On the 8th, Su Feng and Kobe arrived in Pittsburgh to prepare for the 1996 McDonald's High School All-Star Game, held on the 9th and 10th in Pennsylvania's second-largest city.
Since its inception in 1978, this year marked the 18th edition of the McDonald's All-Star Game, and Su Feng and Kobe were among its participants.
As the pinnacle of American high school basketball, this event has hosted some legendary talents over the years—Shaquille O'Neal, Alonzo Mourning, Chris Webber...
And last year's stars: Kevin Garnett, Vince Carter, Stephon Marbury, Chauncey Billups...
In short, this game truly showcases the highest level of high school basketball in the U.S.
As a self-proclaimed "Humanoid Encyclopedia of the Four Guardians," Su Feng had watched the McDonald's All-Star Game in his previous life on Bilibili.
Yes, yes—although it's technically an All-Star event, the players go all out. No gimmicks. Just real competition.
Naturally, being an All-Star game, it's faster-paced than a typical high school match.
And while it lacks deep tactical structure, the 1996 edition was overflowing with talent.
Su Feng and Kobe were selected for the Eastern squad. The starting lineup also featured Tim Thomas and Stephen Jackson, with Jermaine O'Neal and Richard Hamilton coming off the bench.
On the Western side, the team was led by Mike Bibby—aka "White Devil." His teammates included Corey Benjamin and Jason Collier, both of whom Su Feng remembered seeing in the NBA.
Interestingly, Su Feng recalled that in his previous life, Kobe hadn't performed well in this game.
Although he was considered the Eastern team's star beforehand, well... things didn't go as expected.
High school All-Star games often become "self-showcases"—aka ball-hog fests.
Young players rarely pass, all trying to stand out.
Su Feng vividly remembered watching the replay, seeing comments like: "Poor Kobe!" "Kobe, having a rough day?" "Haha, XSWL—Kobe can't get the ball?" "Wow, Kobe playing off-ball?"
Cough...
Su Feng finally understood why agent Bill Duffy advised him to soak in the All-Star experience, then refocus on post-game training.
Because games like this are kryptonite to team-first players like Su Feng.
"Ah, maybe I really need to be a solo player. I can't keep relying on team play," he thought wistfully upon arriving in Pittsburgh.
Still, compared to Philadelphia, Su Feng didn't know why—he felt a natural fondness for Pittsburgh.
It had a vibe perfect for laying low.
Especially with its iconic NFL franchise: the Pittsburgh Steelers.
"Someday, when I make money, I'll buy that team. The name suits me," Su Feng mused with emotion.
...
After arriving in Pittsburgh, Su Feng and Kobe checked into a hotel arranged by the tournament committee. At the front desk, they bumped into Stephen Jackson — also known as "Wu Sheng" and "Captain Jack."
Jackson, with the aura of a troublemaker, oozed raw talent. Just one look at his unusually thick elbows was enough to make most people steer clear.
Su Feng recalled that during his draft year, Jackson wasn't picked until midway through the second round by the Suns. He didn't play a single game before being cut.
His fall in the draft wasn't about talent—it was about reputation. So intense, even NBA teams were hesitant to touch him.
The Suns gave up on Jackson after he got into a brawl with gangsters in a nightclub and clashed with the local press. When the news broke, the Suns' front office must've wondered what they were thinking during the draft.
Jackson would spend nearly three years overseas before making it back to the NBA. Then came that infamous brawl at Auburn Hills, where one fight made him unforgettable.
Back then, he charged into battle after seeing his close friend Ron Artest attacked—roaring like a war god and leaving "millions" of fans stunned (exaggeration intended).
"Hey, I love your nickname—Philadelphia Gemini. So cool," Jackson said.
Originally, Su Feng didn't plan on getting too close to "Wu Sheng." He wasn't confident that even he and Kobe combined could handle Jackson in a brawl.
But it turned out Jackson was surprisingly approachable.
In truth, Su Feng wasn't afraid of him. He knew that despite Jackson's wild reputation, his actual performance on the court was far more disciplined than many polished players. (Chris Paul, Cough...)
Another takeaway: the McDonald's All-Star Game really is the ceiling of high school talent.
Upon observing closely, Su Feng realized that — physically — he might not even outmatch Jackson.
Moral of the story: being a good person really matters.
Su Feng remembered Jackson pulling off an incredible dunk attempt in the game — nearly gliding a full meter forward. Too bad he missed it. Had he nailed it, it would've made the top 10 dunks in All-Star history.
Were it not for his "bad boy" image, Jackson would've been a lottery pick for sure.
After chatting for a bit, Su Feng found Jackson had a pretty intricate mind. He wasn't scheming — just genuinely curious about Kobe and Su Feng.
Since this All-Star Game was practically a home-court affair for the "Philadelphia Gemini," Jackson had heard a lot about them and wanted to see what the hype was.
"You guys look like straight-A students. We're not cut from the same cloth," he said out of nowhere.
Su Feng and Kobe: "..."
Bro, if that's how you feel, why've you been chatting for this long?
"Do you guys sing or rap? I'm a rap master," Jackson blurted out.
Su Feng and Kobe: "..."
Bro, what's your angle?
Thankfully, things returned to normal when Mike Bibby, the Western team's star point guard, showed up.
Nicknamed "White Devil," Bibby was the consensus best point guard in this year's All-Star game.
His strength was remarkable. In Su Feng's previous life, even Steve Nash probably envied Bibby's iron elbows.
Later in the NBA, Bibby would average over 20 points a season and hit 1,517 career three-pointers.
Sadly, he never made it to an All-Star team — simply because the West was stacked with elite point guards.
Fun fact: Bibby's grandmother was Chinese, and he eventually tattooed her surname on his body.
When Bibby entered the hotel and spotted three familiar-looking figures talking, he instantly recognized the most striking one — Su Feng.
"Whoa, you guys got here early," Bibby said. He'd read about the "Philadelphia CP" duo in magazines.
Kobe and Su Feng also knew of Bibby, though Bibby wasn't as well-known as they were.
Fate's funny like that.
With Jackson's wild thoughts and Bibby's laid-back vibe, the group never ran out of things to talk about.
Eventually, Jermaine O'Neal — who looked intimidating but actually played with finesse — and Tim Thomas — who had the aura of a troublemaker but was more calculated on court — arrived too.
And so, the key players in this McDonald's High School All-Star Game casually chatted about life and basketball right there in the hotel lobby.
Oh... wait...
Someone's always left out.
(Hamilton: Am I that forgettable? I've been here the whole time...)
...
"Su, do you think I can win the championship with these moves I've prepared?"
For this McDonald's High School All-Star Game, both Kobe and Su Feng were named starters for the Eastern squad. Kobe was also invited to participate in the dunk contest, while Su Feng received a spot in the three-point shootout.
Su Feng didn't want to compete with Kobe in the dunk contest — because he already knew the crown would go to a player named Lester Earl.
What's that? Never heard of this nobleman?
No worries. Turns out Lester didn't make much of a name for himself in the NBA later on.
Still, many fans believed that Kobe, despite being the most hyped contestant, must've thrown the contest on purpose — otherwise, the loss made no sense.
Honestly…
After spending two years around Kobe and watching his NBA dunk contest performance, Su Feng was convinced: Kobe didn't care to win. His "brain wiring" just didn't scream creativity.
And while Lester Earl might be a nobody in hindsight, Su Feng remembered him beating both Kobe and Lamar Odom at the Adidas ABCD training camp.
Truth be told…
The U.S. has produced tons of basketball prodigies, but many vanish — either due to injury or misfortune.
In Kevin Garnett's biography, he mentions not being able to outperform his high school teammate Ronnie Fields. Sadly, Fields was later injured in a car accident and spent his career bouncing around low-level leagues just to make ends meet.
"Su, have you lost your sense of aesthetics? Are my moves not genius?" Kobe grumbled, clearly irked by Su Feng's silence.
Alright then…
Since you've asked so earnestly, allow me to show you what real creativity looks like.
Su Feng proceeded to walk Kobe through a few dunk concepts. Kobe's jaw practically hit the floor.
"But can I actually pull these off?" he asked.
"Of course — these are just starters."
Su Feng knew Kobe's hangtime and explosiveness better than most.
Frankly, if someone can dunk a bouquet with a basic one-handed jam, they can absolutely execute the tricks Su Feng described.
Su Feng had witnessed the epic duel between Gordon and LaVine in the future, and had seen streetball legends like "White Jordan." If the system ever lets him break the ceiling, he'll make sure the world learns what a real dunk looks like.
And hey — since agent Bill Duffy encouraged him to enjoy the All-Star Game… why not steal the spotlight a little?
"Kobe, do you know where I can buy cigars?" Su Feng asked suddenly.
"Huh? Planning to smoke one?"
"Nah. Just want to look cool."
"..."