Chapter 32 The "Blood Battle" and Seattle

　　After an "unwilling" farewell to Phoenix, Su Feng, who had unexpectedly harvested two million blacksmith points from his "blood battle" with Barkley, departed.

　　It's worth mentioning that as Su Feng was leaving, the Suns' front office hoped that Su Feng would keep their "friendly exchanges" during the training camp with Barkley a secret.

　　Su Feng knew that the Suns' front office meant that they already had him in mind and didn't want other teams to know.

　　However, if he was really selected by the Suns in the future, wouldn't that mean Nash would...?

　　Never mind, as a certain great man once said:

　　Better to sacrifice the old monk than the poor Daoist.

　　"Su, here's my contact information."

　　Before parting, although Nash was older than Su Feng, after the "sock diplomacy" and the "bloody night slaughter of the flying pig," Nash had become Su Feng's number one fanboy.

　　"Okay, Steve," Su Feng said, smiling as he patted Nash's head.

　　It had to be said that Nash's passing was truly ethereal!

　　Especially with Su Feng's current off-ball style, paired with Nash, it was a match made in...

　　Bah, it was a perfect match.

　　And soon, at the training camp in Minnesota, Su Feng...

　　Nash wasn't there on the first day, and he missed him.

　　There was no other way, after all, not everyone in the NBA was named Steve, and not everyone was as kind as Kobe.

　　Su Feng seemed to be frozen in the training camp in Minnesota...

　　Su Feng's performance was as stiff as a certain part of the body when seeing a naked blonde with big breasts.

　　The only thing that made Su Feng feel gratified was that in this cold land of Minnesota, he met the future CEO of the "retreat as you fight" sect, Kevin Garnett.

　　Perhaps because of Su Feng's high school player status, Garnett had an innate fondness for Su Feng.

　　Emmmm, don't be surprised, high school players were just that unpopular in the 90s.

　　In Su Feng's previous life, when Kobe first entered the All-Star game, it was Garnett who chatted with him the most enthusiastically.

　　Huskies have true feelings, huskies have warmth. Seeing Su Feng's poor performance, Garnett patted Su Feng on the shoulder and encouraged him, "I really like your defense, and your shooting."

　　Su Feng was amused, as expected, his seniority in this life was a bit high...

　　Because although he was one grade younger than Garnett, after a few seasons, he and Garnett could be considered the same generation.

　　"Should I go to Akron and let that man call me uncle?"

　　Su Feng remembered that when Curry and Carter competed on the same court in the future, Curry called Carter "Uncle."

　　But then again, although his trial training performance was average, the Minnesota front office was also very interested in Su Feng.

　　Definitely not because they were lusting after Su Feng's...

　　Su Feng knew that this was because the team's number one outside star, Rider, had already fallen out with the team.

　　Rider was currently recognized as a troublemaker in the league, and unlike those notorious villains, Rider was simply a walking scandal-making machine.

　　He had argued with fans, and because he couldn't win the argument, he directly spat at the fans.

　　What with being late, leaving early, missing team training, missing team planes, and even once, he wanted to hit a Timberwolves staff member.

　　The Timberwolves had long been unable to stand Rider, but they were suffering from no one taking over.

　　In the eyes of the Timberwolves' front office, anyway, feeding a high school student was feeding, so wouldn't it be great to feed two?

　　Moreover, Garnett and Su Feng were chatting and laughing in the training camp. You must know that the Timberwolves had already begun to cultivate Garnett as their future core.

　　Of course, it was definitely impossible for the Timberwolves to use a top ten pick to select Su Feng.

　　Therefore, the Timberwolves planned to use Rider to exchange for another first-round pick in an effort to select Su Feng.

　　……

　　After leaving Minnesota, Su Feng's trial training continued.

　　In Salt Lake City, Su Feng's performance was okay, but Coach Sloan didn't express a strong desire to get Su Feng.

　　It wasn't that Sloan didn't covet Su Feng's exaggerated static talent, but because the Jazz already had Hornacek on the outside at this time.

　　Sloan's point of entanglement was that Su Feng was ultimately not a player who could contribute immediately.

　　Sloan was very clear that the Jazz's two elders were now truly old, and if they couldn't win a championship in the next few years, then this Jazz team would be completely hopeless.

　　Moreover, if they wanted to choose Su Feng, the Jazz's front office believed that the Jazz had to trade up to ensure that they could definitely select Su Feng.

　　Because in the latest draft order prediction, Su Feng's worst-case scenario had already reached the end of the first round.

　　Since the Jazz were optimistic about Su Feng's potential, other teams weren't stupid either.

　　But in order to bet on Su Feng's potential to trade up, where did the current Jazz have so many chips?

　　"If he falls down, then just pick him!

　　If he doesn't fall, then don't force it," Sloan said to the Jazz's front office.

　　Just like that, Su Feng's trial training journey continued...

　　Next, he went to Oakland and Sacramento.

　　Unfortunately, not afraid of stabbing the hearts of Warriors fans, before Logo Man went to Oakland, before Nelson selected Curry...

　　The current Warriors were not only a rotten team beyond repair, but even the IQ of the management needed to be recharged.

　　Because even though Su Feng's physical test data was quite excellent, the Warriors' front office just didn't covet Su Feng's body.

　　They even told Su Feng's agent, Bill Duffy, that they were not optimistic about Su Feng's future.

　　Honest man Bill Duffy was even angered by the Warriors, and directly retorted to the Warriors' front office, if you're not optimistic, then why did you have him come for a trial?

　　Isn't this wasting people's time?

　　Actually, what Bill Duffy and Su Feng didn't know was that the Warriors had Su Feng come for a trial purely because there were too many Chinese people in San Francisco.

　　Oakland and the Bay Area were very close, so there were many Chinese fans among the Warriors' fan base.

　　And these Chinese fans all hoped that the Warriors could select Su Feng, but in the 90s, to be honest, the influence of the Chinese market was not that great yet.

　　In short, the president was still hoping that Su Feng would madly hit iron and forge the iron for building the cross-sea bridge...

　　And before changing owners, the Warriors were just so-so...

　　Therefore, the Warriors' front office had Su Feng come for a trial this time purely to shut up these Chinese fans.

　　Look, you see, we called him over, but he's not good!

　　So, with the cooperation of the Oakland media, Sloan, who originally had no hope for Su Feng, suddenly felt several years younger.

　　"Is Oakland crazy? Although Su is an Asian player, his physical test data is definitely among the best in this year's outside players!"

　　Thinking of Su Feng's exaggerated static data during the trial training, Sloan felt it was amazing.

　　In the future, a player very similar to Su Feng would also be selected by the Jazz, that person was called Kirilenko, the future chairman of the Russian Basketball Association.

　　For this kind of player who defends well and likes to play off-ball, is it possible that Sloan doesn't love him?

　　Moreover, among these college-style old coaches, to be honest, other than Larry Brown, the others were still willing to give newcomers a chance.

　　Although in Sloan's view, it might take some time to let Su Feng grow up if he was selected, it seemed pretty good to build a team in advance after the two elders retired?

　　"I really hope that the objects of Su's next trial training are all the blockheads in Oakland," Sloan silently "blessed" Su Feng in his heart.

　　Unfortunately, Sacramento didn't give Sloan such an opportunity.

　　Because in the Kings' trial training, Su Feng's performance made the Kings feel that they didn't seem to need to wait for Peja Stojakovic.

　　In Su Feng's previous life, the Kings would get the 14th pick in '96, and the object they ultimately chose was Peja.

　　However, Peja would have to wait a few years to join the Kings, because he currently still had a contract with his European parent team.

　　In the Kings' view, with Su Feng's excellent static data and his shooter positioning, why not directly cultivate Su Feng instead of waiting for Peja in these few years?

　t moreover, as long as the Kings were willing, other teams couldn't compete with them at this pick!

　　Therefore, after Su Feng's trial training ended, even the Kings' front office felt that the people in Oakland were crazy...

　　"Does Oakland like being slapped in the face so much?

　　Although I can't guarantee that Su will definitely make it, as long as he can maintain this tenacious defense, even if he can't realize his potential in the future...

　　His lower limit won't be too low." On this day, the Kings' coach, Gary, had a face full of doubt.

　　……

　　"Su, your trial training performance was amazing."

　　After leaving Sacramento, Bill Duffy felt that his vision was as good as if it had been enhanced with titanium alloy laser.

　　Su Feng smiled, in fact, he wasn't surprised that he had such a trial training performance.

　　Because Su Feng's goal was very clear from the beginning.

　　His defensive talent was there, in the 90s, you might not have anything else, but as long as you were good at defense, there wouldn't be few teams that liked you.

　　Moreover, Su Feng seemed to have a "natural disadvantage in dribbling," but under Frazier's guidance, Su Feng rarely held the ball for too long during the trial training.

　　Even in one-on-one situations, he tried his best to show his strengths.

　　Although there was no clear definition of 3D in the 90s, Su Feng's static data plus that D was enough to impress many teams.

　t to mention that the NBA also shortened the three-point line during this period?

　　You must know that last summer, after Su Feng corrected his jump shot posture under Frazier's guidance, he was simply too accurate at this distance.

　　There were many great gods in the '96 golden generation, but after Kobe spent an entire senior season brushing data, Su Feng's 18-year-old age was also very attractive to some teams.

　　Moreover, Su Feng had seen the trial training teams that Duffy had picked for him, and most of them were teams willing to gamble on high school students.

　　So it wasn't that Su Feng's trial training results were too good, but that he had always been on the right path.

　　Look at Kobe, he ran to Chicago valiantly and was shut down by Ray Allen, right?

　　Yesterday, when talking to Kobe on the phone, Su Feng already knew that Kobe had been shut down.

　　Su Feng knew that according to Kobe's plan, his plan to take Brandy to the small forest for some fun at the prom hadn't been implemented yet.

　　So he was still a virgin.

　　Ahem, let's get back to the point.

　　In his previous life, when studying why Kobe fell to the thirteenth pick, Su Feng discovered that the teams Kobe chose to try out for were not so ideal in the first place, either teams with too high a pick or teams with too low a pick.

　　Plus, with West secretly causing trouble, it would have been a miracle if Kobe could have been selected before the thirteenth pick.

　　In short, the path is made by walking.

　　After this group of high school players in the 90s paved the way, even if you used his high school status to fool other teams when that man joined the league in the future, it wouldn't work.

　　So, to sum it up, the reason why Su Feng's trial training was so successful was inseparable from the help of the "blacksmith squad."

　　Plus Su Feng's own prepared set of complete trial training plans, in the words of Zhang Weiping:

　　This is very reasonable.

　　……

　　Time flies, on June 3rd, after flying around and touring most of the United States, Su Feng went to Seattle.

　　Just like Su Feng remembered, the two sides in this year's finals were the Bulls and the Supersonics.

　　In fact, Su Feng was surprised at first to receive a separate trial training invitation from the Supersonics.

　　Because the Supersonics in Su Feng's memory didn't have a first-round draft pick this year.

　　You must know that before being moved to Oklahoma City by an owner with severe homesickness, the Supersonics, which were not yet the Thunder, were a team that was very attractive to stars.

　　In 1996, *Fortune* magazine named Seattle "Best City to Work," and in 1998, Seattle was recognized as the city with the highest quality of life in the United States.

　　It was a pity that Seattle's municipal officials repeatedly rejected Supersonics owner Schultz's plan to build a new stadium in the future.

　　Therefore, after communicating with Stern, Schultz angrily sold the team directly to Bennett, a businessman from Oklahoma City with severe homesickness.

　　And because Bennett had promised not to move the team when he took over...

　　So, when the Supersonics moved away from Seattle, angry Supersonics fans even sent the following curse to the Thunder:

　　May you never climax...

　　Oh, no, may you never win a championship!

　　In Su Feng's previous life, many keyboard warriors had discussed in the future, if the Supersonics hadn't moved, would Du Xiaoshuai have become friends with the Golden State LaVine and the Golden State Irving?

　　The answer is no answer.

　　Because you can't assume this kind of thing.

　　But then again, although he was surprised to receive a trial training invitation from the Supersonics, thinking carefully, it seemed pretty good to join this Supersonics team?

　　Before Kemp screwed up, he was still the Reign Man, and "The Glove" Payton was also at the peak of his career.

　　And unlike Miller, who was "blown" into a lifelong enemy, Payton was truly brave and truly able to stand up to "Old Rogue."

　　In the '96 Finals, after being blown up by Jordan in the first three games, George Karl, having no other choice, began to use Payton to mainly defend Jordan.

　　Payton then used all his skills, combined with the Supersonics' terrifying frontline rotation speed at the time, and although Old Rogue was still able to score an average of 27+ points per game over the course of 6 games...

　　His field goal percentage had been limited to 41.5% by the Supersonics.

　　Many people in the future complained that Payton could defend Jordan into Kobe.

　　But to be honest, this statement was biased, because it should be said that Payton plus the Supersonics' frontline group could defend Jordan into Kobe.

　　This Supersonics team currently had the strength to compete with the Bulls for the championship, and Kemp and Payton would decline in a few years.

　　Wouldn't that be the time for Su Feng to usurp the throne?

　　In addition, living in Seattle, being able to watch *The International* by simply stepping out the door, isn't that great?

　　"Never mind, *The International* is something that will happen more than a decade from now..."

　　Su Feng knew that he wasn't strong enough to choose a team yet.

　　Take his experience in Oakland, not every team in the NBA was willing to believe that Asian players could make it.

　　Of course, every era has different views.

　　At least, at this time, many teams in the NBA were still very interested in Chinese players.

　　In short, at this time, who was so optimistic about the Chinese market?

　　In addition to those who were willing to believe in the Chinese market, many people were optimistic about the Golden Generation.

　　Who told the Golden Generation to have such good results?

　　The men's basketball team reached the top eight of the World Championships in '94, and also reached the top eight of the Olympics in '96.

　　Although they failed to reach the top eight in '00, that men's basketball team won two games in the group stage of that competition, and the reason why they failed to qualify was related to the fact that that men's basketball team was assigned to the group of death at the time.

　　In 2000, that Chinese men's basketball team defeated New Zealand and Italy, both of which were recognized as strong teams, in the group stage.

　　The game against European powerhouse Lithuania was also only lost by 16 points, and in the game against the eventual runner-up France, the men's basketball team had even led by a large margin at one point.

　　In 2000, Stern very much hoped that the star players of that Chinese men's basketball team would join the NBA.

　　Even in 2000, Hu Weidong had teams willing to invite him to play in the NBA in the future.

　　If it hadn't been for the fact that the 30-year-old Hu suffered a major injury at that time, he might have become the first Chinese guard to play in the NBA.

　　So, unexpectedly as it was, now that he had come to Seattle, Su Feng naturally had to show his "true" strength.

　　After all, this set of plans wasn't something Su Feng was bragging about...

　　Eh, wait...

　　Just as Su Feng was preparing to conquer Seattle's front office with his advantages, he never expected...

　　In Seattle, besides the physical test, the Supersonics only had one separate trial training item!

　　"Come on, kid, let me see your defense."

　　When Gary Payton, nicknamed "The Glove," looked at him with a smile, Su Feng was completely stunned...

　　Huh?

　　Are these NBA superstars so free now?

　t you guys just lining up to bully newbies?

　　You want me to fight the boss right after I leave the novice village? Is that how you play?

　　Hmm...

　　Hmm.

　　Please increase the intensity!

　　Don't be polite, please beat me to death!

　　Listening to the system's prompt in his mind, plus the fact that this was the Supersonics' only training item, Su Feng took a deep breath, preparing to welcome this...

　　Crazy harvest.

　　Actually...

　　What Su Feng didn't know was that the Supersonics' interest in him wasn't less than the Lakers' interest in Kobe.

　　The reason was simple.

　　Of course, the Supersonics were willing to bet on high school students, after all, they had succeeded in betting on Kemp.

　　As for Su Feng's Asian player status?

　　Simple, let Payton try him out, and he'll know how much this kid is worth.

　　As the Supersonics' head coach, George Karl knew better than anyone that in this era, if you wanted to win a championship, you had to have someone who could "deal with" Michael Jordan.

　　So when he saw Su Feng's height of 201 cm (with shoes) and a wingspan of 219 cm, George Karl confirmed that Su Feng was exactly the kind of player he wanted.

　　As for time?

　　The Supersonics could afford to wait.

　　Because Payton and Kemp were both in their prime.

　　As for two years or three years?

　　If you don't have anyone who can deal with Jordan, what else can you do if you don't wait these two or three years?

　　Just like teams had to stockpile meat shields in the future, in this era, any team with ambition had to have a few defensive experts on the outside if you wanted to play the Bulls?

　　Otherwise, you'd be stepped on the ground by Jordan, and then watch Pippen and Rodman pull out a big truncheon and slap you in the face...

　　"Come on!"

　　On the court, looking at Payton, Su Feng instantly entered the game state.

　　……

　　ps: Thank you for pushing me into Sanjiang again! Love you! Continuing to roll around asking for collections, votes, and rewards!