, holding signs that read "Welcome home, Lin Hao" and "Suona legend, Warriors future." Some even hugged a suona and played a tune of "People from Our Village" on the spot, which drew laughter and cheers from the crowd.
To his even greater surprise, almost the entire Warriors team came.
Richardson, carrying a giant canned peach model, rushed towards him with a roar, grabbing his shoulder and yelling, "Canned Peach Bro! You're back! Those plays you made in Atlanta completely blew us away! The game-tying game against Jordan, the suona salutating the god of basketball, it was fucking awesome!"
Murphy, Dampier, and his teammates gathered around, patting him on the back with genuine admiration in their eyes. Even the veteran players who had previously been critical of him stepped forward to shake his hand, smiling and saying, "Welcome back, Mr. All-Star vote king."
Head coach Musserman stood at the back of the crowd, watching this scene with an undisguised smile on his face.
Who would have thought that the young man from Northeast China who rushed onto the court and dunked on Shaquille O'Neal half a year ago during the Finals, the rookie who was ridiculed as an "internet celebrity" at the end of the second round, has now become the All-Star vote leader, earned Jordan's legacy and recognition, and become the true soul of this Warriors team.
"Thanks everyone for your support. I'll treat you to a party tonight."
"Hey everyone, eat well, drink well, have fun, let's have a blast tonight!" Zhao Dabao was ready to go wild.
"Alright, alright, it's Canned Food Bro's treat, we have to eat our fill!" Richardson led the cheers.
"Alright, let's go."
Just as Lin Hao got into Richardson's car, a cold yet clear system notification suddenly rang in his mind, like firecrackers going off during the New Year, clanging and banging incessantly.
[Ding! All All-Star Weekend missions completed!]
[Ding! Host has completed the Rookie Game MVP achievement. Mission rating: Perfect! Rewards have been issued!]
[Ding! Host has completed the legendary 18-point game-tying moment in the final quarter of the main game. Mission rating: Legendary! Rewards have been issued!]
[Ding! Host has triggered the hidden legendary achievement [Century Legacy]! Paying tribute to basketball legend Michael Jordan with a suona (a traditional Chinese wind instrument), you have received official Jordan legacy recognition, completing a historic moment of cultural export in the NBA!]
[Achievement Rating: Perfect! The host single-handedly shattered the NBA's stereotypes about Asian players, spreading Chinese folk music and Northeastern regional culture globally, achieving top-tier cultural export and legendary legacy!]
Lin Hao paused, his heart leaping into his throat. He knew the most crucial reward was about to arrive.
[Final Rewards for the "Century Legacy" Achievement Award!]
[1. Host's physical talent level has been officially upgraded from Grade B (NBA rotation starter level) to Grade A (All-Star starter level)! All attributes are permanently increased by 20%, lower limb explosiveness, physical durability, and confrontation stability are greatly improved, and old ankle injuries are 100% eliminated!]
[2. The host's core skills have been finalized!]
[--Big Heart (Max Level): Permanently increases shooting stability by 100% in crucial moments of the game, guarantees 100% accuracy in maintaining form under high pressure, and increases resistance to interference by 30%!]
[—Iron-Blooded Entanglement (Max Level): Permanently reduces opposing player's shooting percentage by 15%, increases layup interference rate by 20%, and significantly improves lateral movement prediction accuracy!]
[—Eye of Foresight (Max Level): Accurately captures the movement habits and weight shifts of opposing players, allowing you to anticipate their tactical runs and offensive choices!]
[—Tactical Master (Basic Solidification): When teammates execute tactics designed by the host, shooting accuracy increases by 15%, defensive efficiency increases by 12%, and the team's tactical execution margin for error is greatly improved!]
A warm current surged through my limbs and bones in an instant. The soreness that occasionally arose from my old ankle injury completely disappeared. It was as if all the muscle lines in my body had been re-sculpted. My strength, explosiveness, and body control all experienced a qualitative leap.
He looked down at his palms. The calluses on his fingertips, worn from years of playing the suona and practicing shooting, were still clearly visible. But at this moment, he was absolutely certain that he had completely transformed.
From a young man from Northeast China with only B-level talent who dunked on Shaquille O'Neal with sheer passion just six months ago, to a rising star in the league with A-level All-Star talent, all-around offensive and defensive skills, and full tactical prowess, he has walked this path steadily and firmly, taking each step with confidence.
Thinking of this, Lin Hao put down the suona in his hand and stopped.
"Canned Food Bro? What's wrong? Why did it suddenly stop?" Richardson came over and looked at him with a puzzled expression.
Lin Hao snapped out of his daze, grinned, and said, "It's nothing, I just suddenly realized that our next move will be even more aggressive."
After arriving home, Harris and Zhao Dabao squeezed into the house together.
Harris, holding a thick stack of contract documents, beamed with excitement: "Lin, we've finalized the lifetime contract framework with Nike. The contract clearly states that they will create a dedicated youth basketball training camp product line for you in China, and 20% of the profits from all related products will be directly donated to the Spark Youth Training Camp's charity fund. In addition, the endorsement contracts with Coca-Cola and Gatorade have also been finalized, bringing the total endorsement value to over $1 million. You've become the most commercially valuable rookie in NBA history."
Zhao Dabao handed over a stack of documents, smiling as he said, "Brother Hao, the first session of the Xinghuo Youth Training Camp in our hometown is already full, and many parents from surrounding cities are bringing their children to register. I've also reached an agreement with the Sports Bureau that the training will be completely free for children from impoverished families, including food and lodging. We absolutely won't let you down."
Lin Hao took the documents and flipped through them page by page. Looking at the children's innocent faces, his heart melted.
He recalled the days in his past life when he led a group of children in basketball practice on the cement ground of the county town, the light in those children's eyes for basketball, and his own professional dream that was shattered by injuries.
Now, he has not only fulfilled his own dream, but also wants to help more children realize their basketball dreams.
"Da Bao," Lin Hao closed the documents, looked up at his childhood friend, and said seriously, "put all of my All-Star prize money and the first endorsement advance I just received into the youth training camp's charity fund. Also, prepare a new set of jerseys and shoes for each kid, and our canned yellow peaches, one can per person after training, plenty."
Zhao Dabao nodded emphatically, his eyes welling up with tears: "Don't worry, Brother Hao, I'll definitely handle it perfectly for you!"
The setting sun shone through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the training hall, casting long shadows on the floor.
Lin Hao walked to the sidelines, picked up the ebony suona that had been with him for two lifetimes, put the reed between his lips, puffed out his breath, and began to play.
A powerful rendition of "A Man Should Be Self-Reliant" echoed through the empty training hall, as bright as thunder splitting through dark clouds and as forceful as an axe breaking through the ice in the cold winter of Northeast China.
After finishing the song, he put down the suona, picked up a basketball, dribbled, pushed off the ground, and slammed the ball into the basket with one hand.
"Clang!"
The resounding crash of the basketball hitting the net mingled with the lingering echo of the suona horn, reverberating throughout the training hall.
[System Notification: The main quest for the final stage of the regular season has been unlocked!]
[Mission Objective: Lead the team to secure a Western Conference playoff spot and achieve regular season accolades!]
[Mission Reward: Unlocks the permission to advance your physical talent to S-rank!]
Lin Hao hung on the basketball hoop, looking down at the floor beneath his feet, a carefree smile playing on his lips.
The All-Star Game has ended, but it's not the end; it's a new beginning.
The final game of the regular season, the playoffs, the Western Conference Finals, the championship...
His journey has only just begun.
He wants the whole world to know that Chinese people can not only gain a foothold in the NBA, but also create a wave of Northeast China's big firecrackers here.